German distiller Windspiel has extended the availability of its premium dry gin, as well as that of its specially developed tonic water, to the UK.
Windspiel produces the raw alcohol used in its gin from its own potatoes using a special technique. The potatoes are grown on the company’s farm in the Volcanic Eifel region of Germany. After harvesting them in the autumn, it produces the particularly mild raw alcohol for the traditional London dry gin from a selected mixture in three distillations. This is then perfected with the addition of ten classic gin botanicals such as juniper, lemon zest, cinnamon bark, coriander, lavender and other ingredients according to a secret recipe developed by master distiller Holger Borchers.
“We wanted to develop a down-to-earth, classic yet exclusive London dry gin,” explained Windspiel managing director Sandra Wimmeler. “Besides the ingredients, traditional craftsmanship was particularly important to us. For example, we produce all the raw alcohol ourselves, seal our bottles by hand and stick the labels on ourselves. It is important to us that every product passes through our hands at least once before it goes to market. This is the only way for us to ensure the quality we are looking for.”
Nor is the firm happy for its gin to be mixed with an externally produced tonic.
“We have very good mineral springs here in the Eifel,” Wimmeler continued. “So we had the idea of producing a tonic with natural mineral water and natural carbonic acid from the Eifel that perfectly complements our gin.”
Both the tonic water and gin “harmonise perfectly thanks to the common citrus notes”, Windspiel added.
Besides the gin and tonic, the brand will also offer a chocolate gin truffle – and, in addition to the limited-edition barrel-aged gin, it is now offering the first potato vodka to be matured in ash barrels in Germany. For its barrel-aged potato vodka, Windspiel uses a special potato variety with a different variety being used every year.
“We want to reveal the different facets of the potato,” said Wimmeler. “That is why we are planting a different variety every year. For the 2016 vintage, we are using potatoes of the Pirol variety. They have a particularly high starch content and give the vodka a very special flavour.”
After distillation, the vodka is then stored in ash barrels for several months.
The products will be made available in the UK exclusively through the Craft Gin Club.
“We are delighted to be able to deliver a complete connoisseur package to our customers with the Windspiel products,” explained Craft Gin Club founder John Burke. “Windspiel is our first German gin and we were immediately impressed with the quality. The particularly delicate flavour, the classic elegance it radiates, the matching tonic and their own truffles. The whole package is just perfect. What is particularly good of course, is that two special editions are also included.”
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