JUST when you thought Oxford University’s jungle of colleges and campuses were intoxicating enough, the august institution has announced another first in its 1,000-year history: it has launched its own gin.

Specifically, the university has commissioned Oxford’s new TOAD distillery to make a potent potion using a dizzying 25 herbs and other plants grown at its 400-year-old botanic garden.

Oxford Mail:

Distillery founder Tom Nicolson popped into the hot houses yesterday to pass around samples of his new Physic Gin, and also promised it was just the fire green shoots of a beautiful new relationship which will blossom under the institutions’ 25-year license agreement.

Mr Nicolson said: “TOAD is that rarest of things – a true craft distillery.

“We care deeply about the quality of our spirits but also about the impact of our production.

“We are the first distillery in this brilliant city, known all over the world as a centre of excellence.

“We are delighted to hold this unique partnership with its revered university.”

Founded in 1621 as a physicke (physic) garden for the teaching of herbal medicine, Oxford Botanic Garden was planted during the 1640s by its first keeper, Jacob Bobart the Elder.

In 1648, Bobart created a catalogue of all the plants which he grew, now preserved as a treasured manuscript at the garden.

TOAD is the only distiller in the world allowed access to the catalogue and garden to both inspire and flavour its recipes.

The distillery has used a total of 25 ‘botanicals’, mostly from Bobart’s list and many grown and foraged in the garden today, to give Physic Gin its ‘unique personality and flavour’.

Oxford Mail:

TOAD’s Californian-born master distiller Cory Mason said: “This gin is medicinal – in a good way.

“Botanicals like wormwood, rue and sweet woodruff bring a deeply complex flavour to bear and take us back to the time when plants formed the base of all medicine.

“Expect rich, earthy notes from this gin – like nothing you have tasted before.”

Those botanicals will add to the natural (and local) flavours of the TOAD gin from grains grown on farms near the city.

Botanic garden director Professor Simon Hiscock said: “I was so impressed by the integrity and passion behind TOAD, it makes perfect sense for Oxford Botanic Garden to align itself with Oxford’s first craft distillery.

“I’m looking forward to making spirits inspired by our historical collections and having some botanical fun along the way.”

TOAD, which claims to be Oxford’s first ever legal distillery, opened at South Park in Oxford in July.

Physic Gin (42.1% abv) will be available in 50cl bottles priced at £34.95.