FIRST JOURNEYS - EUROPEAN EXPEDITION- PIN 23 OF 40
THE ARTISAN GIN - Zagreb, Croatia
A ROAD TRIP WHERE EVERY STOP HAS A STORY
Zagreb is often overlooked as travellers head straight for Croatia's spectacular Adriatic coastline, but as every gin lover knows, the best discoveries are sometimes found away from the obvious route. So today I've headed inland to the Croatian capital and the home of Artisan Croatian Gin.
Just north of the city rises Medvednica, or "Bear Mountain", a vast nature park that has protected Zagreb for centuries.
According to local folklore, bears once roamed these forests, giving the mountain its name, and today its woodland trails are carpeted with wild herbs, flowers and native plants. It's the perfect introduction to a gin that celebrates Croatia's rich botanical landscape.
Artisan is crafted using vacuum distillation, a technique adopted by only a handful of distilleries. Distilling under reduced pressure allows the botanicals to release their essential oils at much lower temperatures, preserving delicate aromas that can be lost during conventional distillation.
The recipe contains fourteen botanicals, six of them sourced in Croatia. Rather than distilling everything together, each botanical is milled, macerated and distilled separately before the individual distillates are blended. It's an incredibly labour-intensive process, but one that gives remarkable clarity and depth of flavour.
Juniper naturally leads the way, supported by lavender, liquorice, citrus peels, elderflower and olive leaves.
One botanical quietly tying everything together is orris root, derived from the iris—Croatia's national flower.
Orris root is harvested from the rhizome of the iris. The roots take around three years to mature before being dried and aged for several more years, developing the powdery, violet-like aroma so prized by perfumers. That lengthy process makes orris one of the world's most expensive natural fragrance ingredients. In gin, it acts as both a subtle botanical and a natural fixative, helping to bind and enhance the other aromas. It's no surprise that luxury perfume houses, including Chanel, use orris extensively in many of their fragrances.
Beyond its symbolism, orris is highly prized in both perfumery and distilling for its ability to harmonise aromas and add a soft floral elegance. It's also one of the world's most valuable botanicals, with much of the harvest destined for the perfume industry.
Even the presentation reflects the attention to detail. Every bottle is hand-filled, hand-labelled and finished with an individually handcrafted wooden cap, making each one subtly unique. The elegant bottle design reminds me of the rolling waves of the Adriatic—a fitting tribute to the country that inspired it.
Where modern distilling meets the wild heart of Croatia.
The Iris
50ml Artisan Croatian Gin
40ml cranberry juice
10ml blue curaçao
10ml Supasawa
Shake with ice and, if you like, add a foamer for a silky texture. I topped mine with a little foam, although it softened the purple colour more than I'd hoped (didn't show well in the photo either!). Adjust the blue curaçao to achieve your perfect shade, then lengthen with soda or lemonade if preferred.
"Show me a bottle and I’ll tell you a story."