A limited edition gin has been born to celebrate Preston Caribbean Carnival’s 50th anniversary.

The Carnival committee worked on the gin with Wild Fox Distillery, based in Inglewhite, who offer a private label distilling service.

The fourth generation farmers – who have diversified into gin production – have created a bespoke taste of the Caribbean for the Golden Edition Gin, featuring sorrel and lime.

Lizzie from Wild Fox said: “Sorrel is the blossom of the hibiscus plant, originally harvested and cultivated in the Caribbean.

“Limes, imported from the Caribbean islands, match perfectly to create a tangy, slightly floral gin comparable to cranberries or pomegranate flavours.

“After some research, we have found that no one has yet paired sorrel and lime in to distillation, so the flavour profile is truly unique to Preston Caribbean Carnival.”

Read more: Save the date to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Preston Carnival

Tracey, Chair of Preston Caribbean Carnival, said: “We are so excited to be able to create this special edition gin as part of our celebrations. It is in recognition of carnival’s founders who began creating costumes and introduced a parade for the people of Preston back in 1974. Their friends and descendants carried on the tradition through to present day and now visitors to Preston experience a taste of the Caribbean each year.”

Tracey added: “Being a Caribbean festival, most people would expect our tipple to be a rum, but we like to do things a bit different here and keep everyone on their toes so why not go where no one’s been before and create a Caribbean gin?

“Not only is the gin absolutely delicious, but the bottle itself is a collector’s item, decorated vibrantly to celebrate 50 years of our carnival.”

Read more: A short history of Preston’s Caribbean community – from colour bar to cricket to Carnival

The official Golden Edition Gin launch will take place at Glovers Bar on Thursday 28 March, with a cocktail competition to create the ultimate golden jubilee carnival cocktail.

The gin is available to purchase in 20cl bottles at £25 and 70cl bottles at £45 by emailing info@prestoncarnival.co.uk.

Meanwhile Preston Caribbean Carnival weekend takes place on the bank holiday weekend of Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May.

A ticketed reggae music event on the Saturday will be followed by a vibrant, colourful jubilee procession featuring iconic costumes from the 50 years of carnival on the Sunday from around 12pm.

A family fun afternoon on Moor Park will take place until 9pm, including live stage shows, soundsystem performances, Caribbean and international food stalls, craft stalls, bar facility and lots of children’s activities, including creative making sessions, facepainting and rides. There will be a request for a £2 donation per adult, while children under 12 go free.

It’s expected that over 30,000 visitors will join in celebrating the flamboyant, creative Caribbean culture within our city.

For more information, visit the Preston Caribbean Carnival website.

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