Gin Sainte Barbe

Bergamot leads Gin Sainte Barbe, an organic dry ginDry ginGin with no perceptible sweetness: in the European Union, the word "dry" allows at most 0.1 g of sugar per litre.GlossarySee Dry gin gins from Distillerie Sainte Barbe in Lorraine. Juniper, pepper and nutmeg accompany the citrus, and the botanicals are distilled in a copper still, where the distillery seeks a balance between citrus, spice and bitterness. Its strength is 45% ABV.

Citrus · Organic · Spicy

The nose is fresh and full: bergamotBergamotA bitter Calabrian citrus, the one that scents Earl Grey tea: floral and zesty.Glossary gives the first impression its fragrant peel quality, joined by notes of lemon and pomelo, then pepper and nutmeg. The spices make the citrus feel warmer and more substantial.

On the palate, the attack is direct and ample, the citrus freshness meeting the roundness of nutmeg and the force of pepper, with a precise bitterness that adds definition rather than sweetness. A long, spicy finish returns to pepper and nutmeg with a measured bitter edge. Pomelo brings a milder, sweeter citrus than grapefruit, which softens the bitterness.

Gin Sainte Barbe won gold at the 2024 Lyon International Competition and silver at Craft Spirits Berlin the same year. The distillery recommends it neat, over ice or with a dry tonic and a citrus zest. Neat, a small pour shows the movement from bright peel to spice; with water or tonic, the citrus opens while the dry character stays. Bergamot also makes it a good choice for a MartiniDry MartiniGin and a little dry vermouth, stirred over ice and served in a well-chilled stemmed glass, with an olive or a twist.Glossary with a lemon twistTwistA strip of peel twisted over the glass to release its oils, then dropped into the drink.Glossary or a Tom CollinsTom CollinsA long drink of gin, lemon juice, sugar and soda water, served over ice in a tall glass.Glossary, where fresh lemon juice extends the citrus. Its pepper also stands up well in 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, fill a balloon glass with clear ice, pour 5 cl of gin and add about 10 cl of dry tonic. Express a thin bergamot or lemon peel over the glass and drop it in; a small sprig of rosemary can be added as an option. A simple proportion keeps the bitterness precise and stops sweetness from covering the pepper and nutmeg.