Can you handle the heat? Award-winning farm craft gin brand Penrhos Spirits has unveiled its hottest flavoured gin yet using rescued fruit from mission-led food company Oddbox – a limited-edition Pear and Chilli Gin, launched on Saturday 1st November just in time to bring the heat for Bonfire Night. Only 500 bottles have been crafted, fighting food waste by using Oddbox’s imperfectly perfect pears and odd-shaped locally grown jalapeño chillies at risk of going to waste.
This is the first time a ‘Pear and Chilli’ flavoured gin has been launched in the UK making it an innovative “sweet heat” flavour combination in the gin category. Sweet heat also known as “swicy” — continues to be a top flavour trend across all food categories in 2025 with many new flavour combinations hitting the global food and drinks market.
The fiery new spirit marks the second collaboration between the two pioneering waste-fighting brands, following 2023’s sold-out Cucumber and Apple gin success. Each collector’s edition bottle contains rescued pears and characterful British jalapeno chillies that couldn’t make supermarket shelves due to being “too odd”.
The British summer’s record temperatures have delivered an unexpected bonus for spice lovers, with this year’s West Sussex-grown jalapeño crop producing a spicy harvest. Determined to celebrate and support the growers behind this exceptional harvest, Penrhos Gin embarked on an extensive recipe development process, testing over 20 different formulations to achieve the perfect balance.
The final blend was selected following rigorous evaluation by Penrhos’ dedicated Chief Gin Taster panel, who conducted multiple tasting sessions comparing various chilli variants and spice configurations. The meticulous process ensured the resulting gin delivers serious heat alongside traditional botanical complexity, making it the perfect Christmas present for adventurous gin drinkers and spice enthusiasts.
Harriet Evans, co-founder at Penrhos Spirits, said: “We are incredibly proud of our new Pear & Chilli gin which has been our most challenging Gin to create to date. Oddbox has again worked with us on this exciting flavour combination and this year’s wonky and incredibly spicy jalapenos means we have had to completely rethink our approach to achieve the right balance of flavours. This is a gin for those who can handle the heat. Our Gin Tasting panel had an absolute blast fine-tuning the unique flavour – there were some seriously ‘heated’ debates about spice levels. The winning blend delivers a serious kick of warmth to complement the sweet pear note which will delight spice and gin lovers alike!”
Emilie Vanpoperinghe, CEO and co-founder of Oddbox, commented: “Our new collaboration with Penrhos Gin proves that the best flavours often come from the most unexpected places. We know that our customers love the variety and discovery they get from rescuing fruit and veg, so this collaboration with Penrhos gives them a unique way to enjoy these perfectly tasty chillies and pears in a sophisticated gin blend. It all helps to support growers and show what’s possible when we rethink food waste.”
To celebrate the launch, both brands have created a ‘Pick Your Pearsonality’ quiz, helping gin lovers discover whether they prefer sweet, savoury, or bold in their cocktail flavour preferences, with personalised Pear and Chilli Gin cocktail recipes for each profile.
Evans added: “The unique flavour of the liquid opens up so many new cocktail possibilities, from refreshing spritzers that highlight the pear sweetness to bold serves where the chilli really shines through. For the launch we wanted to create something fun that reflects the playful nature of this collaboration and the quiz helps people understand their flavour personality while discovering new ways to enjoy our Pear and Chilli Gin. Whether you’re team sweet, team savoury, or team bold, there’s a perfect serve waiting for you.”
The limited-edition Oddbox Penrhos Pear and Chilli Gin (£34.95/70cl, 42% ABV) launches exclusively at penrhosspirits.co.uk and for Oddbox customers at market.oddbox.co.uk , from 1st November 2025, housed in Penrhos’ award-winning 100% recycled aluminium bottles – fully recyclable, reusable, and refillable.
