AQVALVCE Navy Strength Gin

At 57.5% ABV, AQVALVCE Navy StrengthNavy StrengthGin bottled at 57% ABV or more. Royal Navy lore holds that at this strength, gunpowder soaked in gin would still ignite.GlossarySee Navy Strength gins Gin concentrates the alpine and balsamic side of Distilleria dell’Alpe’s work. The gin is made in the same pair of 100-litre copper stills used for the AQVALVCE range, historic equipment dating from the Second World War. Its higher strength carries a complete twelve-botanical recipe with unusual force, but the character comes from the interaction of mountain herbs, roots, seeds and bitter plants rather than alcohol alone.

Spicy · Herbal · Navy Strength · Earthy

Juniper is joined by broom flower, wild thyme, orris rootOrris rootIris rhizome dried for years, then ground. Powdery and violet-like, it mainly works as a fixative that binds and lengthens the other aromas.Glossary, hawthorn, caraway, rosehip, angelica, gentian, cumin, bay leaf and hops. Wild thyme, bay and hops create a broad herbal and balsamic register. Cumin and caraway supply warm seed spice, while angelica, orris and gentian deepen the palate with earthy, root-like bitterness. Hawthorn and rosehip bring a restrained fruit and floral nuance, and broom flower lightens the denser centre.

The nose is powerful, led by pine, wild thyme and bay, then warmed by cumin and caraway. The first sip is concentrated and dry. Juniper gives the opening its firm line, herbs expand across the middle, and the roots add weight beneath them. Gentian and hops make the finish long and finely bitter, while rosehip and hawthorn prevent that bitterness from becoming austere. DilutionDilutionThe water added by melting ice. In the right amount it opens the aromas and softens the alcohol; too much flattens the drink.Glossary opens the floral and balsamic details without removing the gin’s navy-strength authority.

This gin has enough depth to be tasted in a small measure with a little water, and enough power for a NegroniNegroniAn Italian cocktail of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and red bitter (Campari), served over ice with orange peel. Born in Florence in 1919.Glossary. For a gin and tonic, pour 4 cl over abundant clear iceClear iceIce without air bubbles, made by slow, directional freezing. Denser, it melts more slowly and dilutes less.Glossary and add 12 cl of Fever-Tree Indian Tonic WaterIndian tonicThe classic tonic: sparkling water, bitter quinine and sugar. The name recalls colonial India, where quinine warded off malaria.Glossary. Finish with a thin lemon peel and a short sprig of wild thyme. The neutral tonic gives the botanicals room, lemon lifts the opening, and thyme extends the dry mountain-herb character into the final sip.