Gretchen Schwarzwald Distilled Dry Gin

Gretchen comes from the Alfred Schladerer house, a traditional distillery deep in Germany's Black Forest, and it carries a love story in its name. Some fifty years ago Alfred Schladerer, having taken over his parents' stills, dedicated this gin to the woman he had fallen for. Eighteen botanicals go into it, among them wild berries, delicate flowers and the spicy herbs that thrive in the clear forest air.

The nose is fresh and layered, juniper leading with floral accents and fruity berries close behind. On the palate it stays remarkably even, the classic juniper base meeting bramble-fruit sweetness, gentle blossom and a herbal warmth, before a long, soft finish of herbs and flowers. Pour it long over ice with a good tonic and a scatter of fresh berries, or build it into a measured Negroni.