**This hamper was featured on our Gin Subscription Club in 2021 Website www.theginbox.ie for more details for monthly, bi monthly or quarterly gin boxes, just like this one**   Silks Irish Gin is brand new, and is the first gin release from the family owned Boann Distillery in Co Meath. The name “Silks” is inspired by the colourful jockey silks worn at the historic Bellewstown racecourse that can been seen from the distillery.  Mother and Daughter team, Marie and Sally Anne Cooney, looked to the family apple orchard when looking for inspiration for the botanical ingredients for their new gin.  The idea was born when they captured a swarm of bees that landed on a neighbours gate back in 2016. Both Marie and Sally Anne took a beekeeping course with the Federation of Irish BeeKeepers a number of years previously but it wasn’t until this time that they caught the bees and brought them home in the back seat of the car, that they established a sunshine apiary at the foot of the hill of Tara to pollinate the 6500 apple trees in the 30 acre orchard. The original swarm is long gone but the hives and honey remain with the family orchard providing the signature botanicals for Silks Gin -honey from the bees, apple blossom picked directly from the trees and elderflower and hawthorn blossom foraged from the hedgerows.  Silks Gin contains 14 botanicals that are macerated for 24 hours before slow distilling with vapour infusion in a 500Ltr custom copper “Bennett” pot still. The unique botanical combination and distillation technique creates a floral forward contemporary style gin with bright citrus aromas. The distillery have given us their signature cocktail recipe called the Silks Apple Bee. We’ve included all you’ll need to make your very own Apple Bee with this Gin Cocktail box. The sunshine honey pots come from the family’s apiary while the apple juice comes from Olan McNeece’s family farm just down the road. You can do your bit to help keep bee’s and other natural pollinators fed. We have included some wildflower seeds for you to sow in your own garden. You'll also find some Clinton’s – A local crisp made not too far away on North county Dublin. 7 generations later they are producing what I believe to be one of Irelands finest crisps.  SILKS APPLE BEE SIGNATURE COCKTAIL  Ingredients - 50ml Silks Irish Dry Gin 25ml lemon juice 25ml apple juice 25ml honey syrup Apple slice and Sage to garnish Method – In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add the gin, lemon juice, apple juice and honey syrup. Shake to combine and strain into a glass. Garnish with an apple slice and sage leaf. To make honey syrup :Dissolve honey in a 1:1 ratio with warm water Retail price €70 1 x 70cl Silks Boan Distillery Gin 1 x bottles of Poachers Well Irish Made Light Tonic Water 1 x Stameen Farm Fresh Apple Juice  1 x Apple for Cocktail Garnish  1x Lemon For Cocktail Garnish 1 x Bag Clinton Crisps 1 x Silks Pollinator Seeds for Biodiversity and Feeding 1 x Sunshine Honey pot from Boann Distillery's own Aviary Each Gift Box is packaged in a protective outer carton, with a Gift Card and a clear 'Gift For You' tag on the front of each gift box. Once opened, coloured tissue and gift packaging reveal to the recipient.