THE GIN PASSPORT ATLAS - DISTILLERY STORY- PINNED ON THE MAP - EUROPE

Ten years, one very determined gin maker and a bottle worth discovering.


There is something I rather like about a gin that takes ten years to perfect. It suggests a certain amount of determination, patience and, presumably, an awful lot of gin tasting!


Birch Gin was created by Justin Birch, who is from Wadhurst in East Sussex. His gin journey began in 2010 after moving back to the UK from Singapore and discovering the rapidly growing British craft gin scene. What started as an obsession with finding the perfect recipe eventually became a ten-year project.


Justin experimented with an enormous number of botanicals before finally arriving at the recipe he was looking for. His inspiration was a fusion of British herbs, Mediterranean citrus and Asian spices, with the rather unusual addition of birch syrup.


There is a lovely story behind the syrup too. Birch sap is collected in March and concentrated to produce the syrup, with around 100 litres of sap needed to make just one litre of syrup. It brings a subtle caramel sweetness and gentle spiciness to the gin.


Justin eventually teamed up with distiller Andrew Parsons, Master Distiller at Sky Wave Gin, who helped him turn his recipe into the finished spirit using a traditional alembic copper still.


Birch Gin is now produced by Justin and his wife Dawn as a small family business, and the brand continues to describe itself as a micro-batch, handcrafted producer.


For my first serve, I went with a Dry Martini, simply because I wanted to give the gin plenty of room to show off.


It is beautifully smooth and warming, with a little spice appearing midway through, followed by a fresh yet gently sweet finish. There is plenty going on without any one botanical shouting louder than the others.



Birch Gin is made using the one-shot method, which means all the botanicals are distilled together in a single distillation rather than using concentrates or blending afterwards. The current production is in micro-batches of around 200 bottles.


The botanicals include birch syrup, juniper, coriander, fennel, rosemary, orris root, lemongrass, orange, lime, grapefruit, cardamom and ginger. It is bottled at 42% ABV.


I love the way the flavour develops. There are citrus and herbal notes, warming spice and that subtle caramel character from the birch syrup. It has a lovely mouthfeel and, despite all those botanicals, remains remarkably smooth.


The bottle is pretty special too. It has the sort of understated elegance that makes you want to pick it up and investigate before you've even poured yourself a drink.


If you're more of a G&T drinker, the recommended serve is with a good premium tonic, a slice of orange and a sprig of rosemary. Personally, I think this is a gin that deserves to be tried neat first, simply to appreciate what Justin spent ten years creating.


Birch Gin has certainly received its share of attention, including Gold at the Women's Wine & Spirits Awards and recognition at the Great Taste Awards.


Congratulations to Justin and Dawn on creating such an individual gin. Ten years is a long time to wait for the perfect recipe, but I think we can agree it was time well spent.

"Handcrafted with Love"




BIRCH MARTINI


50ml Birch Gin

15ml dry vermouth

A dash of orange bitters

Orange zest to garnish


Stir with ice and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with orange zest.