BRIAN MAY CREATES THE RED SPECIAL GIN WITH PORTOBELLO ROAD DISTILLERY
PORTOBELLO ROAD DISTILLERY X RED SPECIAL GIN launches on. 8th October 2026
Available to pre-order HERE from 28th September 2026
London, UK – Brian May, legendary guitarist and co-founder of Queen, has teamed up with Portobello Road Distillery, one of the UK’s leading British distilleries to create The Red Special Gin at their Notting Hill Ginstitute; a distinctive British premium London Dry Gin born from a shared enthusiasm for craftsmanship and making something from scratch.
Brian famously built his own Red Special guitar with his father, Harold, at home, using materials they had available to them. The instrument went on to become one of the most recognisable guitars in rock history and an enduring symbol of Brian’s individuality, ingenuity and creativity. Now, decades later, Brian has brought that same spirit of invention to gin.
The Red Special Gin differs from conventional celebrity-endorsed spirit, as an authentic collaboration with strong artistic identity and collectability. Brian is not simply putting his name to a product – he was instrumental in bringing the gin to life from the ground up. Partnering with
Portobello Road Distillery, he brought his creative vision to their Ginstitute table in Notting Hill, an award-winning blend your own gin experience at the British Distillery’s home on Portobello Road.
There, Brian worked with the Ginstitute team to develop a recipe inspired by some of his favourite botanicals including aromatic sage and vibrant calamansi orange, proudly grown by Brian himself in his home greenhouse.
Brian May says:
“Collaboration is my thing right now. (Steve Cropper, Billy Gibbons, Daniel May, William Shatner, Noel Fitzpateick, Graham Bonnet.. ) I’ll be proud to see this new collaboration out there. I completely relate to the very British homespun ethos of Portobello, and their attention to detail, making this a very high quality product. Like the electric guitar, this Red Special has to be enjoyed responsibly !!!” Brian May
Gemma Monaghan Gilbert, Marketing Director at Portobello Road Distillery says:
“Working with Sir Brian May on Red Special Gin has been a real joy. What makes this collaboration so special is that it’s rooted in a shared passion for craftsmanship, creativity and doing things differently. Brian has poured so much of his own story, his character and creativity into the project, and we’ve loved bringing that together with our own London distilling heritage. Red Special is the result of two British icons coming together to create something genuinely unique.”
Portobello Road Distillery x Red Special Gin is clean, dry and beautifully refreshing, combining classic juniper with warming liquorice root, aromatic sage and bright calamansi orange. Distinctive and elegant, with subtle complexity and a vibrant citrus finish, it is a gin with character, just like the man behind it.
The bottle and the iconic sixpence:
The Red Special Gin comes in a distinctive, vintage-inspired bottle, designed to reflect the character and heritage behind the brand and its creator. But look a little closer and there’s a detail that makes it truly special — a sixpence set into the lid, a collectible piece of rock n roll history. For decades, Brian May has famously used a sixpence as his signature guitar pick, the coin becoming another symbol of his musical legacy.
The bottles are numbered:
Every Portobello Road Distillery x Brian May Gin bottle will also be sequentially numbered, making each one a unique piece of the collaboration.
Brian May will have 000001, safely tucked away in his cabinet.
Portobello Road Distillery will keep 000002.
And then, the numbers are yours!
Fans will have the opportunity to secure their very own bottle number — whether that’s the coveted 000003, a lucky number, or something far more personal, such as a birth year.
THE GINSTITUTE:
Create your own gin like a rockstar
Brian May created his own gin with Portobello Road Distillery. Now, gin lovers can follow in his footsteps. At Portobello Road Distillery’s award-winning Ginstitute experience in Notting Hill, visitors can become gin creators themselves, crafting and distilling their own bespoke concoction from scratch in the very space once graced by the rock star. Guests can explore botanicals, experiment with flavours and create a gin that is uniquely theirs — just as Brian created something unique and named it after the guitar he and his father built, The Red Special.
What will yours be called?
PRE-ORDER PORTOBELLO ROAD X RED SPECIAL GIN HERE
ahead of its official launch on 8th October 2026.
Discover The Ginstitute at Portobello Road Distillery in Notting Hill https://portobelloroaddistillery.com