XIN Gin

Michelle and Gareth McAllister drew on the two places they called home, Ireland and Asia, when creating XIN Gin. After many years spent in Asia, the couple brought those influences together in this Irish distilled ginDistilled ginGin made by redistilling neutral spirit with juniper and other botanicals. Unlike London Dry, flavourings may be added after distillation.GlossarySee Distilled gin gins, made at Ahascragh Distillery in County Galway and bottled at 43% ABV.

Citrus · Spicy · Floral · Fruity

Rose, persimmon, citrus and herbs appear on the nose. On the palate, juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary and citrus zest meet rose and persimmon, with an undertone of dill. The persimmon brings a honey-like sweetness, while cinnamon adds warmth to the lingering fruit finish. At 43% ABV the texture is full enough to carry that sweetness without making the gin heavy.

Xin means heart or feelings in Mandarin and is pronounced "shin". Celtic swirls meet an East Asian aesthetic on the 70 cl bottle, whose labels are applied by hand; it is designed for reuse as a vase or candle holder. At Ahascragh, renewable energy and high-temperature heat pumps replace fossil fuels. The gin earned a Master medal at the 2023 Global Gin Masters.

For XIN orange and dill, fill a balloon glassCopa glassA large stemmed balloon glass, popularised by the Spanish gin and tonic: it stays cold for longer and gathers the aromas above the drink.Glossary with ice and add 5 cl gin and 11 cl Thomas Henry Classic Premium Indian Style Tonic Water. Stir gently and garnish with an orange wedge and a fresh dill sprig. The orange complements the citrus notes, and the dill picks up the herbaceous note on the palate. A little more than two parts tonic to one of gin keep the persimmon and rose noticeable, and the balloon glass holds their perfume. The warmth of the cinnamon also stands up well to the quinineQuinineAn alkaloid from cinchona bark that gives tonic its bitterness. The British in India drank it against malaria and added gin: the gin and tonic was born.Glossary. The producer's own version follows the same idea over ice, with pineapple as an alternative to orange alongside the dill.