Welcome to the journey of crafting our 2025 concept gin, Spirit of the Creuse. This gin is not just a drink but a story, carefully woven from the traditions of gin-making and the essence of the Creuse region. With its classical gin backbone of juniper, coriander, and cardamom, it boldly steps forward with dominant notes of pepper, grapefruit, and honey. When rested in Acacia wood, it evolves further, revealing hints of vanilla and lemongrass.
After endless testing and tweaking, we believe we’ve captured the perfect balance—but you’ll decide when the 350 exclusive bottles of The Spirit of the Creuse are released in 2025.
Diary Entry: Friday, 22 November Smoke, honey and time!
The journey to create our 2025 concept gin continues, and the second day brought its own set of challenges and triumphs. Here in the Creuse, nature often plays a leading role in our process, and today was no exception. Strong winds swept across the landscape, complicating our production plans. Yet, rather than seeing this as a setback, we embraced it—it’s all part of crafting a gin that embodies the raw beauty and unpredictable elements of this region.
Smoking Juniper Berries: A Test of Patience and Innovation
The highlight of the day was the smoking of juniper berries, a step that adds a delicate smokiness to the gin, complementing the aging process in acacia barrels. However, the winds made it difficult to keep our smoker going. We needed a consistent stream of cold acacia smoke to gently infuse the dried juniper berries with its subtle aroma.
To help the smoke adhere to the berries, we decided to coat them with a fine mist of diluted honey and distilled water. This not only enhanced their stickiness but also subtly connected to the honeyed notes of the Creuse, a nod to our region’s bees and their vital role in nature.
After countless attempts, we finally coaxed the smoker to life, carefully tending it for eight hours to ensure the juniper berries were gently bathed in aromatic acacia smoke. When we opened the smoker, the result was nothing short of extraordinary. The heady, earthy scent of smoked juniper mingled perfectly with the sweet, floral tones of honey and acacia wood. It’s a shame we can’t share this aroma through the blog—it was truly magical.
Preparing the Botanicals
With the berries smoked to perfection, the next step was to prepare the rest of the botanicals. Each ingredient meticulously weighed, including the beautifully dried grapefruits we had prepared the day before. Once all the botanicals were ready, we combined them with 100% organic grain alcohol and transferred the mixture to our small still for 36 hours of maceration. This process allows the flavors to meld together, creating the complex base for our gin.
Looking Ahead
The next big step is distillation, set to take place on Saturday, 23rd November. It’s an exciting moment when we’ll finally taste the first iteration of this batch. Every step we take brings us closer to capturing the true Spirit of the Creuse in every sip of this gin.
Thank you for following along on this journey. Stay tuned for more updates, and let’s see what nature—and a little bit of perseverance—will deliver next.
Diary Entry: Thursday, 21 November Let the magic begin!
Today marks the start of this exciting process. We’re beginning with the basics: drying two varieties of organic grapefruit. Why? Because every flavor-packed drop of gin starts with the quality of its ingredients.
Why we dry in-house: Doing this ourselves allows us to control the process, ensuring maximum flavor retention. It’s all about the essential oils—those precious bursts of aroma and taste that define our gin.
How we choose the fruit: Only perfectly ripe, organic grapefruits make the cut. Their ripeness directly impacts the depth of flavor and aroma during distillation.
Timing is everything: We keep a close eye on how long the fruits dry, as over-drying can dull the essential oils while under-drying leaves them unbalanced.
And that’s our work for today (apart from the never-ending task of cleaning—essential for every distiller).
Tomorrow promises to be a fun and smoky adventure. We’ll be preparing our juniper berries with a twist: smoking them to create a distinct layer of flavor. Stay tuned!
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