FIRST JOURNEYS - EUROPEAN EXPEDITION- PIN 34 OF 40
SKULLY GIN - The Netherlands
A ROAD TRIP WHERE EVERY STOP HAS A STORY
Rebellious, innovative, luxurious, lifestyle-driven… Skully is certainly not your ordinary gin brand, and that is exactly the point.
Founded in 2015 by Dutch entrepreneur Koen Smulders, Skully was created as something that stretched beyond the traditional spirits world. From the beginning, the brand positioned itself at the crossroads of gin, contemporary art, music and design — creating not just a drink, but an experience.
The name itself reflects Smulders’ personality and interests. Originally intending to move into wine, he found the timing was better suited to the booming gin market. His fascination with skull-related objects, from antiques to watches and artwork, combined with reversing his initials (KS becoming SK), resulted in the creation of Skully.
The bottles are certainly as distinctive as the liquid inside. The range has included expressions such as London Dry, Oriental Citrus, Tangerine Twist and the intriguingly named Smooth Wasabi — proof that this is a brand which enjoys challenging expectations.
But perhaps the most talked-about Skully creation was not a gin that you would find on a supermarket shelf, but a piece of art.
In a spectacular three-day event designed to showcase the brand, Skully combined spirits with gastronomy, luxury and contemporary art. The event featured everything from dinosaur skeletons and fossils to Michelin-starred culinary experiences, but the centrepiece was an art exhibition featuring 13 specially selected artists.
The star of the collection was a collaboration between Skully Gin, Granada Gallery and Belgian jewellery designer Jochen Leën. A 65.17-carat Paraíba tourmaline was placed in a white gold setting and mounted onto a 450cl bottle of Skully Oriental Citrus Gin, creating what was announced as the world’s most expensive gin bottle, with a reported value of €4.7 million.
Whether you see it as a masterpiece, a marketing stroke of genius, or both, it certainly achieved its aim — putting Skully firmly on the luxury spirits map and attracting attention far beyond the gin world.
The gin itself is equally unconventional. Oriental Citrus is bright and aromatic, with layers of citrus, spice and exotic notes, while Smooth Wasabi showcases the brand’s willingness to experiment with unexpected ingredients.
A gin worth its weight in diamonds? When spirits meet art, luxury and a little bit of rebellion.
For my serve, I’ve gone with a slightly artistic twist on a Negroni:
Skully Oriental Negroni
25ml Skully Oriental Citrus Gin
25ml Sacred Rosehip Cup
25ml Knightor Rose Vermouth
A few bar spoons of hibiscus syrup
Several dashes of peach bitters
Garnished with a hibiscus flower and, naturally, a little art of my own — possibly the most unconventional jewellery range I’ve ever designed and made. Yes, that is part of a Barbie face… upcycling at its finest!
"Show me a bottle and I’ll tell you a story."