Boatrocker Feliz Navidad Christmas Gin

Boatrocker's Feliz Navidad Christmas Gin brings a Mexican-inspired set of ingredients to a 42% gin: lactic-fermented jalapeños, Peruvian organic cacao nibs, Ethiopian Gesha coffee, cinnamon and cloves, alongside traditional gin botanicals. It is a seasonal release from the Melbourne distillery, but its appeal is not limited to the calendar: chilli, cacao and coffee give it a distinctly savoury, warming character.

Woody · Spicy · Earthy

The nose combines dark cacao and roasted coffee with the dry, pine-like aroma of juniper. Cinnamon and clove add familiar baking-spice notes, while the fermented jalapeño gives a peppery, lightly tangy edge. These details stay separate enough to recognise; the coffee does not turn the gin into a liqueur, and the chilli reads as warmth rather than a claim of extreme heat.

On the palate, juniper and spice arrive first. Cacao brings a dry, bitter-chocolate impression, followed by coffee and cinnamon. The jalapeño adds a lingering pepper warmth, while clove lengthens the finish with a darker spice note. At 42%, the gin has enough weight to hold its character in a mixed drink. The combination is unusual, but each element remains grounded in the named ingredients rather than in a generic festive flavour.

Five distinctive ingredients give this Mexico-inspired recipe its character. The cacao is specifically Peruvian and organic, and the coffee is Ethiopian Gesha; those details belong to the named ingredients and do not imply that every component is certified organic. Juniper supplies the gin base, with cinnamon and cloves adding a recognisable seasonal warmth.

For a long drink, pour 4 cl over clear iceClear iceIce without air bubbles, made by slow, directional freezing. Denser, it melts more slowly and dilutes less.Glossary in a balloon glassCopa glassA large stemmed balloon glass, popularised by the Spanish gin and tonic: it stays cold for longer and gathers the aromas above the drink.Glossary and add 10 cl of Strangelove Salted Grapefruit. A pink grapefruit twistTwistA strip of peel twisted over the glass to release its oils, then dropped into the drink.Glossary and one very thin jalapeño ring in the glass bring citrus and a measured pepper accent; place extra grapefruit beside it. Strangelove's salted grapefruit profile adds citrus without hiding the cacao, coffee or pepper. Keep the garnish spare: cacao and coffee already bring plenty of depth.