Announcing Boom Gin - a Mothers Ruined x House of Boom collaboration!

Two small Wellington companies have collaborated on a new limited release gin ready to bring ethical businesses into the… limelight. 

Gin makers Mothers Ruined have created Boom gin to match the colour and loudness of the House of Boom - an ethical clothing company for fat babes sizes 16-34. 

Mothers Ruined Gin was founded by long-time friends Helen Gower and Jo Davy, and is based in Breaker Bay, Wellington. Although the company is only a year old, it’s already made a splash with its award-winning range of gins and revolutionary, Australasian first, paperboard bottle. 

“Starting a new business just as the country went into recession was pretty daunting,” says Davy. “So we were delighted when House of Boom contacted us just a few weeks after we launched. Getting that first event booking in the calendar was very reassuring!”

The two businesses met when the Mothers ran a gin tasting at Camp Boom - an annual weekend of fun and power for fat babes run by the House of Boom.  

“I liked the Mothers as soon as I met them. I love how they’re trying to improve an industry that’s full of issues - just like House of Boom - and that they’re taking no crap from others while doing so,” says McLeod. “We can - and do - spend hours talking small business over a glass or two. So of course I said yes when they suggested collaborating”.

“My own gin collaboration! That’s like, playing yourself on The Simpsons level of amazing!” 

Choosing what exactly would make a gin House of Boom inspired was a lot of fun. 

“My immediate thought was peaches, cos I was thinking of juicy fat butts,” says McLeod. But throwing the question out to customers and considering flavours she really liked led her to her own backyard. “Because I’m such a coloured hair woke social justice worrier I thought using makrut lime leaves would be a good chance to talk about how we don’t have to use the k-word - which is a really offensive term for anyone with South African origins - to describe these incredibly fragrant leaves. I love that a key part of the gin is actually grown in the garden of the house of House of Boom. And because everything this brand does has been about rejecting a society that would like fat people to hide away, I like the boldness of pink peppercorns. Plus green and pink are colours you’ll often see in my clothes too.” 

The Mothers enjoyed the challenge of creating a new gin recipe. “We’re both scientists by trade,” explains Gower, “and the most exciting part of our job is working with different botanicals and colour changing ingredients to develop gins that delight the palate and excite the eyes. And so this collaboration really allowed us to live our motto of Be Kind. Have Fun. Make Gin.”

“I love how the colour change means it’s basically a bisexual pride flag in a glass,” adds McLeod. 

As well as tasting great, Boom Gin serves a wider purpose. $5 from every bottle goes towards solo parent scholarships to Camp Boom.

“Raising kids is HARD WORK, especially trying to raise them to be at peace with their bodies, so this was an ideal way to support the kaupapa of the Camp” says …. 

The gin has an RRP of $85 and is available at on the Mothers Ruined website.