Crime-ridden New York City in 1975 inspires the design of a gin bottle, branding

The Long Island-based brewery drew inspiration from crime-ridden New York City in 1975 to introduce consumers to a dark and raw but refined product that was unique among spirits.

In a propaganda campaign, plainclothes New York law enforcement officers approached visitors with pamphlets titled “Welcome to Fear City: A Survival Guide for Visitors to the City of New York” as crime was rampant and police warned visitors to leave.

“We were drawn to the old gothic architecture of New York City,” Christopher Davis, managing partner and partner of Fear City Gin, told FOX Business.

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The pamphlet offered unsuspecting visitors a survival guide advising them to stay off the streets after 6 p.m., avoid public transportation and stay in Manhattan as police protection was “inadequate,” among other instructions.

“We wanted something that spoke to the gentrification of New York,” Davis said.

Sustainability was a priority for the Fear City Gin team and the deep amber colored glass is made from recycled glass bottles.

“There’s so much disposable product out there that we just wanted to make sure, first of all, that we were as responsible as possible,” Davis said. “It was something that was important to all of us as partners.”

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The Fear City Gin bottle cap is made from buffalo bones from Southeast Asia. (Fear City Gin / Fox News)

To add another unique layer to the product, the team shopped around before settling on buffalo bone material from Southeast Asia to make the bottle tops.

“It makes a very expensive product, but I think it’s very important to stand out on the shelves,” David told FOX Business.

Placed in the premium category, the small batch gin retails for $39.99.

As for the gin itself, the botanicals that Davis describes as “really smooth, slightly sweet and nutty,” include white sage, an endangered species from Baja California, in northwestern Mexico.

“We partnered with an excellent farm in Mexico that makes sure they farm according to guidelines and make sure they practice sustainability,” Davis said.

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The Fear City Gin logo takes its inspiration from the crime-ridden New York City of 1975. (Fear City Gin / Fox News)

Sugar kelp grown by farmers in Long Island Sound is the main ingredient included in the production process of Fear City Gin.

“Gin is known for being a great unused fabric,” Davis said. “It’s incomparable to anything you want to do creatively.”

He added that Fear City’s partnership with Matchbook Distilling Company allows for collaboration with kelp farmers in Greenport.

“We fell in love with the idea of ​​using sugar kelp,” Davis said. “There are farmers out there who are doing great things. They’re participating in a practice called regenerative aquaculture, which is a way of creating, basically, sound beds that improve water quality and support marine life in the area.”

Among other botanical ingredients added to the brewing process are rosemary, juniper, caraway, angelica and coriander.

Fear City Gin is a liquor brand based in Long Island, New York. (Fear City Gin / Fox News)

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At the 2024 USA Spirits Ratings Competition in San Francisco, Fear City Gin won two awards including best of show in the country and a gold medal.

Davis said Fear City is proud to acknowledge that at least 75% of its ingredients, including fruits, vegetables, grains and honey, are sourced in New York State.

“It’s a spirit written in New York,” he said.

The future of Fear City spirits includes the release of limited-edition brews in partnership with breweries or wineries.

“Probably only 100 bottles,” Davis said.