St. George Botanivore Gin 750ml

St. George Spirits was founded in Alameda, California, and its Botanivore Gin traces its origin to master distiller Lance Winters, who created the gin after his future wife asked why he had never made her favorite spirit. The distillery, one of the pioneers of American craft distilling, built its reputation on eau de vie before expanding into an inventive lineup of whiskeys and gins, with Botanivore standing as one of its most widely embraced releases.

Rather than leaning heavily on juniper in the London Dry tradition, Botanivore is built from 19 botanicals, including angelica root, bergamot peel, black peppercorn, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, dill seed, fennel seed, ginger, orris root, Seville orange peel, and star anise. Juniper, California bay laurel, and fresh cilantro are vapor-infused during distillation, while the remaining sixteen botanicals are steeped overnight and distilled in a copper pot still. The gin is bottled at 45% ABV.

The result is bright and herbaceous, opening with citrus peel and fresh green herbs before moving into warmer notes of cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise, with juniper woven throughout rather than dominating. The finish stays long, dry, and gently peppery. It makes an excellent gin and tonic and holds its own in a Martini or a Bee's Knees.