With such an overwhelming selection available to us, it can be understandably difficult to find one, who’s qualities continue beyond its colourful appearance. To help with this dilemma, we are turning the spotlight to one such example, which each gin lover should try. This is Gin Mare.

Inspired by the sea

Among the many adjectives one can contribute to gin, „contemporary” is often used. This refers to the use of non-traditional botanicals, and thus unique flavours. The rise of the contemporary gin movement is a direct result of gin’s rapidly growing popularity.

Because of the great interest in the spirit category, many new producers emerged in the early 2000’s, eager to make a name for themselves. They successfully did so, by changing the focus from juniper, citruses, and other traditional ingredients to ones never used before.

Gin Mare was launched in 2008, and thus is a pioneer of this approach. Distilled in an old fishing village near Barcelona, Spain, in a chapel converted to a distillery, Gin Mare draws inspiration from the Mediterranean Sea, and its surrounding cultures.

Flavours like no other

Staying true to its name, Gin Mare uses four key ingredients from all around the Mediterranean. These are Arbequina olives from Spain, Italian Basil, Greek Rosemary, and Turkish thyme.

Gin Mare is crafted with a blend of single distillates of each of its botanicals. The gin production starts with a premium barley base, combined with a delicate maceration of 36 to 48 hours and independent distillation process of each botanical, finalised by its signature blending which allows all the characteristics of each botanical to be expressed in the final product.

The bitter and sweet citruses are peeled by hand and then macerated for 12 months in small aluminium tanks. The vegetal, herbal and spicy notes of the contemporary ingredients is balanced perfectly with the traditional juniper and citrus, and make Gin Mare a perfect pairing for Mediterranean food, and a base of classic and modern cocktails, like the martini, or basil smash.

For the 10th anniversary of Mare, a special edition was released. Dubbed Gin Mare Capri, it further enhances the recipe with lemons from the island of Capri, and bergamot citruses from the nearby Sorrento. This results in a fragrant, and more citrus forward variation.

Enjoying Gin Mare in a gin&tonic

A Perfect partner for Gin Mare is Seventeen Tonic Water, which was made specifically with Gin Mare’s unique flavours in mind. For a truly wonderful drink, try:

• 50 ml Gin Mare

• 200 ml Seventeen Tonic Water

• Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes or an orange twist.

If you’re in the mood for a more fragrant variation, here is another delicious option:

• 50 ml Gin Mare Capri

• 100 ml fresh lemonade

• 100 ml Seventeen Tonic Water
   

Gin Mare, Gin Mare Capri and Seventeen tonics are available to order from the webshop of WhiskyNet.