In 2025, you'd be hard-pressed to go to your local supermarket and not pick up a celebrity-endorsed product.
From KSI and Logan Paul's cough syrup, to Ed Sheeran's hot sauce, it appears every blue tick with a few thousand followers has realised that they can make a quick buck by simply slapping their mug on a mug.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Charles III has a new autumn line of undies coming out soon with the tagline "truly fit for a King".
George Foreman has blood on his grills.
I was surprised then, for that matter, when I heard that former Top Gear and Grand Tour presenter James May had made the transition himself into gin. He had never struck me as that type of 'celeb'.
This weekend you have two alternatives. Asian Parsnip in the unlikely event of sun, London Drizzle for more predictable Bank Holiday weather. pic.twitter.com/7x1vxmiasx
— James Gin (@jamesmaygin) August 25, 2025
However, back in the day, I used to watch 'Oz and James Drink to Britain' on repeat, so I knew that Captain Sloe Gin had the boozy credentials and education to partake in such a venture. That is, if it wasn't just another celebrity endorsement.
A brief history of gin:
The word ‘gin’ comes from the Dutch word ‘jenever’, which means ‘juniper’.
In the Middle Ages, it was thought that juniper could ward off things like the Black Death.
Eventually, people realised that distilled spirits got you drunk, so naturally, that became its natural purpose, rather than warding off fatal diseases.
17th-century soldiers fighting in the Thirty Years' War in the Netherlands apparently called jenever ‘Dutch Courage’ because it helped to steel them before battle. Ah, 'Dutch Courage', that takes me back.
My own experience with gin dates back to my university days, sitting in a damply lit kitchen in Bangor with a litre bottle of Morrisons' own gin. I think it cost about £8.
I never remembered the night, but I certainly remembered the mornings. Apologising profusely to anyone online on Facebook, all while toying with the idea of drafting an email to Dignitas. I don't miss it.
Thankfully, I've grown up and now appreciate gin for all its wonderful glory and all its many flavours.
Typically, Bombay Sapphire is my favourite, but could a certain motorhead beat it?
Here is what Captain Slow had to say about his gins:
All are priced at £36.95 for a single bottle
May has emphasised that his gin is not a celebrity product with his name slapped on it, but rather a spirit he created and believes in. So, full marks so far.
Asian Parsnip - Sweet and spicy, "I had an idea for a gin that is very British, using parsnip, which reminds me of dampness, combined with the spicy sparkle of the Asian spices found in Indian food. So we created the unimaginatively named Asian Parsnip - celebrating both the homely flavour of that most English of root vegetables and the gastric stimulus of spices from India."
London Drizzle - Light and earthy, "Gin is traditionally called London Dry - but I live there and usually it isn’t. So I wanted to make a gin that would invoke that unique petrichor smell that comes from light rain hitting the pavement on a warm day. I’ve never met anybody who doesn’t like that smell."
California Dreamgin' - Savoury and earthy "Our gin has proved particularly popular in California - so we decided to create a flavour that celebrates two staples of the hippie movement that originated there, namely mushrooms and patchouli, man. The flavour is light, fruity and peppery with a hint of apricot."
So, fair play, he definitely sounds invested in his own product, that's for sure. But how do they taste to the plain old consumer?
Well, my girlfriend and I begrudingly (hardly) took a damp, cold Monday night and warmed ourselves up with James' Mother's Ruin.
£7 off Asian Parsnip at Waitrose. That’s basically free, by Waitrose standards. pic.twitter.com/xZxML5wS2i
— James Gin (@jamesmaygin) August 27, 2025
Here's how we found them:
Disclaimer: James believes the following words can be offensive and triggering, so I shall also avoid the following:
Artisanal, authentic, aviation, bespoke, crafted, curated, deconstructed, drenched, elixir, gutsy, handcrafted, Hawkstone, heritage, iconic, imbibe, mouthfeel, nuanced, piquant, quaffable, Reynolds, succulent, traditional, umami, and vibrant.
Asian Parsnip - The first one we tried was asian parsnip, and honestly had no idea what to expect in all fairness. I know there are a few boujee gins out there nowadays, but I've never heard of asian parsnip before, and judging from Google, it's the only flavour on the market.
It smelled incredible, truth be told. Like a fresh garden patch on a Sunday. "Well nice!" according to Georgia. But how did it taste? Well, I felt that tonic was the only suitable partner, and boy, was it a marriage. We had got off to a strong start indeed.
London Drizzle - Before pouring, I felt like this was going to be the most 'normal' of tasting gins, owing to its name, a Beefeater or Gordon's replica perhaps. And it was, but better.
I started to see that the price of James' gins was warranted. It was a lot stronger than parsnip, but if that's how you want your gin and tonic to taste, this is the flavour for you.
Recommended reading:
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California Dreamgin' - The final gin, a terrifically fruity number which I have to agree with James on, it does seem to encapsulate a sense of free love and all that. It's not a gin for the cold, no, it's a gin for the sun and the beaches.
Out of the three, it was probably my least favourite, but considering how much I loved the other two, that is no shade whatsoever.
All in all, I was tremendously impressed with what James May had to offer. It's not any of that celebrity-endorsed guff; it does seem that he's genuinely passionate about the product, so hats off.
Mix Dutch courage with a little bit of English charm. If Vlad decides to invade, then there can only be one gin for the job.
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