I was introduced to this gin last year by my good friend John who owns and runs one of my favorite haunts – Zola’s in Milton. I remember having the first taste and exclaiming – Wow! the Oranges!!
For the next two weeks this will be the Spanish gin I will be researching and experimenting different cocktails with.
First the history. The name is derived from one Juan de Wint and Margarita de Lila who had started one of earliest trading companies (with the East and Americas) back in the mid 1600s. The gin was named in their honor by the family of Casalbors who have run the distillery for nearly 200 years. It is situated in the port city of Puerto de Santa Maria in the Cadiz area of Spain.
Next the ingredients and the process: It has 10 botanicals – of course, juniper, coriander, angelica and angelica root and cinnamon which are staple for all gins. But additionally, it has orange peel, lemon peel, lime peel, peppermint and orange blossom. All these are mixed with corn and then distilled – not with direct heat or steam but water bath. This makes for a slow process but the botanicals retain all their richness. And then this is distilled five times over!!
One of the unique features of this gin is the bottle it comes in. The exterior is actually white clay and inside is glass!
The nose is rich with juniper and oranges. The palate continued with the orange and a hint of mint. The finish was distinctly citrusy.
