A Noted Fashion Photographer Spent Four Years Creating This Seriously Stylish New Gin

There’s no shortage of boldface names who’ve released their own line of spirits. But the newest member of the pack may be its most stylish yet.

Acclaimed fashion photographer Mert Alas just launched a beguiling bottle called Seventy One Gin. Alas, known for his work with his creative partner Marcus Piggot, has long been a fan of gin, and has spent the last four years improving upon his favorite tipple. It’s made more like perfume than traditional spirits, and takes its name from how long it’s aged in oak casks. All told, the gin spends 71 nights in a succession of Spanish virgin oak casks, used to bestow a smoky depth; sherry casks made from American oak that provide a hint of sweetness; and French oak cognac casks that give it a little heat. This process is also what gives the gin its beguiling amber color.

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As for flavor, it goes way beyond juniper. It’s imbued with damask rose and grapefruit, and features flavors of peat and spicy citrus. The gin’s tasting notes are rounded out with a touch of cactus flower, specifically the ‘queen of the night,’ also known as Selenicereus grandifloras. This rare plant blooms only once a year at midnight, and its hard-won petals add a subtle, jasmine-like flavor to the spirit. Packaged as it is in an art deco-inspired bottle, and the spirit has a narrative as romantic as one of Alas’s fashion campaigns.

Seventy One Gin

“I love the mystery of night,” Alas said in an interview with Vogue. “I want to bring back a sense of glamour—it’s about having beautiful company, great music, something to dress up for!”

And with the world starting to open up again, its release couldn’t be better timed. You can purchase the one-of-a-kind gin for £140 (about $194.40 at current exchange) on the brand’s website right now.

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