Wallingford pub team make their own Albino Flamingo pink gin

Sam Smith and Rob McGregor, who have run The Keep bar in Wallingford since 2016, have jumped on the gin bandwagon to create their own original gin called Albino Flamingo.

Flavoured with pink ingredients such as pink grapefruit, pink lady apples and pink peppercorns, the only thing that isn't pink about it is the colour.

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Mr Smith said: “We opened as a micropub, but soon saw the rise of gin and started stocking more and more gins – we now have more than 100.

“We thought it was about time we did our own, so we combined all the different things we think make a great gin and put them into this recipe.”

The duo have even formed their own firm to produce and market the transparent tipple – The Keep Spirit Company.

Unfortunately for those who love the rosey colour of pink gin, Albino Flamingo is trying to stray from the craze of pink gin but still keep the sweet flavour.

The gin has been traditionally distilled as a London dry, but has not been given the fancy pink colour: instead it remains a sophisticated crystal clear.

Mr Smith said: “Pink Gin is becoming a big thing now but we don’t want people to buy a gin because of its colour, so we made our gin out of pink botanicals, but it is distilled as a London dry gin where the gin remains crystal clear.”

Usually pink gin is made by adding the pink botanicals (plants) and berry flavourings in the distilling process making it pink, but Mr Smith and Mr McGregor are trying something different and also keeping it traditional.

The owners of The Keep said the gin is distilled using a traditional method and is a clear London dry gin with pink botanicals.

Mr Smith said: “The name Albino Flamingo derives from flamingos only being pink because of their diet, so our gin is in a way albino – if that makes any sense at all.”

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Albino Flamingo was launched last weekend at The Keep.

The pub was decorated with pink light-up flamingoes as everyone sipped on the artisan gin from goblets.

The event was attended by gin lovers from across the county keen to taste the new crystal clear concoction.

Mr Smith and Mr McGregor said the launch was a success and the micropub sold all 180 bottles of gin it had in stock.

The second batch of bottles is already on its way, and the Albino Flamingo team hope it will soon be available to buy from farm shops and delis in the area.

The launch of Albino Flamingo follows several other Oxfordshire gins, including the one produced by The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD) at South Park, and Collagin which contains the protein collagen.