It’s the Queen of collaborations: A link-up between a world-famous guitarist and a distillery, writes William Russell.

And making gin was a kind of magic for Elstead’s most famous resident.

Sir Brian May has announced the release of his new ‘Red Special’ gin with Portobello Road Distillery.

The name and bottle reference his Red Special guitar, which he famously built by hand with his father, reflecting a passion for creating which has continued throughout his career.

And there’s also a little bit of Elstead in every bottle, as calamansi oranges from his own garden have made their way into the recipe.

The Queen guitarist is no stranger to horticulture, having donated 3,000 daffodil bulbs to the village last year and helped plant them outside St James’ Church.

His green-fingered ambitions made headlines earlier this year when Elstead Parish Council rejected his proposal to plant more daffodils on the village green amid concerns over road safety.

But while his daffodil plans may have been frustrated, the fruits of his gardening efforts have now found their way into a rather different creation.

“I wanted to be a part of the process, to me that was very important,” said Sir Brian.

Alongside the drink, each bottle includes its very own exclusive sixpence, referring to the coin Sir Brian used as a pick for his Red Special guitar.

“I think it was my idea,” said the guitarist.

“I wanted to connect with my audience, with my fans and give them something which is collectable and also usable as a guitar pick.”

And how does he think gin fans will react?

“I wanted it to be an experience that you can’t put into words, like music is,” he said.

“I wanted people to go, oh my God, I didn’t realise I could have this experience.”

Alongside his gin, the 79-year-old’s active music career is showing no signs of biting the dust.

Future releases include a track called ‘You Are Enough’ which features a collaboration with “very special” supervet Noel Fitzpatrick.

Every bottle of Sir Brian’s gin is individually numbered to give each buyer a personalised piece of rock history. But there’s a word of caution.

“I hope people will drink responsibly,” said Sir Brian, adding: “A gin is to be enjoyed in moderation, same as guitar playing!”