- Scapegrace Small Batch Premium Dry Gin, New Zealand 42.2% abv. $57.99 750 ml
Gin Lovers Mark Neal, Daniel Mclaughlin and Richard Bourke established Rogue Society Distilling Company to create a classically citrus, super-smooth gin. It took 1½ years and about 50 experimental batches before they got the gin they wanted. Mark explains that their gin making is based on four pillars: a wheat-base grain spirit, a 19thcentury hand-beaten copper whisky still, pure water from an aquifer in Canterbury NZ, and botanicals sourced from “the very best in the world.” This is all then hand-crafted in small batches at the distillery in Christchurch. Launched in 2014. Recipe: juniper, coriander, nutmeg, cardamom, lemon peel, orange peel, orris, cinnamon, cassia, angelica, clove and liquorice. Distiller’s Notes: Aromas (without water): Classic juniper, in an instant. Subtle floral hints of lavender and orange blossom follow close by. Deeper earthy tones of cinnamon bark and nutmeg arrive next, but be prepared for a fresh burst of multiple citrus to linger longer. Flavour: Big, fresh nose with pronounced aromatic intensity. A place where juniper, orange peel, and deep spice dominate. Vibrant in the mouth. Citrus and juniper enjoy prominence. Smooth but crisp on the palate. Long, and flavour filled finish. ("Scapegrace" is another name for a rogue or scoundrel, in case you were wondering.)
- McQueen and The Violet Fog Handcrafted Gin, Brazil, 40% abv. $50.99 750 ml
McQueen and the Violet Fog is a small-batch gin limited to 500 liters per batch, and using a traditional copper pot still. The distillation process employs both maceration and infusion. First, fifteen premium botanicals are macerated in an ultra-smooth neutral sugarcane spirit to extract flavor compounds and essential oils. Next, six additional signature botanicals are infused into the gin via vapor infusion through a copper basket. The name? The gin takes its name from a poem of the same name, and if you fancy having a read the final two verses are on the back of the bottle. Recipe: a combination of 21 different botanicals including juniper, citrus and flowers, citrus and flowers, six signature botanicals: basil leaves, rosemary, Mediterranean fennel seed, star anise, and acai locally grown in Brazil. Distiller’s Notes: BREATHE DEEP. With risk comes reward. Pour, swirl, close your eyes, inhale. This contains multitudes: an orchard, a forest, an apothecary.
- Sheringham Distillery Seaside Gin, Vancouver Island B.C., 43% abv. $52.99 750 ml
Sheringham Distillery is nestled in the heart of Shirley, B.C. overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Southern Vancouver Island. To the East is Sheringham Pt. Lighthouse, built in 1912 to protect sailors from the treacherous waters of the Graveyard of the Pacific. To the West is French Beach Provincial Park. Sheringham Distillery is an homage to the name given to the area in 1846. Recipe: Made from B.C. white wheat, B.C. malted barley, natural botanicals and sustainable hand-harvested local winged kelp (Alaria marginata). Distiller`s Notes: Citrus, floral and notes of the sea make our Gin as refreshing as a seaside stroll.
- Strathcona Spirits Distillery Badland Seaberry Gin, Edmonton, 44% abv. $57.99 750 ml
Strathcona Spirits is Edmonton's first distillery, not since prohibition, but ever. They distil a line of spirits that embodies the essence of Alberta by using locally farmed and foraged grains and botanicals. Their tiny boomtown building is in the heart of Old Strathcona, and is the smallest distillery in North America at under 800 square feet. Distiller`s Notes: Slow distilled in the traditional London Dry style, this dynamic gin is the expression of 10 unique botanicals. We’ve employed wild juniper from the fossil filled Alberta Badlands, as well as Seaberry, a tangy, tart, sweet bright orange berry that is found growing all over the City of Edmonton; which is where we pick it. This meticulously crafted gin complements any cocktail with its wild juniper, citrusy flavour, followed by a rich, peppery finish.
- Zuidam Distillers Dutch Courage Dry Gin Baarle Nassau, The Netherlands 44.5% abv. $54.99 700 ml
Zuidam Distillers was founded back in 1975 by Fred van Zuidam. He started with a small distillery of 300 square meters with 1 small copper still and 1 small production line. Today, sons Patrick and Gilbert run the much larger distillery under the watchful eyes of their parents, with Patrick caring for the distillery and production and Gilbert looking after the customers. Recipe: juniper berries, iris root, coriander, angelica, sweet oranges, fresh whole lemons, liquorice root, cardamom, whole vanilla beans. The gin is distilled using a unique distillation method with separate distillation of each botanical so producing a fresh, complex and layered flavour from a total of 14 distillations. Distiller’s Notes: The nose is clean with fresh citrus and earthy juniper notes and a beguiling hint of spice and vanilla.
- Cotswolds London Dry Gin, England, 46% abv. $81.99 700 ml.
Cotswolds Distillery is the brainchild of former hedge fund investor Daniel Szor. Szor, who moved to London with his British wife in 2006, bought a weekend home in Shipston-on-Stour and fell hard in love with the Cotswolds. It wasn’t until 2012, though, that he decided to open up a distillery in the area, but the distillery has quickly established itself as one of the leading craft distilleries in the UK. Wheat base. Recipe: Juniper, Coriander, Angelica Root, Cotswolds Lavender, Bay Leaf, Grapefruit, Lime, Black pepper, Cardamom Seed. Distiller’s Notes: Nose: grapefruit, coriander, sweet juniper, black pepper, hint of Cotswolds lavender. Palate: clean, pine juniper spice, grapefruit, coriander seed. Dryness from the angelica root, eucalyptus notes from bay leaf. Subtle lime and lavender. Finish: Clean, balanced. Juniper, citrus and some cooling notes from bay leaf and cardamom.
- Zuidam Distillers Oude Jenever 3 Year Baarle Nassau, The Netherlands 38% abv. $79.99 1000ml.
Jenever is Dutch for “juniper.” However, just because it is juniper-dominated, don’t go thinking of it as Dutch gin. Jenever is a clear, botanically rich, malted grain-based spirit that can only be made in Holland or Belgium. It is a blend of two or more distillates: first, a whiskey-like triple distillate made of corn, wheat, and rye (so-called malt wine), and second, a juniper-infused distillate. A possible third part can consist of malt wine re-distilled together with different botanicals. Essentially, you can think of jenever as the lovechild of a marriage between whiskey and gin. There are two types of jenever: oude (old) and jonge (young). This is not a matter of aging, but of distilling techniques.
Jonge Jenever: can contain ‘no more than’ 15% malt wine and 10 grams of sugar per litre.
Oude Jenever: must contain ‘at least’ 15% malt wine, but no more than 20 g of sugar per litre.
Although the name Oude Jenever does not necessarily mean that the jenever is, in fact, old, there are some distilleries that claim that their jenever is aged in oak barrels, as is the case with Zuidam Oude Jenever. Recipe: 1/3 Corn, 1/3 Rye and 1/3 Malted Barley; Botanicals: Juniper, Licorice, Aniseed. Distiller’s Notes: The grain spirit is distilled from equal parts corn, rye and malted barley. The corn brings a rich sweetness, the rye spiciness and the malted barley provides the backbone. Nose: Juniper, vanilla, toffee and oak. Palate: Oaky vanilla, toffee and fudge.
- Gordon’s Premium Pink Gin Based Spirit, England 37.5 % abv. $29.99 750 ml
Gordon’s Pink Gin is not a Pink Gin cocktail. Other products are indeed the cocktail, but Gordon’s opted for something quite a bit different. Rather than competing with the cocktail, they’re looking to find a way into the increasingly competitive “flavored and sweetened gin” space. Gordon’s Pink at 37.5% is a shade of carnation pink. It is flavored with “Natural flavors and certified colors.” The label is illustrated with fresh summer berries like raspberry and strawberry, and all of this is said to have been based on an actual 1880 Pink Gin recipe in Gordon’s company archives. Grain spirit base. Recipe:( Known Botanicals): Angelica, Coriander, Juniper, Licorice, Orris Root. Distiller’s Notes: Inspired by an original Gordon’s recipe from the 1880s, Gordon’s Pink is perfectly crafted to balance the refreshing taste of Gordon’s with the natural sweetness of raspberries and strawberries, with the tang of redcurrant served up in a unique blushing tone. Made using only natural fruit flavours to guarantee the highest quality real berry taste.
- Luxardo Premium Italian Sour Cherry Gin, Italy 37.5% abv. $44.49 750 ml
Luxardo is a family-owned company founded in Zara, a port city on the Dalmatian coast of what is now Croatia. The Luxardo Distillery was founded in in 1821 to produce the original Luxardo Maraschino. After the Second World War, the company relocated to the small Veneto city of Torreglia in 1946. Distiller’s Notes: Deep red in color, Luxardo Sour Cherry Gin has a pungent marasca cherry aroma with intense juniper notes. The initial taste is typical of gin with spicy and long lasting sour aftertaste. Luxardo Sour Cherry Gin can be used to twist many classic cocktails such as the Martinez and the Gin Fizz, or it can be enjoyed neat or over ice as an after dinner drink.
GMO Free | Kosher Certified | Vegan friendly.
- Dillon’s Small Batch Rose Gin Liqueur, Beamsville, Ontario 35% abv. $29.99 375 ml
Geoff Dillon’s fascination for spirits began early. He was highly influenced by his father’s passion for fine spirits and his worldly spirits and whisky collection. He trained abroad (in areas such as Scotland, London UK, and US) while educating himself in the art of distilling. Eventually, Niagara lured Geoff home as the ideal place to put down some roots. Geoff, his father Peter, and friend Gary Huggins chose the distillery location for its proximity to incredible ingredients and wonderful people: farmers who grow great fruit and botanicals practically in their backyard, readily available to them.
The Rose Gin is a traditional London-style gin infused with rose hips and rose petals, then sweetened; excellent as an aperitif or in cocktails. Tasting Notes: Infused with rose hips and rose petals. A complex blend of aroma and flavours create this unique spirit.
O'Haraon, Ben, Vancouver Island’s Sheringham Distillery Takes a Top Prize at World Gin Awards, February 21, 2019 CHEK, News