State Line Distillery Gin

Clean, creamy, herbal, nice citrus kiss. Ok to sip, better to mix.

Another warm day in Wisconsin, another locally sourced Wisconsin gin. This one, made just 60-some miles away in Madison, takes a hybrid approach between the "everything must be incredibly local" ethos of many modern gins produced here and the also popular "who cares if it's local as long as it's good" ethos. The grain-based spirit (corn and wheat, sourced regionally) provide a definite connection to the local terroir, but the botanicals are a bit more open-minded, choosing to highlight juniper (could be local), sage (could also be local, if not a flavor that screams "Wisconsin"), and lemon (definitely not local). The good news here is that it all works. The base spirit is roughly the equivalent to 68*F/20*C and sunny weather - it's so pleasant that you hardly notice it, other than that it's nice. Not too heavy, but not insubstantial, smooth and easygoing. I don't mind a base spirit with a little more oomph to it, but it's hard to complain about perfect balance. The botanicals are similarly in excellent balance - the evergreen of the juniper, citrus brightness, and savory, earthy sage are all clearly identifiable (and in roughly that order from initial attack to finish), but nothing clobbers anything else. If you've had St George's Terroir Gin and felt like you'd just been attacked by a plate of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausages, this gin will do wonders to convince you that, with a more delicate hand at the wheel, sage can be used as a gin botanical in ways that won't scare off all but the biggest sage-lovers. I can imagine a variety of cocktail applications, but this evening, a gin and tonic with Fever Tree's Mediterranean Tonic Water (which is bright with citrus and herbal overtones) is getting the job done quite nicely.

Made a gin and tonic with this, tonic water, and lime juice. I was able to taste all of the notes, a very smooth drink and gin overall.

Well balanced with a smooth sage finish. Mix with simple syrup and fresh lime juice for the ultimate gin gimlet.