Gotha Menegiks Gin

Menegiks is a savory dry gin made from partially dried juniper berries and fresh caper berries (from Pantelleria), sea fennel (also called samphire), lime peel, and peppermint. The juniper comes from Bosnia, and is grown on a hill just above Albania. It has smaller berries than those grown in Italy and is known for being more savory. Menegiks also contains purified seawater from the Adriatic which is the body of water that separates Albania and Italy. He finds that the salt and other minerals enhance our perception of the other flavors. 

It is made by making separate preparations of juniper, caper berry, and samphire, which are briefly macerated and then distilled to 60% alcohol by volume. These are all added to a hydroalcoholic solution which includes the seawater. To this combination are then added an infusion of caper berries, and essential oils of lime peel and peppermint. The final product is left to rest for about ten days, filtered, and bottled. Everything is made in-house except for the essential oils, which come from a small producer near the distillery. No coloring or sugar is added. (‘Menegiks’ is the phonetic spelling of the Albanian word for peppermint, Menexhik.)

Aromatic with notes of olive, raw oysters and herbs. The essential oils add weight to the palate, adding mint and citrus on the finish. The sea water and capers come through as herbaceous and briny as opposed to salty and enhance the other botanicals as Ergin intended.

Uses: bright and distinctive in a gin and tonic, or of course a standard martini (no olive brine needed); or as Ergin suggests, try in a reverse martini with the Drai vermouth.