Bluebird Juniperus Gin

Bluebird starts Juniperus Gin with rye spirit, then redistils it and infuses the vapour with botanicals and spices from around the world. Made in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, the flagship is bottled at 45% ABV. Its name points to juniper as the essential marker of the category, while the distillery's tasting notes give a wider picture: fresh cucumber and lemon on the nose, citrus zest and pepper on the palate, and a light cucumber finish touched with sweet spice.

Citrus · Spicy · Herbal

The aroma begins cool and green, with cucumber beside lemon. A sip brings brighter citrus zest and pepper, followed by an evergreen note that keeps the gin grounded. The cucumber returns softly at the end, where a trace of sweet spice rounds the finish instead of making it sugary. That movement from fresh produce to citrus and evergreen gives Juniperus a clear shape, even though the full botanical recipe is not itemised. Its 45% strength gives the flavours presence in a mixed drink and leaves enough room for dilutionDilutionThe water added by melting ice. In the right amount it opens the aromas and softens the alcohol; too much flattens the drink.Glossary over ice.

Vapour infusionVapour infusionBotanicals sit in a basket above the liquid, so only the alcohol vapour passes through them, for a lighter, fresher extraction.Glossary is central to the way Bluebird makes this gin: the rye spirit is distilled again while vapour passes through the botanicals. The method is paired with ingredients and spices sourced from around the world. It makes sense to taste the gin first without garnish, then try it with a restrained citrus addition. The cucumber note also suits a clean, dry highballHighballA long drink served in a tall, straight glass with plenty of ice: a spirit topped with soda or tonic. The word also names the glass.Glossary. In 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, a modest measure of dry vermouthVermouthAn aromatised, fortified wine flavoured with herbs and barks; its name comes from the German Wermut, wormwood. Dry vermouth goes into a Martini, sweet red into a Negroni.Glossary and a lemon peel can frame the pepper and evergreen without covering the softer finish.

For a fresh long drink, add 4.5 cl of Juniperus Gin to a balloon glass filled with ice, then pour in 12 cl of East Imperial Burma Tonic Water. Tuck a cucumber ribbon and a lemon twist into the glass and set matching pieces beside it on a small plate. The tonic keeps the drink crisp, while cucumber echoes the nose and lemon lifts the citrus notes. Give the glass one gentle turn with a bar spoon; the aim is to combine the ingredients without flattening the fine bubbles.