Gin is thought to be a very British drink, understandably so. But not only are gin botanicals sourced from around the world, the gins themselves are made from Austria to Uganda and everywhere in between. Even if you’re still not ready to travel around the world literally, you can sample some of these world gins and feel like you have just by making a cocktail.
When sampling the world gins below, try them first in a simple highball drink like a gin & tonic to start. This way you can better appreciate the unique — and often locally-sourced — botanicals used in their creations.
Argentina
Príncipe de los Apostoles Mate Gin
Translated to “prince of the apostles,” this world gin is produced at Sol de los Andes, a family-owned distillery in Mendoza, Argentina. The featured botanicals used include peppermint, eucalyptus, pink grapefruit skin and yerba mate.
Australia
Four Pillars is based in the Yarra Valley, outside of Melbourne, Australia. The distillery’s Olive Leaf Gin came about after a visit to an olive grove during harvest, and includes olive leaf and oil from the picual, hojiblanca, and coratina varieties. Additional botanicals include rosemary, bay leaf and macadamia, as well as lemon, lemon myrtle, lavender, and grapefruit. Notably the fresh ingredients are vapor-infused while the dried ingredients are macerated.
Brazil
This world gin is produced with a neutral sugarcane spirit and 21 botanicals in Jundiaí, Brazil. It is made in batches using a 500-liter still and both maceration and vapor-infusion. Some of the botanicals used include Indian basil leaves, Portuguese rosemary, Brazilian açaí, Mediterranean fennel seed, star anise, pomelo, jasmine and lemongrass among others. The brand got the name from the title of a poem about the meeting of a mysterious (fictional) rock band. The last two stanzas appear on the back of the bottle.
Israel
This world gin is made using a grape-spirit base along with 12 botanicals which grow wild in Galilee. Unusually, fresh, not dried botanicals are used in its production. These include cade juniper, cedar of Lebanon, myrtle, olive, fig, citron, coriander, and mandarin. Each botanical is individually distilled, then blended to create the final product.
Greece
Stray Dog Wild Gin is made in Thessaloniki, Greece using Greek wild botanicals such as sage, fennel seed, rosemary, mastiha, and bay leaf, along with lemon, orange, cardamom, juniper and coriander. The brand’s Master Distiller is Dimitris Melissanidis, a 3rd generation distiller whose family has produced other Greek spirits such as ouzo and tsipouro. The brand donates a portion of all sales to organizations providing food, vet care and homes for stray animals in Greece.
India
This gin is produced by Nao Spirits in Goa, India using botanicals indigenous to the region. The gin is made in a one-shot method using a neutral wheat distillate in their 1000-liter pot still named Agatha. Botanicals used include Himalayan juniper, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, ginger, dried mango, almonds and gondhoraj, which are known as The King of Limes.
Mexico
This world gin is made using agave as its base and was developed by students of Oaxaca State University. A staggering 32 botanicals are used in its makeup — many native to Oaxaca — including nuts, coffee, passionfruit, mate, green tea, guaraná and Bougainvillea flowers.
South Africa
As the name suggests, this is indeed an amber-colored gin. It is made with a sugarcane-based spirit and fynbos botanicals from the coastal region of the Cape Floral Kingdom. These botanicals are used both during the distillation process and as a post-distillation infusion. The brand also has a Verdant version made using fynbos from the mountainous region.
Looking for more world gin?
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