Copper Bonnet Distilled With Sugar Kelp Gin 750ml

Copper Bonnet Distilled With Sugar Kelp Gin comes from Copper Bonnet Distillery, a small, veteran-owned operation run by a husband-and-wife team based in Pennsylvania with a strong connection to the ocean. Part of that connection comes through, the distillery works with Force Blue, a veteran-led marine conservation organization, folding a mission around ocean protection into the brand itself. Every bottle carries a bit of that seafaring story, drawing on folklore and maritime adventure as its inspiration.

The gin's signature ingredient is sugar kelp, hand-harvested from a closely guarded location off the coast of northern Maine. Alongside juniper, the botanical bill includes allspice, which lends subtle notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, along with a generous helping of fresh orange peel, lemon, and lime for citrus brightness, plus ginger and a touch of spearmint. The sugar kelp itself is meant to carry the essence of the ocean into the glass, tying the gin's flavor directly to its conservation-minded origins.

The gin opens bright and zippy, with a burst of sunny citrus from the orange, lemon, and lime. It settles into a smoother, more laid-back character in the middle, reminiscent of a coastal breeze, before finishing clean and refreshing with a cool hint of spearmint. The sugar kelp works quietly in the background throughout, adding a subtle maritime depth rather than announcing itself outright.