Gins From Around The World We stumbled across this phrase “Gin-uary” a few days after the New Year started and the hazy aftereffects of all the bubbly we’d imbibed on New Year’s Eve had finally lifted. Gin!? In January!? Not whiskey? Not red wine? It didn’t take much convincing at all, for us to go along with the concept. While we do believe that there can be appropriate times of year or holidays or special occasions for certain spirits and drinks -- we’re not sticklers. The heart wants what it wants and when it comes down to it, we’re firm believers that any libation is fair game for any occasion. So, gin for January! To celebrate the concept, we’ve been sharing posts by some of our favorite brands to the “story” feature on our Instagram page. But, it had us wondering… Who coined this delightful turn of phrase!? And so off to Google we went.
Naturally, with how fast information travels in this day and age, especially for quirky little turns of phrase, we found all sorts of news sites and blogs and list-icles using the cheeky term -- though one caught our eye: The 4th Annual Ginuary Festival in Tasmania. Off the coast of Australia, the island state of Tasmania hosts a two-day festival celebrating the region’s booming distilling industry -- featuring more than 40 different local gins. The thought of Tasmanian gin had us casting our eye at our shelves of spirits. Beyond the best known British-made styles of London dry gin which we stock, we also have an interesting assortment of gins on our shelves from distillers around the world While not comprehensive of everything we currently offer, what follows is a short list of some of the more interesting gins from around the world which we carry at Bag & String Wine Merchants: DINGLE ORIGINAL GIN Dingle Distillery is proud to be located on the Wild Atlantic Way – Ireland's spectacular coastal route and one of the longest defined coastal routes in the world. At the 2019 World Gin Awards, DIngle won World’s Best London Dry Gin. That’s right. A country known worldwide for its whiskey production has a distillery which netted not only attention and notability on the world stage for its gin -- but also earned the win! In awarding Dingle, the World Gin Awards had this to say: Lots of interesting notes going on, both on the nose and the palate. Even a little bit of toffee and caramel too, which is both intriguing and unexpected. Has a bit of everything, but all nicely balanced. Online, the Dingle distillery’s website outlines how the gin came about from a combination of exhaustive research into the technical and historical aspects of gin, but also arose from a bit of experimentation as well. “Our aim was to create a totally unique gin, one which worked within the great tradition of gin distilling but which also came with a degree of innovation.”
In terms of its broad style, Dingle categorizes its “Original” gin as a London dry gin which gets its unique character and flavour from such botanicals as rowan berry, fuchsia, bog myrtle and both hawthorn and heather for a taste of the Kerry landscape where the distillery is located. This combination of flavour elements are macerated in spirit for 24 hours. Then, when the spirit is distilled, it passes through a flavour basket in the neck of the still. The spirit is collected at 70% abv and then cut to 42.5% abv using the purest of water which is drawn from Dingle’s own well, 240 feet below the distillery. The Dingle Distillery was conceived and brought to realization by Oliver Hughes, Liam LaHart and Peter Mosley. Mosley sums up Dingle’s unique character in a few words: “The uniquely Irish botanicals give a fabulously fresh, floral character that perfectly balances the traditional juniper. But, to be honest, you really have to taste it for yourself.” Want to know more about Dingle Original Gin!? Stop in and talk with our wine & spirits specialist Whitney! She discovered the distillery while in Ireland and recommended we bring it in to sell! Click here to view Dingle Original Gin on our website. CITADELLE In 1996, Citadelle was born as the first artisanal Gin de France, leading the movement for artisanal gins in the country
Online, Citadel describes its gin as having three prominent elements of note: Juniper, Citrus and exotic touches of pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. Citadelle is 44% alcohol and has won more than 60 medals, among them “Spirit of the Year” at the 2017 World Spirit Awards as well as “World’s Best Gin” and “Gin Grand Master” in London. Click here to view Citadelle on our website. XORIGUER MAHÓN GIN Made in the Meditteranean, this gin uses the same recipe as the distillers who were making it centuries ago. Unusually, Xoriguer is made from wood fired pot stills from distilled wine eau de vie rather than the common grain based distillate. Botanicals include juniper berries, lemon peel, Angelica and coriander. This style of gin is only made on the island of Mallorca in Spain and holds one of a scant few geographical designations for gin. Notably, it is a grape-based gin whereas so many others are a grain-bases sprit which is flavored with juniper and other botanicals. Online at the Mahon Gin website, its makers describe it as a crystal clear liquor with a distinctive body differentiated from others by the essential oils of juniper berries. On the nose there are the aromatic tones of juniper as well as green wood and herbs. To taste, the gin has an herbaceous palate, generous in juniper and smooth citric undertones which round out its character and provide a long and light aftertaste mixed with a whisper of black pepper. Click here to view Mahon Gin on our website.
|
 |
Delivery & Curbside Pick-up are Available Every Day!
Delivery orders placed before noon go out same day.
Delivery orders placed after noon go out next day.
————————————————————————————
Free Delivery Around the Lake!
Questions about delivery!? Call us at 716-763-4000!
| Copyright © 2025 All rights reserved • Website Powered by WineFetch |
|
In the years since that first gin arrived, Citadelle has expanded their offerings to include a Barrel Aged, Old Tom and Wild Blossom gin -- though what we stock at Bag & String Wine Merchants is the original; a complex gin with delicate aromas of fresh flowers and citrus, herbs, anise, cinnamon spice and a taste of juniper with a long, voluptuous spice.
