Brian May celebrated the launch of his signature gin in the very space where he created it, alongside the team behind Portobello Road Distillery.
LONDON, UK – 8 October 2026 – The launch of Portobello Road Distillery x Brian May Red Special Gin was celebrated in style at Portobello Road Distillery in Notting Hill, bringing together Brian May, the team behind the gin and guests for an evening of creativity, craftsmanship and rock ’n’ roll spirit
The venue was particularly fitting: the very space where Brian May worked alongside the Portobello Road Distillery team to create his signature gin. With the house full and the room buzzing with energy, guests gathered to raise a glass to a collaboration born from a shared passion for making something truly individual.
In the presence of the creator himself, guests enjoyed a selection of specially themed cocktails (Red Soda Special/ Brian’s Favourite/Thank God Its Christmas) showcasing Red Special Gin, alongside the signature serve of Red Special Gin and tonic. The evening celebrated not only the launch of a new premium British gin, but also the creative journey behind it.
Following an introduction from Portobello Road Distillery’s Founder, Ged Feltham and Marketing Director, Gemma Gilbert, Brian took to the floor to deliver a speech, reflecting on the collaboration and the spirit of craftsmanship that connects his iconic Red Special guitar with his latest creative venture.
Brian May said
“ I’m 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!!!”
The launch marked the culmination of a distinctive creative partnership between Brian and Portobello Road Distillery, rooted in the same independent spirit that led Brian to build his famous Red Special guitar with his father, Harold, using materials they had available at home.
Rather than simply lending his name to a bottle, Brian played an active role in developing the gin’s recipe at the distillery’s award-winning Ginstitute. Inspired by some of his favourite botanicals, including aromatic sage and vibrant calamansi orange grown in his own home greenhouse, the result is a distinctive London Dry Gin with a character all of its own.
Clean, dry and beautifully refreshing, Red Special Gin brings together classic juniper, warming liquorice root, aromatic sage and bright calamansi orange, delivering subtle complexity and a vibrant citrus finish.
The distinctive, vintage-inspired bottle features a sixpence set into its lid, a nod to Brian’s iconic guitar-playing technique, while every bottle is sequentially numbered, giving the collaboration an additional collectible dimension. Brian’s own bottle will be numbered 000001, with Portobello Road Distillery retaining 000002.
Portobello Road Distillery x Red Special Gin is available to Pre-order now