McQueen Smokey Chilli Gin

Spice meets smoke with this hot release from Scottish distillers Dale and Vicky McQueen. Combining chipotle, smoked chilli and coriander, the Smokey Chilli gin’s dry, savoury-spicy notes are best savoured neat or given an extra kick when served with a splash of ginger beer and a slice of green or red chilli. Based in Callander, next to the stunning Trossachs National Park, the pair aren’t averse to exploring other full-flavoured bottlings – their range also includes Mocha, Chocolate Mint and Spiced Chocolate Orange.

Ginifer Chilli-Pineapple Gin

Carefully crafted in small batches and copper-distilled in Linbro Park, Johannesburg, the team at Ginifer have created not one but three spicy gins. The Chilli Gin features 13 botanicals, which includes a fragrant blend of native African medicinal herbs sourced from the city’s famous Faraday Muthi Market. The barrel-aged version of their Chilli Gin adds an extra dimension, while the latest addition to the range is the Chilli-Pineapple Gin. The makers say they were inspired by childhood memories of eating pineapple chunks rolled in masala spice on KwaZulu-Natal’s beachfront. Queen pineapples are used in the slow extraction to balance out the spiciness with a sweet twist.

Death Gin – Chilli

Don’t let the ominous name and sinister skull on the label put you off, this bird’s-eye-chilli-infused creation will leave you feeling very much alive and alert. Made in Rutherglen in Victoria, the makers took inspiration from the small cemetery at the end of Distillery Road on the outskirts of town. Featuring juniper berries from Macedonia, Egyptian coriander seeds, local citrus and peppercorns, and a blend of Australian aromatics, this limited edition chilli gin is for gin lovers looking for something totally unforgettable.

Hot Sauce Gin

“Curiously spicy and with more depth than the Mariana Trench.” That’s how the label describes fiery Hot Sauce Gin, which is made by FEW Spirits in Illinois and bottled in Britain. The complex flavours are a result of the spirit’s journey from a bourbon that’s been stored in old barrels that once held hot sauce to being re-distilled with juniper, Guajillo peppers and Ancho chillies. Forget vodka – gin’s answer to the Bloody Mary is a Red Snapper. The first recipe for this fiery concoction was published in London in the 1960s and features gin (we suggest Hot Sauce Gin), tomato juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and a healthy grind of black pepper.

Gin Bothy Chilli-Infused Liqueur

The fruits of Scotland’s first chilli farm (located in Fife) are put to good use in this chilli-infused liqueur. Nestled in the Angus Glens, Gin Bothy distillery takes its name from the Scottish term for a cottage that’s used as a mountain refuge when the weather’s bad, so trust them to know a thing or two about how to keep warm (and what to fill up their hip flask with). Handmade in small batches, each bottle is individually numbered and, at 20% ABV, it makes for refreshing sip when mixed with tonic and fresh lime. It’s also worth checking out their award-winning Gunshot gin, which is infused with cinnamon, cloves and mixed spices.