These local gins boast rich, botanical flavors that could add a unique touch to gatherings, perfect for any occasion.
We all look forward to bonding with friends over food and drinks. As gatherings and social calendars fill up once more, it is necessary to have our pantries stocked up with snacks and spirits, especially local gins. These beverages boast rich, botanical flavors that could add a unique touch to get-togethers, perfect for any occasion. Introduce your guests to their delightful tastes and also support local distilleries. Lifestyle Asia curated a list of local gins that will add distinct, sophisticated flavors to any gathering.
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1834 Premium Distilled Gin
The 1834 Premium Distilled Gin possesses botanicals like sampaguita flower, coriander seed, lemon and orange peel, angelica root, orris root, cubeb, grains of paradise, and classic juniper. It has been crafted to have a smooth and refined taste honoring the era of 1834, which the brand called as “an era of discovery.”
The first smell or sip will bring the citrus notes instantly. It unravels versatile flavors which is why it goes well with any dish that you prepare at home or outdoor hang outs with your friends. Enjoy it on its own, mix it in a cocktail, or drink it on the rocks.
Agimat Gin
Destileria Barako’s mythical Agimat Gin pays tribute to the essence of Filipino cultural vibrancy. Spices, florals, and citrus notes are rather prominent to this local spirit. Drinkers would taste hints of ylang-ylang, dalandan of Luzon, yukon, libas fruit (hog plum) from Visayas, and biasong (wild citrus) and pink pomelo from Mindanao.
Agimat Gin had won a silver SIP Awards recognition. It is the only international spirits competition leveling the playing field for established brands and newcomers.
Archipelago Botanical Gin
Full Circle Distillers crafted their flagship product, Archipelago Botanical Gin, with 28 botanicals. 22 of these include ingredients scoured across the country, such as pomelo, dalandan, calamansi, dayap, mango, benguet pine, sampaguita, ylang-ylang, and kamia flowers.
People will notice hints of coriander, juniper, and lavender upon smelling the gin. Chamomile, lemongrass, cinnamon, and pepper are the notes one might encounter upon sipping. It finishes off balanced in flavor, with cooling flavors that come from lemon balm and cardamom.
The gin won awards like gold at the The Asian Spirits Masters 2023 in the United Kingdom, and platinum at the SIP Awards 2021 in the United States. It comes in the Archipelago Barrel Reserve Gin and the Archipelago Black Bamboo Gin variants, among others.
Santa Ana Gin
Santa Ana Gin contains the classic gin staples of juniper, coriander, lemon, bitter orange, and angelica and orris roots. They added ylang-ylang, alpinia, fennel, calamansi, and dalandan. Drinkers will delight in the citrus, earthy taste of the beverage.
The makers, who also created the sugarcane-based Don Papa Rum, utilized the partial-vacuum distillation technique to extract botanical aromas without degradation by heat. This process originated in the Charente region in France. Doing so resulted in a fragrant, must-relished gin that you could blend into different cocktail versions. Their website has a few suggested recipes for gin and tonic, their Pomelo Spritz, martini, and a French 75, but you could be creative and do an original mix, too.
Proclamation Gin
Proclamation Gin’s name drew inspiration from General Frank Murphy’s 1934 declaration, which made sampaguita as our national flower. It is a symbol of humility, purity, and strength. According to their website, it directly translates to “sumpa kita” or “I promise you.” This reflects the beverage’s commitment to quality and community.
The gin makers partnered up with women farmers in Central Luzon, who chooses the finest sampaguita buds for the product. Proclamation’s scent notes will remind you of toasted grains, summer fields, with hints of nutty, salty, and deep earth aromatics. Its taste profile is smoky-sweet, blending into a satisfying, warm finish with “a lingering surprise.”
Proclamation Gin won a gold medal for design at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. “This inspires us to continue to deliver excellence as a globally-recognized Filipino product,” an Instagram post they released stated.
Banner photo from Aram Diseño via Pexels.
