FIRST JOURNEYS - 80 GINS AROUND THE WORLD - PIN 06 OF 80
BROOKLYN GIN, USA
AROUND THE WORLD, ONE BOTTLE AT A TIME,
PHILEAS FOGG WOULD SURELY APPROVE
Let's end the speculation about which direction I'm heading for this tour! I've crossed the Atlantic and headed west, stopping at my bottle of Brooklyn Gin. I couldn't resist trying out that famous trick with the copper stopper and embossing an ice cube — a little bit of theatre for today's destination!
Brooklyn Gin is all about fresh citrus and proudly uses only fresh — never dried or frozen — citrus peels. Five of their eleven botanicals are citrus-based, including a generous amount of lime peel, creating a bright and vibrant gin that is perfect for a classic G&T.
The botanical line-up includes cracked juniper, lavender, cocoa nibs, coriander, orris root, angelica root, Eureka lemon, Persian lime, Key lime, Navel orange and kumquat. They also use a base spirit made from 100% American corn, creating a gin that feels unmistakably fresh, bright and very New York.
Founded in 2010 by Emil Jättne and Joe Santos, Brooklyn Gin was created with a simple aim — to make a high-quality, small-batch American gin by hand, focusing on fresh ingredients and craftsmanship.
In the early days, they collaborated with Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery in the Hudson Valley to produce their gin while they built the brand. Fast forward and Brooklyn Gin now has its own home in Red Hook, Brooklyn, with a distillery, tasting room and bar where visitors can experience the brand in the borough that inspired it.
Of course, no Brooklyn story would be complete without a little controversy!
Around the same time Brooklyn Gin launched, Brad Estabrooke founded Breuckelen Distilling — using the old Dutch spelling of Brooklyn — and began producing gin in the borough itself. This led to a trademark dispute, with Brooklyn Gin arguing that the name created confusion, while Breuckelen maintained that their name reflected their actual location and history.
The disagreement eventually resulted in Breuckelen changing its gin branding to Glorious Gin, and both brands continued on their own paths. A little bit of New York drama to add to today's destination!
Even the Brooklyn Gin bottle tells part of the story. Inspired by the apothecary roots of gin, its shape reflects the brand's three core values — independent craftsmanship, fresh ingredients and made in New York.
For today's serve, I've gone with one of their own cocktail recipes — the Atlantic Avenue Shuffle — named after one of Brooklyn's longest and most famous streets. A fitting choice for this stop on the journey, especially with a bit of 70s Average White Band playing in the background!
Another destination ticked off the Atlas and another reminder that every bottle has a story waiting to be uncovered. 🍸
“Back where it belongs… a Brooklyn story bottled in Brooklyn.”
Atlantic Avenue Shuffle
50ml Brooklyn Gin
20ml lemon juice
15ml St-Germain
10ml sugar syrup
10ml Aperol
2 dashes orange bitters
"Show me a bottle
and I'll tell you a story."