Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin
Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin is a 750mL Irish gin at 43% ABV (86 proof) from The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim, Ireland — the distillery PJ and Denise Rigney founded in 2014 on the shores of Lough Allen, the first distillery in Connacht in over 101 years. Its signature botanical is Chinese gunpowder green tea, its pellets of slow-dried leaves joined by Irish meadowsweet and ten more botanicals: eight (juniper, angelica, orris, caraway, coriander, meadowsweet, cardamom, star anise) are slow-distilled in medieval-style copper pot stills, while the tea and the citrus botanicals are vapour-infused. Every bottle is hand-filled, labelled and sealed at the distillery. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof) — US importer specification
- Size: 750mL
- Style: Irish gin — 12 botanicals, gunpowder-tea-led
- Production: 8 botanicals pot-distilled in copper; gunpowder tea + citrus vapour-infused; hand-filled and sealed at the distillery
- Origin: Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim, Ireland — The Shed Distillery, founded 2014 by PJ Rigney
The Shed Distillery's Curious Journey
PJ Rigney built The Shed Distillery after a career spent travelling the world's drinks cultures, and Gunpowder is his travelling recipe made Irish: Chinese gunpowder tea vapour-steamed with bright citrus, anchored by juniper, spice and the meadowsweet that grows around Drumshanbo itself. The vapour basket is the point — the delicate tea and citrus never boil, so their aromatic oils arrive intact instead of bitter. Explore the distillery on the Drumshanbo vendor page or browse our wider gin selection.
Tasting Notes
From the importer and distiller's notes: bright and citrus-forward up front with juniper and spice; gunpowder tea, meadowsweet and coriander carry the palate; a round, balanced, lingering botanical finish.
How to Enjoy
The importer's signature serve: a gin & tonic garnished with fresh grapefruit (ruby red, in the full serve). The tea-and-citrus profile also holds up in a Martini for drinkers who like theirs botanical and dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is gunpowder tea? A Chinese green tea whose leaves are slow-dried and rolled into small pellets resembling grains of gunpowder — here it is a botanical, vapour-infused rather than boiled, and it gives the gin its name.
How strong is it? 43% ABV (86 proof) in this US 750mL bottling, per the US importer.
Where is it made? At The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, Ireland — where every bottle is hand-filled, labelled and sealed.
Tea, citrus and Leitrim meadowsweet — order Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.