Gin Mare – Take me to the Med!

If ever there was a gin that would make you pack your bags and get on a plane to go on vacation, it is Gin Mare. Distilled, according to the website, in the small fishing village of Vilanova i la Geltrú in Spain, Gin Mare brings to mind flashes of diving into crystal clear Mediterranean waters, sailing on yachts while basking in the sun, and sipping sundowners on an ancient stone terrace overlooking the Mare.

Gin Mare is characterised by some quite distinct botanicals, and I swear, it has some of the most clearly defined notes that I’ve ever come across when drinking gin. Its four most prominent botanicals are Basil, Thyme, Olives of the Arbequina variety found mostly in Catalonia, and rosemary. What’s interesting is that all these botanicals are harvested from countries surrounding the Mediterranean such as Turkey (thyme), Greece (rosemary), and Italy (basil). Also of note from the distiller, is that every batch of Gin Mare is unique, owing to the acidic properties of their most prominent ingredients, the Arbequina Olive, which change annually. Apart from these Mediterranean ingredients and the usual suspects found in gin (e.g. juniper), a base of Valencia and Seville Oranges (adding sweet and bitter notes) as well as Seville Lemons are used.

What makes it even more unique is that each botanical is individually macerated and distilled, enabling Gin Mare to get the most out of each and every botanical. The result is a wonderfully light gin where one can taste the different botanicals, adding lovely bitter and savoury notes.

To initially taste it, I paired my Gin Mare with a light tonic water, basil, olives, and rosemary (some of its key botanicals).

Gin Mare currently retails for R499 on NGF and R549 at Makro (available online only).