The Illusionist Dry Gin

The Illusionist Dry Gin changes color in the glass

The Illusionist Dry Gin from The Illusionist Distillery is a deep blue gin from Munich featuring sixteen botanicals. When tonic is added, it turns soft pink, as the butterfly pea flower reacts to acid. No artificial coloring from a bottle, just pure plant chemistry.

The Illusionist Dry Gin is a color-changing gin with 45 percent alcohol by The Illusionist Distillery from Munich, distilled in Hohenbrunn in a copper still. Sixteen botanicals on a wheat alcohol base result in a fruity, floral gin that is turned deep blue by the butterfly pea flower.

In the bottle, it is dark as ink, and in the glass, it becomes a rich royal blue. And then comes the moment for which this gin was made.

From royal blue to soft pink

Pour in tonic, and the blue shifts within seconds through violet to a light pink, all on its own.

The responsible agent is the pigment of the butterfly pea, a flower from the Far East that reacts to acid. You know the same effect from red cabbage, which suddenly looks red instead of blue in the pot with a splash of vinegar. Tonic, ginger beer, lime, lemon – anything acidic shifts the pH value and thus the color.

It is best served in a tall glass so that everyone at the table can watch. A trick, yes, but an honest one.

Juniper, mace, and a hint of licorice

On the nose, clear juniper leads, followed by citrus zest, lavender, and chamomile.

On the palate, the gin becomes fruity and floral, with the warm spice of mace, plus cardamom, ginger, and angelica root as a backbone. Cranberries and lemongrass bring freshness, and a hint of licorice remains on the finish. Floral, spicy, delicately fresh – a gin that, despite its show, is no fraud.

Because it is bottled unfiltered, it clouds slightly with very cold tonic. That is not a flaw, but the price paid for ensuring all aromas have remained in the bottle.

Copper still in Hohenbrunn

It is distilled in small batches in a copper pot still in Hohenbrunn near Munich, based on wheat alcohol.

The botanicals come from certified organic farming and are harvested at their optimal level of ripeness before being processed individually. The company deliberately eschews chill filtration because aromatic substances would be lost in the process – the gin remains unfiltered and may cloud slightly in the glass.

Behind the brand are Max Muggenthaler and Tim Steglich, who started in 2015 in Munich’s Glockenbachviertel with small tabletop stills. It took almost a year until the recipe was perfect. Since then, the gin has been awarded gold at the IWSC and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, among others.

Serving tip

5 cl of gin to 15 cl of light tonic, plenty of ice, and a slice of grapefruit or a sprig of rosemary. Pour the tonic slowly over a bar spoon, and the color change will occur as a gradient rather than all at once.

Neat at room temperature, the gin shows its floral sides most clearly; stored in a cool place, it remains stable for years. You can find more bottles in our gin selection, the portrait of the distillery is under The Illusionist Distillery, and those who prefer it classic will find what they are looking for with Hoos from Karlsruhe. The 500 ml bottle is enough for about ten long drinks.

Organic control number – DE-ÖKO-060 EU / Non-EU agriculture