Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson fans might already know Uwe Ehinger, the German custom motorcycle builder behind the famed Ehinger Kraftrad workshop in Hamburg. Ehinger has a knack for uncovering vintage motorbikes in the most far-flung places, using these rare finds as the foundation for his unique custom builds.
This passion for discovery has earned him the moniker “The Archeologist,” and now his spirit—literally and figuratively—is available in a premium gin of the same name. Each bottle contains parts from antique Harley-Davidsons Ehinger has recovered: 1939 Flathead camshafts from the Mexican deserts, 1947 Knucklehead screw-nuts from Chile, and 1962 Panhead rocker arms from South Korea.
The gin is presented in custom bottles, crafted using traditional methods and printed with historic techniques on a 1931 Heidelberg Tiegel press. Each bottle is wrapped in waxed paper detailing the story of its part, and sealed with hand-stamped, tamper-proof seals and unique hand-tags indicating the serial number of the engine part inside.
Expect to pay a premium for this exclusive spirit: a 750 ml bottle starts at $1,047 for the 1962 part and can go up to $1,280 for the 1939 part.
As Ehinger puts it, “Everything I do pays tribute to the things that used to be.” It’s fun to imagine that in the future, someone might commemorate Ehinger’s work by including unopened bottles of “The Archeologist” in special-edition Harley-Davidsons—though it’s unlikely anyone will ever drink them.