When it comes to the flavor and value for a cocktail, I feel that Ungava Gin is a decent and well balanced gin. However, it did not wow me, and I ultimately would not recommend it to a friend.

I was very disappointed to find out in my research that this brand is not Inuk-owned, and in fact was the subject of a scandal back in 2016 due to their cultural appropriation and use of racist imagery in marketing campaigns. Some folks have even pointed out that the syllabics from the Inuktitut language that appear on the bottle are mostly gibberish, with the exception of the large symbols right above the word Ungava. While most of the current photos on the website feature a different label design, I find it curious that the bottle I picked up from the shelf of my local Total Wine still has the version with the syllabics. After all, it has been almost a decade since the scandal. After much digging, I unfortunately was not able to find information on any concrete steps the brand has taken improve their dealings with the Inuit people, as they had promised to do way back then.

Disrespecting native cultures is absolutely not something that we can condone here at Let’s Drink It. In fact, I feel bamboozled that I spent my money on this bottle at all. I recommend to avoid purchasing a bottle of Ungava Gin.