Xoriguer Gin de Mahon Gin 700ml

Xoriguer traces its roots to the eighteenth century, when the British Royal Navy stationed at the deep water port of Mahón on the island of Menorca brought its taste for gin to the local population, sparking a tradition of distillation that has continued on the island ever since. The distillery still standing today, right at the edge of Mahón's harbor, was rebuilt in 1910 by Miguel Pons Justo after fire destroyed the original site, and the Pons family has owned and operated it ever since. The gin takes its name from an old windmill the family once used for milling flour, an image still featured on the label. Gin de Mahón holds its own European Designation of Origin, one of only two gins in the world with that protection.

Unlike most gins, Xoriguer is distilled from a base of wine spirit rather than grain or molasses, using Xarel-lo and Parellada grapes sourced from the Penedès wine region. Juniper berries, gathered wild from the foothills of the Pyrenees and hand sorted for quality, are aged openly in crates near the harbor for roughly three years before use, absorbing the salt air in the process. Distillation takes place in centuries-old wood-fired copper stills using a traditional one-shot method, and the gin emerges from the still already at bottling strength, requiring no further dilution.

The nose is boldly juniper forward, with a nutty sweetness and faint citrus lingering beneath. On the palate the gin is earthy and resinous, with anise and almond notes adding depth against the soft richness of the grape-based spirit. It is the essential ingredient in a Pomada, Menorca's own cocktail of gin and cloudy lemonade, and it also makes a distinctive Gin and Tonic.