At the Violet Hour: Ebra Gin Brand Name Origins
Those who have been following Ebra Gin and The Violet Hour Spirits Co. may be wondering where it got its name. The Violet Hour is inspired by British Poet T.S. Eliot’s monumental poem The Waste Land. The poem was quickly recognized as a central work of literary modernism for its symbolic significance and Eliot’s masterful use of formal techniques. Eliot mentions the violet hour repeatedly throughout his poem. It is that time of day when the sun sets, and the sky turns an intoxicating purple color.
The scene signifies the transition from day into evening, from work to home, from exertion to relaxation. Originally, our gin was going to be called The Violet Hour Gin to pay tribute to this intoxicatingly beautiful poetic significance and the gin’s strong floral notes; the gin does after all use violet as the predominant botanical for its flavor. However, out of respect for the Chicago bar and restaurant with a similar namesake and potential customer confusion, the name was changed to Ebra Gin (ɛ-brAH), which is a play on words for the Spanish word for gin: ginebra. In the end, we kept the parent company still called The Violet Hour Spirits Co, and the brand name Ebra Gin as an homage to where the original captivation for this spirit all began: San Sebastian, Spain. It translates perfectly to the Spanish-inspired elegance of our high quality, artfully formulated spirit.