Z44 Distilled Dry Gin

At Distillerie Roner in Italy's South Tyrol, Z44 is shaped around an unusual signature: the Swiss stone pine, or zirbe, whose cone hearts give the gin both its name and its character. Alongside juniper, coriander, yarrow, cardamom and orange zest, the botanicals undergo a twelve-hour cold maceration before being enriched with an essence pressed from fully ripe pine cones, the resinous depth even echoed in the bottle's design.

The nose is intense and resinous, spice riding beneath the pine. The palate turns fresh and almost menthol-cool, Mediterranean herbs and florals meeting juniper and lime, with flickers of yarrow, violet root and gentian. The finish runs long. Pour it over ice with a neutral tonic and a sprig of rosemary to let the pine and mountain herbs breathe.