Portobello Road and Dire Straits singer create gin

London-based Portobello Road Gin has partnered with Dire Straits singer and guitarist Mark Knopfler to create its latest limited edition Local Heroes expression.

Dire Straits singer and guitarist Mark Knopfler has inspired Portobello Road’s Local Heroes No 3 release

Knopfler, a former Notting Hill local, worked with Portobello Road Gin’s co-founder Jake Burger to create Local Heroes No 3, which is the latest in Portobello Road’s series of gins that celebrate a particular market where the brand is present.

To create Local Heroes No 3, Burger and Knopfler added lime zest, cucumber peel and olive oil to Portobello Road Gin’s nine signature botanicals, which includes juniper, coriander seed, orris root, angelica root, lemon peel and nutmeg.

Knopfler said: “2019 is an exciting year with the launch of the Local Hero musical, a global tour and of course the launch of my new limited edition gin in collaboration with Portobello Road Gin.

“As a gin fan, it is a wonderful opportunity to work with a prestigious brand like Portobello Road Gin to craft my own blend. This project allowed us to share our vision and I’m incredibly proud of the results. It is robust in flavour and strong in spice – exactly the kind of gin that I enjoy and I hope my fans will too.”

Distilled in Portobello Road’s 400l copper alembic still, King Henry, Local Heroes No 3 is described as having a “robustly ginny profile” with a strong spice flavour that is tempered by the coolness of cucumber. It has a soft, full, creamy mouthfeel.

Each bottle of the limited edition gin features a decorative label designed by Knopfler and creative agency Analogue. It was inspired by the Dire Straits frontman’s passion for guitars and the inside label features an image of the guitarists 1937 14-fret National Style O Resonator guitar.

Bottled at 42% abv and priced at £40 (US$52), the 700ml bottle is also packaged with its own miniature red headband in tribute to Knopfler’s on-stage look.

Burger said: “It is a huge honour to be able to work with Mark to create a London Dry gin with a rock and roll edge.

“I worked closely with Mark to create the recipe, which was guided by his preferred gin styles. As a Portobello Road Gin fan, Mark expressed an interest in creating a more summery take on our signature blend that is also bold in flavour.

“The addition of olive oil results in a wonderfully smooth finish making it a great gin for Martinis and of course Gibsons, which of course shares its name with the iconic guitar brand.”