Three friends created Damascus Gin in 2024: Joelle Antaky and Joseph Abi Ghanem from Lebanon, and Andrés Gonzalez from Spain, who came up with the idea while living in Syria and noticing that the region had no gin of its own. It is made at Château Bybline, a winery in the Wata El Joz mountains of Lebanon, and bottled at 40% ABV. The name honours Damascus, one of the oldest cities in the world, and its famous rose. The founders present the project as a way to show the beauty, resilience and creativity of the region, not only as a good gin.

The recipe is deliberately short: Syrian juniper harvested by hand, Damascus rose, Aleppo pistachios and pomelo, on a grain spirit cut with water from local mountain springs. Each botanical is infused and distilled on its own in a stainless-steel alembic with copper cooling, then the distillates are blended; the winery runs on solar energy. The blue wax seal and the rose-covered label make the bottle easy to spot.

Rose leads on the nose, joined by fruity citrus from the pomelo. The palate is bright and refreshing, with rose, pomelo and juniper in balance, and the finish is clean, setting bittersweet citrus against a subtle sweetness from the pistachio. Despite the floral label, the gin remains dry; the flower never tastes like syrup. Neat, the pistachio is easiest to catch after the first sip, while a drop of water lifts the rose.

The founders suggest a Gin and Tonic garnished with lemon peel or rose, and the gin also works in a Gin Mojito or a Gimlet, where the pomelo pairs naturally with fresh lime. Use the rose sparingly as a garnish, since a few petals are enough to echo the gin without overwhelming it. A plain, well-chilled tonic lets the pomelo and pistachio stay readable.