Distillerie du Sonneur Gin

Five plants grown in the distillery's own fields make up this gin. Distillerie du Sonneur works in the Sarthe and macerates juniper berries, mint, coriander seed, elderflower and lemon balm separately in organic wheat alcohol from the farm, distils each one on its own, and only then blends them. The gin goes into the bottle at 45% ABV.

Citrus · Spicy · Floral · Herbal

Distilling plant by plant is slower than charging everything into one still, and the reason for doing it is control: each distillate can be adjusted before assembly, which is why individual ingredients stay recognisable once the gin is poured. Around that core the recipe adds citrus zest and peppercorns, so the aromatic arc runs from bright citrus at the front through a peppery, floral middle to a cooling, mentholated close. Distillation takes place in Le Mans on a Holstein still.

The nose opens on fresh citrus and garden herbs, with peppery nuances developing as the glass sits. In the mouth it is dry and firm: juniper gives the frame, the zest brings lift, pepper adds warmth and a gentle bite, and elderflower keeps a floral thread running underneath. Mint and lemon balm are what make the ending unusual, leaving a genuine cooling sensation rather than a sweet herbal echo. The finish is clean and long, and the whole thing feels precise rather than showy.

Keep the serve simple: 4cl of gin, a plain tonic at 10cl, and a wheel of lemon or a single mint leaf, not both. The mentholated finish does not need help, and a flavoured mixer would cover the pepper. At 45% it also stands up well in a Southside or a gin smash, where fresh mint is muddled in by hand and the mint already in the gin meets it halfway instead of vanishing under it completely.