In the North Karelian wilderness, a place bound up with the origins of Nightwish, Arctic Blue Beverages found the three botanicals that define this gin. Nightwish Gin, created with the Finnish symphonic metal band and launched in late 2024, uses rowan berries, spruce tips and chicory root, and is bottled at 48.2% in a 500 ml bottle.

Each of the three has a distinct role. The rowan berries are picked after autumn's first frost, which mellows them from sharp to sweet, so they bring a red fruit note with a lingering acidity. Spruce tips, the young shoots of the tree, add a green, resinous freshness that sits naturally beside juniper. Chicory root closes the recipe with a dry, earthy and slightly bitter tone. The IWSC tasting note also picks out orange peel, cardamom and juniper, with a spicy juniper finish.

The strength matters for a recipe this spare. At 48.2%, spruce and chicory keep their outline after chilling and dilution, the conifer note opening as the ice melts while the finish stays dry and quietly bitter. The gin is distilled in Ilomantsi, in North Karelia, and the collaboration earned a Gold Medal at the International Wine & Spirit Competition 2025. It is sold in Finland through Alko and distributed internationally with La Maison du Whisky. North Karelia lies on Finland's eastern border, and the three arctic botanicals are handpicked.

A light tonic suits a gin that already carries plenty of character. The Naturally Light tonic from Fever-Tree, at 10 cl for 4 cl of gin, leaves room for the spruce, and large ice cubes keep the dilution slow. An orange peel brightens the top, and a few rowan berries repeat the fruit at the heart of the recipe. Keep the berries whole.