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“From a journey most carefully penned, we procured this bold juniper blend.
Floral flavors commence, subtle spice follows hence, to arrive at a bright citrus end!”
The best stories begin in a bar and this gin’s tale is no different. From a chance meeting to a budding friendship that not only survived but flourished during the pandemic, Leveret’s journey began as a casual conversation after hours in Wild Hare Distillery’s tasting room. A joke about a pet rabbit acting as the distillery mascot, a genuine inquiry regarding what other spirits owners Wendy and Jim considered branching out to, and suddenly the seeds of a project that would span four years were planted.
Over 30 botanicals were sampled and carefully explored, each experimental combination appraised and tweaked until we landed on a recipe that reflected the journey itself: a vibrantly new beginning that carries steadily through the middle before finishing off with a celebratory brightness at the end.
Looking for some mixology inspiration? Treat yourself with one of our cocktail recipes!
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The Narrative Behind the Name
lev·er·et (/ˈlev(ə)rət/) noun:
a young hare in its first year.
Kuro (pronounced “cure-oh”, derived from the Japanese word 黒 which means “black”) was a Havana rabbit rescued alongside her littermates and later adopted by Leveret-co-creator Lisa Hunter at just two months old. Fearless and playful, she gave the two house cats a run for their money, would snuggle with anyone who picked her up, and could perform the most graceful of bunny flops into presents beneath the Christmas tree. Sadly, our time with Kuro was cut short even for a rabbit; at just the tender age of 9 months, Kuro passed away from E. cuniculi, a pathogen commonly found in rabbits that, although not curable, is treatable if caught early enough.
In the end, those we lose along life’s road live on through the way they’ve touched our lives: from a daughter's memory of watching her father ever so gently cuddle a bunny, to many friends having the chance to experience bunny kisses and happy hops, and now to the existence of this very gin. Hence the name Leveret was chosen, to remember the rabbit who left life so young yet with so many paw prints along the way - including the very one on top of Leveret’s cork.
(And yes, we know a rabbit isn’t a hare, but a baby rabbit is coincidentally called a kitten, and given the word’s association with cats and the fact that no cats were involved in the making of this gin… Well, perhaps we’ll reconsider using the name if we attempt an amaro or something equally feline-fitting.)
