Some Harley-Davidson fans say that they eat, sleep and breathe Harley. Well thanks to a new gin from Germany, they can drink Harley too.
Custom motorcycle builder Uwe Ehinger has made what is probably the first gin aimed at motorcylists, with The Archaeologist. It's a unique concept, if a little strange.
Ehinger travels the world looking for antique bikes to restore. That's a good way to end up with lots of old broken bikes and lots of parts that can't be used. But what do you do with all those unneeded parts? You put them in booze, that's what.
The Archaeologist is a dry gin with a twist. There are old Harley Davidson engine parts in the bottle. Yes, you read that correctly: every bottle has engine parts inside.
If you're worried about the whole thing tasting like old 60 weight, the company says that the parts are cleaned and then sealed in a food-safe alloy. So it's not going to taste like a Harley, the company calls it "preserving the spirit of the old machines in an actual spirit."
The first batch included parts from a 1939 Flathead that Ehinger found in Mexico, a 1947 Knucklehead from Chile, and a 1962 Panhead from Seoul.
The bike parts are a neat hook, but it's the packaging and the stories that really shine here. The bottles are hand made, with labelling and packaging that takes inspiration from the way motorcycle parts were shipped in the '40s.
Ehinger Kraftrad's web store says that all three bottle runs are sold out, but they've said they will be making more batches.
