Gin from Berlin – about gin tasting and gin distilling courses
The Berlin Distillery produces high-quality gin from certified organic products in a small manufactory. Each gin is something special and unique. The taste is unmistakable.
The raw materials and botanicals for the Berlin gin come from the region wherever possible. If this is not possible, then value is placed on sustainable, fair cultivation when selecting the producers. The production of the gin and the “Geiste” (spirits) takes place in Berlin.
What is gin and how is it made?
Gin is a mostly colourless alcoholic drink with juniper. It is an ingredient in cocktails such as the Martini or the long drink Gin Tonic, but can also be drunk neat.
At the Berlin Distillery, I get a crash course in gin making. Raw alcohol and various ingredients are needed to give the gin its distinctive taste. For example, the Berlin production likes to use oranges and lemons, raspberries, chilli, cardamom, pepper and of course juniper. It wouldn’t be gin without juniper!
The flavour-giving substances are placed in the raw alcohol and distilled with it during maceration in a still. The process takes time and then the resulting alcohol goes into a tank. There the distiller fills up the distillate with water, otherwise it would not be drinkable. Once the taste has turned out the way the producer wants it, the bottles are filled and labelled. In the small distillery in Berlin, this is still done by hand.
What are Geiste?
In the spirit, crushed fruit is added to the neutral high-proof alcohol. For this, one usually uses only fruits with little sugar content. The mixture is then macerated until the alcohol has taken on the flavor of the fruit.
No coloring or flavoring may be added to the spirit.
Gin Tasting at Berlin Distillery
Now that I had gained an insight into gin production, it was time to taste the products.
SUNDOWN GIN
This gin is one of the most popular products of the Berlin Distillery. 11 harmoniously matched botanicals combine to create a fruity gin. I first taste orange and lemon out. Only later comes the taste of cardamom, juniper and sea buckthorn berry. What else is in this gin and in what quantities, of course, is not revealed. Together, however, the ingredients give a wonderfully round taste.
BERLINER NACHT GIN
Somewhat stronger in taste is the Berlin Night Gin, which is offered by the Berlin Distillery as an ideal companion through the Berlin Night. This gin gets its flavor from the 5 botanicals: juniper, lemons, Thai basil, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. I liked the taste of it.
URBAN GARDEN GIN
When the Berlin Distillery moved into the premises of the industrial estate, beach mugwort grew in the urban garden of the site. This was the impetus to distil a gin that also contains lemon and a little lavender in addition to the beach mugwort. It smells of fresh flowers and herbs, for me almost like the scent of summer. In the meantime, the Urban Garten no longer exists on the industrial estate. The beach mugwort is grown by a nursery especially for the gin production.
BBQ DRY GIN
For me, the ideal gin for a cosy barbecue with friends. I have never drunk a gin that has such a smoky yet mellow flavour. The juniper used for this gin has been roasted over beech wood. You almost feel the smoke in your nose, which gives the gin this inimitable taste.
A real surprise for me.
ERDBEERGEIST
After tasting a few types of gin, I naturally wanted to know what the spirits from Berlin Distillery tasted like. First I tried the strawberry spirit. For the 43.3% spirit, strawberries from the Uckermark region are blended with organic neutral alcohol. The spirit is then stored in a tawny port wine barrel.
Before I could even taste it, the wonderful port wine smell hit my nose and reminded me of our time in Porto. What an unmistakable smell! On the palate, I could taste the strawberry very well. I like the strawberry brandy!
Can you also visit the Berlin Distillery?
Of course! There are 2-hour guided tours followed by a tasting. Even more exciting is certainly the participation in a gin distilling course. Here, visitors not only learn how to make gin, they are also allowed to put together and distil their own flavour composition. Don’t worry, you will of course be advised on the combination of ingredients – after all, it’s supposed to taste good! After 3.5 hours, the gin is ready and can be taken home.
I had a lot of fun during the visit and learned a lot of new things. The gin also tasted good – it was a great visit that I can recommend.
If you don’t want to buy from the online shop, you can also find the gin in numerous Berlin shops.
Address:
Berlin Distillery Kreutz GmbH Goerzallee 299 14167 Berlin
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