St. George Terroir Gin

St. George Terroir Gin

Founded in 1982 by German-born Jrg Rupf, St. George Spirits is one of the oldest craft distilleries in the United States. The distillery, housed in an old World War II airplane hangar on a former naval base on the edge of San Francisco, is home to Lance Winters, mad scientist and St. George's master distiller. Winters, who is widely-known for experimenting with different types of spirits, has a laboratory dominated by a 10-liter test still in addition to the glass beakers and graduated cylinders that cover every inch of counterspace. Next to the dusty chalkboards caked with equations for the conversion of sugar to alcohol and intricate diagrams of molecular structures are bottles of experimental whiskies, vodkas and even an aging balsamic vinegar (it's 14 years old already). Made using juniper, Douglas Fir, California bay laurel, coastal sage and coriander seeds, along with a number of other herbs and botanicals, St. George Terroir Gin is a true California Gin. The coriander seeds are roasted inside a well-seasoned wok, which contributes an earthy, aromatic bouquet to the gin. In addition, the Douglas Fir and coastal sage are distilled individually through Winters' 250-liter copper-pot still, which minimizes seasonal configurables in the botanicals. Finally, while the fresh bay laurel leaves and juniper berries are infused through the still's botanical basket, the remainder of the botanicals are placed directly in the pot, resulting in a cleaner and crisper flavor. St. George Terroir Gin has a stunning bouquet of fresh, forest aromas, including pine and oak. The woodsy notes are complemented by bursts of juniper and sage, and lead to a crisp finish. St. George Terroir is "spectacularly evocative"according to Food and Wine Magazine, and "one of the most distinctive gins made in America"according to GQ Magazine. This gin represents a unique expression by one of America's most creative craft distilleries.