Malaysia launches gin distilled with pandan and jackfruit

A Malaysian entrepreneur is launching an exotic range of artisan gins distilled with unmistakably Malaysian botanicals, including pandan, jackfruit and ginger-like galangal.

The three artisan gins with unmistakably Malaysian flavours (Photo source: The Star)

Eiling Lim, the woman behind the country’s first independent whisky bottling company, has diverted her attention this time to gin, creating a collection that “reflects her Malaysian roots”, reported The Star.

Pandan is often used in Southeast Asia’s cuisine for dessert, and jackfruit’s exterior resembles durian but tastes like a cross between ripe pineapple and banana. The three gins are aptly called ‘Pandan Predator’, ‘Nasty Nangka’ and ‘Gawky Galangal’.

In addition to the three exotic botanicals,17 other botanicals including juniper, cardamom, coriander, orris root, cinchona, and black pepper are used.

The gin is however not distilled in Malaysia but rather in Belgium. It is produced at De Cort Distillery, run by a distiller named Manu De Cort.

Since the ingredients are hardly found in Belgium, the botanicals are flown in from Southeast Asia.

No extracts are added and all ingredients are steeped for 36 hours and distilled in a Holstein still to create a more “rounded” spirit, according to the report.