Late last year I met Susann from Windspiel Premium Dry gin who was visiting Melbourne as part of a German trade initiative. The beautiful details on the bottle caught my eye immediately, and I hoped that this was going to be matched by a quality spirit within. I wasn’t disappointed.
Windspiel Premium Dry gin was launched 2 years ago by four friends Sandra Wimmeler, Denis Lönnendonker, Rebecca Mertes, Tobias Schwoll and their master distiller Holger Borchers. Like Chase distillery in the UK, they are a paddock to bottle distillery, creating their spirit base from potatoes they grow themselves in the rich soil of the Volcanic Eifel region of Germany.
What’s in a name?
German King Frederick II was responsible for introducing the potato to Germany as an agricultural crop. His passion for greyhounds, ‘windspiel’ in German, was the inspiration for the name of the gin, and it’s why there is a greyhound on the label!
The botanicals
Juniper berries, lemon zest, coriander, lavender blossoms, ginger, cinnamon, plus a few other secret ingredients are macerated in alcohol to extract the most flavour. Each botanical is then distilled individually and stored for a few weeks, before being blended with the triple-distilled potato distillate.
The taste
Juniper is present on the nose and the palate, with lavender and cinnamon coming through towards the end. Hints of lemon were also detected. Windspiel has a very smooth mouth-feel and is very sippable neat, considering its higher than standard 47% ABV. It has the balanced, lengthy finish you’d expect from a quality gin.
In order to create their perfect gin and tonic, Windspiel have developed their own tonic water and it complements the gin very well, making a subtle g & t, but a delicious one! The gin shone in a 2:1 ration dry martini (I used Dolin) where the earthier notes of the gin brought out the botanicals of the vermouth fantastically well. In the Windspiel negroni, the juniper was a little subdued, but overall it was a decent enough drink.
Getting the base spirit right can be a headache for many distillers attempting to produce their own (which is why the majority choose to buy theirs in), but Windspiel have produced something very special and it’s a perfect canvas for their choice of botanicals. Unsurprisingly, Windspiel Premium Dry gin has won many awards including a Gold Medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition. A highly recommended addition to any gin cupboard!
Country of origin: Germany
ABV: 47%
Price: Medium
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