What is in Kamm & Sons?

There are 45 natural botanicals in Kamm & Sons – A blend of herbs, spices, fruits, berries, nuts, peels, barks, roots, leaves and flowers. The recipe took five years to develop and is now a closely guarded family recipe…but here are a few of the key botanicals:

Ginseng

Ginseng is at the heart of Kamm & Sons. Its woody, rich and earthy flavors give a unique taste, which is the foundation for the other lighter and more citrus notes. We buy only the best red Korean, white panax, Siberian and American ginseng roots direct from the source.

Ginseng is a slow-growing perennial plant, which thrives in the cooler climates of Northern China, Korea and Siberia. It can take up to 6 years to mature, then the roots are either dried or steamed - this concentrates the active ingredient known as Ginsengoside.

During the Han Dynasty, Shennon (considered to be the father of Chinese medicine) noted the use of ginseng in his medical journal approx. 5000 years ago. Since then Ginseng has been central to Chinese medicine and western herbalists alike, who claim that it stimulates appetite, aids digestion, increases blood flow and metabolic rate and restores general vitality. The word ginseng comes from the Chinese ‘ren shen’ (man root) due to the harvested roots looking like the arms and legs of a human. The name white ‘panax’ ginseng comes from the Greek word ‘panacea’ (cure all.)

Grapefruit peel

Depending on the time of year that we distill, we select only white grapefruits which are firm to the touch (as these fruits have the most oils in the skin which is where the flavor comes from). These can be from Spain, Israel, Turkey or South Africa depending on the season. We use fresh peel because we feel that the bitter citrus oils that are contained in the skin of the fruit are at their best when freshly peeled.

Manuka honey

We source our honey directly from New Zealand with a UMF of 5+. Manuka honey not only tastes delicious and gives us the floral sweetness we need to balance the bitterness, but its health benefits are well-documented. Manuka bushes are related to tea-tree, so it has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Juniper berries

Juniper lends a variety of flavours to Kamm & Sons including a citrusy/lavender/pine quality similar to that of most gins. We use Juniper from Macedonia & Tuscany – considered the premier Juniper-growing regions in the world. In actual fact, if Kamm & Sons was a bit stonger in alcohol and had less Ginseng, we could call it a gin…but why would do that? There is enough gin in this world already.

Elderflower

We use UK-grown elderflowers which lend a light, delicate and aromatic quality to the final spirit. Elderflower marries beautifully with the fresh grapefruit and other botanicals. Try making a Brits Spritz using elderflower cordial and sparkling wine - we highly recommend it!

Hibiscus flowers

Deep red in colour with light floral notes and a fruity tang.
Although we use Rosa-sinensis, known as Chinese Hibiscus, ours is sourced from Malaysia.

Goji berries

Not only are Goji berries packed full of antioxidants and nutrients, they also give Kamm & Sons a pleasant fruity quality. We buy our Goji berries from China, where they are also known as wolfberries.

Fennel Seeds

Fennel lends a mild anise-flavour to Kamm & Sons. Although Fennel shares similar compounds with star anise, it is more aromatic and floral and not as pungent. The Fennel we use comes from Morocco.

Echinacea

We have to admit, not the tastiest of our botanicals, Echinacea gives Kamm & Sons its distinct herbal taste and was primarily chosen for its long and established use as an aid to boost the immune system. We don’t make any health claims for Kamm & Sons.