If your dad loves rock ‘n’ roll and gin (and let’s face it whose dad doesn’t?), then we’ve got the perfect boozy gift for him this Father’s Day. Legendary rock musician and Dire Straits’ frontman, Mark Knopfler OBE, has teamed up with Portobello Road Gin this year to create a rock ‘n’ roll beverage that makes all other bottles seem like cheesy pop tunes in comparison.
With its guitar-inspired label design, bold flavour profile, and miniature version of Mark Knopfler’s iconic sweatband which comes with each and every bottle, this is an essential addition to any music-and-gin lover’s drinks cabinet. Blending a unique mix of botanicals including lime peel, fresh cucumber and olive oil, why spend your money on nothing this Father’s Day when you can present your dad with the perfect summer beverage, ideal for making the most of summer evenings in the garden with the BBQ blazing and Dire Straits’ iconic rock tunes blasting out from the speakers!?
Launched in April to coincide with the opening of a new stage musical adaption of the classic Scottish film, Local Hero, that Mark composed the music for (as he did on the movie’s original soundtrack), ‘Local Heroes No.3” is a bold gin with a strong spice and heat flavour that you’ve simply got to sample.
A former Notting Hill local and passionate gin fan himself, Mark Knopfler worked closely with Portobello Road Gin’s co-founder, Jake F. Burger, to create a distinctive and special edition gin both men could be proud of.
Named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the fifty best guitarists of all time, if you don’t know who Mark Knopfler is, your dad certainly will. Best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist and songwriter of the internationally acclaimed rock ‘n’ roll band Dire Straits, as well as founder of the roots band The Notting Hillbillies, Mark spent many years living in the Portobello Road area and even recorded the song ‘Potobello Belle’ as a love letter to the streets of his adopted home, so there couldn’t be a more perfect collaboration than this.
Each of these limited edition, artisan bottles will be distilled on Portobello Road in their 400L copper alembic still King Henry, then bottled and labelled by hand. Led by Mark, the decorative label design was inspired by his love of guitars and features an image of Mark’s iconic 1937 14-fret National Style “O” Resonator on the inside of each bottle.
Mark Knopfler OBE had this to say about the launch of this exciting and exclusive new gin:
“2019 is an exciting year with the launch of the Local Hero musical, a global tour, and of course the launch of my new limited edition gin in collaboration with Portobello Road Gin. As a gin fan, it is a wonderful opportunity to work with a prestigious brand like Portobello Road Gin to craft my own blend. This project allowed us to share our vision and I’m incredibly proud of the results. It is robust in flavour and strong in spice – exactly the kind of gin that I enjoy and I hope my fans will too.”
Co-founder of Portobello Road Gin, Jake F. Burger, commented:
“I worked closely with Mark to create the recipe, which was guided by his preferred gin styles. As a Portobello Road Gin fan, Mark expressed an interest in creating a more summery take on our signature blend that is also bold in flavour. To create this, we distilled our nine time honoured botanicals adding lime zest, fresh cucumber peel and somewhat uniquely, olive oil. As expected, the flavours are totally unique and we believe the result is extremely exciting. The addition of olive oil results in a wonderfully smooth finish making it a great gin for Martinis and Gibsons, which of course shares its name with the iconic guitar brand. So why not mix yourself a cocktail, turn the stereo up and listen to one of Mark’s many classic albums?”
Local Heroes No. 3 is available to purchase from Portobello Road Gin’s website for £40, as well as The Distillery’s specialist Bottle Shop on Portobello Road. It can also be purchased from Masters of Malt (www.mastersofmalt.com) and Drinks Supermarket (www.drinksupermarket.com).
