Granit Bavarian Gin

From the Penninger distillery in Hauzenberg, with over a century of distilling behind it, Granit is gin as Bavaria might make it: traditional juniper spices joined by selected local herbs and cut with crystal-clear water drawn from the Bavarian Forest. Its defining trick is the filtration, the spirit passed through granite stones of various sizes, which lends a particular mildness and gives the gin its name. Each bottle even carries a small granite stone at its neck, to be frozen and dropped into the glass so it cools without watering down.

The nose leads with juniper, spice and a clear note of pepper. The palate keeps that pine-and-pepper backbone but rounds it with herbal warmth, and the finish is long and notably mild. Pour it long over that chilled granite stone with a neutral tonic and a twist of lemon, letting the herbal smoothness do the talking.