Our Top Gins From March 2017

Perhaps drawing inspiration from Vivaldi, the Brandywine Branch Distillery in Elverson, Pennsylvania crafts four gins in their Revivalist line that represent the four seasons. All are fermented in custom-made Douglas Fir wash backs and distilled in copper CARL pot/column hybrid stills. Summertide employs jasmine and rose for floral character along with juniper, angelica, coriander, peppermint, and a good dose of citrus.

The Revivalist gins are crafted at the Brandywine Branch Distillery in Pennsylvania not far from Philadelphia. Their four core gins represent a seasonal approach to gin making with the Equinox representing a springtime expression. The distillers employ some classic botanicals with a focus on citrus that are joined by more the uncommon botanicals of meadowsweet and hyssop. Fermentation occurs in custom Douglas Fir wash backs and distillation occurs in custom CARL pot/column hybrid stills.

Xellent Edelweiss Gin is a Swiss made gin featuring 25 different herbs, berries, and flowers with the majority of the ingredients coming from central Switzerland including the rye. Two varieties are used--Picasso and Matador--and is harvested in late summer. The rye comprises the base for the gin (which they bottle to produce a vodka). The disclosed botanicals include juniper, edelweiss, woodruff, elderflower, lemon balm, and lavender with the latter two grown by Master Distiller Franz Huber. Water used in the distillation is from the Titlis glacier in central Switzerland.

Christopher's Extra Dry Gin is distilled in England and is bottled at 37.5% ABV. This product is sold in both 700ml and 1.5 L sized bottles in the UK.

Made in conjunction with Master of Malt, this gin from Worship Street Whistling Shop (WS2), a regarded cocktail bar in East London, uses cream as one of their botanicals. During the Victorian Era, cream and sugar were commonly used in gin houses though they were typically just added to infuse with the gin to improve its taste. In this case, the cream is cold-distilled so as not to burn. The equivalent of 100 ml of cream is used for each bottle.

This is a barrel-rested take on One Eight distilling’s Ivy City Gin. The Washington DC gin features a grain-forward mash bill (63% rye, 26% corn, and 11% malted rye) and the inclusion of the distillery’s signature botanical sagebrush along with more common citrus and juniper infusions. There is a robust 52% alcohol and ex-bourbon barrels are used for 3-10 months of maturation.

Batch 206 Distillery is 8,000 square feet and produces all of their products from a 1,000 liter handmade German Kothe still. Their newest product is created by aging their New-American style gin in Hungarian oak chardonnay barrels for six months. These barrels add a natural sweetness rather than adding sugar to create the Old Tom style.

A & G distillery is the spirit making wing of Paw Paw, Michigan’s St. Julian winery. This is Michigan’s oldest commercial vineyard, so it comes as no surprise that grapes are used as the base for the spirit that creates this gin as well as their vodka and brandy. Besides this unlikely base, the gin seems to follow a traditional London Dry flavor profile with seven classic botanicals.

Aurora Borealis Gin is made by Anchorage Distillery in Alaska. Named after the Northern Lights, it is bottled at 40% ABV. In addition to the gin, Anchorage makes several vodkas and an unaged whiskey. The products, for the moment, are limited to Alaska for purchase.

Valley Shine Distillery's Red X Gin is distilled seven times and uses an undisclosed list of botanicals. It is produced in Mount Vernon, Washington, and bottled at 80 proof. Valley Shine distills many varieties of spirits including vodka, whiskey, liqueur, and gin.