Unfortunately, Hungary cannot serve with a sea and its sandy beach, but all the more so with several excellent gins to try.

Fortunately, we don't have to travel halfway around the world today to taste quality gins and tonics. It is enough to look around either in the shops or online and comfortably choose from the tempting offers from your armchair.

And if we are talking about gins, we would like to highlight the Citadelle premium gin brand, which is already very popular in Hungary and inspires many.



Citadelle, the French gin

Citadelle gin is produced by the famous Maison Ferrand cognac producer. Nearly 30 years ago, Alexandre Gabriel took over the ownership of Maison Ferrand, the venerable Cognac-producing House. He has always believed that "the act of distilling is the act of creating emotion in a bottle."

Due to strict regulations imposed by the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC), Gabriel was obligated to stop using his cognac pot stills for seven months of the year. The AOC required them to lay unused when they weren't producing cognac.



After five long years of negotiations, Gabriel finally obtained the AOC authorization to distill during the period that the stills were meant to be dormant. This is how Citadelle was born in 1996 as the first artisanal Gin de France.

The work at Château de Bonbonnet, of course, is all about creating artisanal spirits that are meant to be savored. Beyond the obvious juniper berry, lay a mélange of botanicals that would make a unique gin.

It took 19 aromatics and botanicals, layered in just so before the makers of Citadelle gin re-convened around the table to agree: this gin would be the perfect tonic and cocktail partner.

The motto of Citadelle gin says it all: If life gives you lemons, make gin & tonic!



Gin Citadelle - a taste of 19 herbs

On the decorative bottle of this gin is a picture of the 19 herbs with which this excellent gin is flavored. What makes it special is that it is distilled in similar stills that are used for distilling cognacs, and the boilers are heated directly by fire, not by steam, which is already widespread.

No sugar is added to this gin, it is only made from natural ingredients. The spices are soaked in the base distillate for 72 hours and then distilled once more.

WhiskeyNet Tip: Try J.Gasco Cherry Tonic.

Gin Citadelle Jardin d'Été - the flavors of summer in your glass

This bottling was dreamed up by the brand creator Alexandre Gabriel's wife, Debbie, inspired by her fabulous garden. Flowers blooming in a thousand colors in the shade of juniper trees, and fragrant fruit bushes gave the impulse to create an even more fruity taste.

Refreshing notes of melon, lemon and orange abound in this special gin. This is also what the name suggests: Jardin d'été, i.e. a summer garden - you want to bite into the fruits right away.

Gin Citadelle Reserve - special matured gin

Gins, like other beverages, have historically been transported in barrels. This led to the recognition that maturation in different barrels can give the gins interesting flavors.

The recipe for this gin has been perfected with three spices: yuzu, artemisia and cornflower. It was then left to rest for five months in five different types of wooden barrels, and then a mixture was made from these distillates and further matured in a special egg-shaped oak barrel. Really special!

Citadelle gins can be ordered from the webshop of WhiskyNet.


Proofread by Szilvia Molnár, a professional freelance writer, travel expert, mom of two, and admitted coffee addict. Though not necessarily in that order. Connect with her on LinkedIn or read about her latest travel experiences on the Exploration Lounge website.