January 15th, 1994, wasn’t just any other winter day. It was the day when the now-iconic rapper Snoop Dogg dropped his debut album Doggystyle. It’s also the day we first heard Snoop’s tribute to pot-smoking, drink sipping, and house-partying called “Gin & Juice.”
This week, more than 25 years later, Snoop is paying homage to the classic song about the simple cocktail of gin and fruit juice (usually grapefruit juice) by launching his own gin brand. It should come as no surprise that the man who set a world record when he made a 500-liter gin and juice cocktail (a Paradise cocktail technically) back in 2018 would eventually start his own gin brand. It’s called INDOGGO, and even though it immediately makes us think of IndieGoGo, it was designed to be a “laid-back” California-style gin.
It should come as no surprise that while Snoop Dogg knows an awful lot about crafting lyrics, he doesn’t know much about making gin. That’s why he partnered with Keenan Towns of Trusted Beverages — a beverage supplier known for creating celebrity wine and spirits brands — as well as Prestige Beverage Group to make his gin-filled dream a reality.
“I can’t wait for the world to taste my remix on gin,” Snoop said in a press release. “When I wrote ‘Gin & Juice’ back in ’94 it was about good feelings and real experiences, it just naturally became a global anthem.”
His goal with INDOGGO was to recreate those same feelings from 25 years ago. He did this by making a gin that was distilled five times and is smooth enough to drink on its own as it is to mix into his favorite cocktail. It’s made from seven herbs and botanicals but really makes a statement by being infused with natural strawberry flavor. Unlike many gins, it doesn’t rely on a large kick of juniper to get its point across. Instead, it carries a lot of orange peel, coriander, and cassia bark flavors in an effort to make it more well-rounded.
It should be noted that this isn’t Snoop Dogg’s first foray into the booze world. This summer, he collaborated with 19 Crimes Wine to launch Snoop Cali Red, a blend of Lodi-based Petite Syrah, Zinfandel, and Merlot.
The wine is readily available, but the gin is set to launch this month in California only. If you live anywhere else, you won’t have to wait long to make your own gin and juice as it will be available throughout the U.S. by the spring of 2021.