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Ink Gin: Australian Colour-Changing Craft Gin

Ink Gin is a unique Australian craft gin known for its natural colour-changing effect, created using butterfly pea flower. Produced in New South Wales, this gin combines bold citrus, spice, and floral botanicals with a striking visual transformation from deep blue to pink when mixed.

What Happens When You’re Waiting to Make Rum?

What does a fella do when he’s planted his first sugarcane crop to make Australia’s first cane juice rum, but knows the whole process will take years?

He decides to make a gin, of course.

A Wild Idea in a Tin Shed

In the heart of Northern New South Wales, Paul Messenger found himself a complete unknown in a world dominated by global-scale gin producers. But instead of trying to blend in, he chose to stand out, in a little tin shed, surrounded by sugarcane fields and boundless curiosity.

Determined to create something truly different, Paul began a journey of botanical exploration, eventually discovering an exotic flowering legume growing wild in tropical Australia and Southeast Asia, a plant used for centuries in Thai herbal teas and traditional medicine.

The flower?
Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea).

From Five Seeds to a World-First Gin

In 2011, Paul bought five butterfly pea seeds for $5, planted them in his backyard, and a few months later harvested enough vibrant blooms to begin trial infusions.

It was all a giant experiment, until the eureka moment.

He discovered that when butterfly pea flower was infused in gin, it created a deep indigo colour… that transformed to blush pink when mixed with tonic.

The unique transformation would become the defining characteristic of his gin and the name? Naturally, Ink Gin.

Crafting a Gin That Could Stand on Its Own

Disrupting an entire industry was always going to be a gamble. Paul knew his gin couldn’t just look extraordinary, it had to taste exceptional too.

Three years of recipe development followed, culminating in a final botanical blend that harmonised perfectly with the butterfly pea:

• Bold citrus from lemon myrtle and sweet orange

• Warm, peppery spice from pepperberry

• Soft, floral notes of pea blossom

All wrapped in a striking visual experience, from deep blue to soft pink with a splash of tonic.

The Launch of a Legend

In 2015, with the recipe locked in and the design set, the Messenger family rolled the dice and launched Ink Gin into a world dominated by traditional, clear gins.

It was bold. It was colourful. And it was different.

Australia’s Most Loved Craft Gin

Just one year later, Ink Gin became Australia’s most loved craft gin.

For the craft gin world, it was a turning point. Suddenly, colour, creativity, and character were not only allowed, they were celebrated.

The global craft gin movement had just gained one of its most iconic pioneers.

The Rest Is History

From five seeds to a global sensation, Ink Gin has turned the spirit world upside down, bottle by beautiful bottle.

What started as a delay tactic while waiting to make rum became an internationally celebrated innovation and the butterfly effect continues to ripple through the gin industry to this day.