The Cannabis Company, based in Melbourne, has released the world’s first ever gin distilled using cannabis terpenes.
The innovative new spirit is called ‘The Myrcene Hemp Gin’ in reference to the most abundant terpene found in cannabis. Terpenes are the primary constituent of the essential oils found in many types of medicinal plants and flowers, including hops.
According to the company, Myrcene is known for its “joyful and euphoric effect alongside an overall feeling of relaxation” and can ease symptoms of chronic pain and inflammation.
“It took quite a few goes to get to a good product,” chief marketing officer Cormac Sheehan told SBS. “As we started adding in botanicals, we began to uncover a gin which was great, but not quite award-winning. That wasn’t good enough – from day one we didn’t want novelty gin.
“It had to stand on its own two feet as a gin, regardless of the cannabis element. If you never knew it had anything to do with hemp, you still had to be able to enjoy it as a gin. The real breakthrough came when we started adding terpenes to the distillation process.”
The gin itself is described as having “bubblegum aromas” that blend with lavender, pine forest and sage. The tasting notes continue: “Soft tones of violet interact on the palate with woodland flavours of rosemary and resin, cloves and woody spices. With a long complex finish and rich mouthfeel, the Myrcene is perfect paired with a premium tonic.”
The CEO of The Cannabis Company, Dr. David Stapleton, is a senior researcher at The University of Melbourne with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
“We’ve got nothing against hippies, but the public image of the cannabis plant is still stuck in the ‘60s, explains Dr. Sheehan. “It’s unfortunate, as this plant has a million applications as a food, a medicine, a textile, even as a sustainable fire-resistant building material. Yet it still suffers from considerable stigma, the result being that millions of Aussies are missing out on how it can benefit their lives.”
An extremely small-batch release, the first release is limited to just 300 bottles.
