It’s about time homegrown brand Rachelle the Rabbit Meadery got a new name, lest people think they only produce mead (which they do, and do so very well).
With the launch of their latest Chendol Gin, they now have two spirits on their catalogue. The first was the Rojak Gin, which we got a taste of just last month. It’s a sipping gin made by distilling fermented honey, juniper, lemon peel and torch ginger together, resulting in a silky, juicy and botanical spirit. And yes, it does have that familiar rojak hit you get with the salad dish.
The Chendol Gin is made quite differently. Rather than using fermented honey to get their base distillate, they use fermented gula melaka instead. After which, they redistill the resulting spirit in a pot still with juniper, pandan leaves and coconut—just three ingredients like they did with the Rojak—to get the finished product.
While the Rojak is designed to be good on its own, over ice, or just topped with tonic, the Chendol is the better option when it comes to mixology. It has a long, fragrant finish thanks to lingering pandan and coconut notes, while an undercurrent of molasses gives the gin some body. The texture is soft, like what you’d usually expect of a clarified spirit. Plus, the flavours are potent yet not overpowering, so bartenders have greater flexibility with its use.
To get your hands on a bottle, Rachelle the Rabbit Meadery sells them directly online and comes with free delivery. Otherwise, everyone’s trusty bottle shop Temple Cellars retails the gins too, and so does Good Luck Provisions on Haji Lane. Bars like Native also carries them.
And in case you’re wondering whether the Chendol Gin tastes like the dessert it’s named after? Most definitely yes, and in all the best ways.
