New Western Gin
Catalyzed by Hendrick's launch in 1999 (William Grant & Sons), which moved juniper from lead note to ensemble player and built the gin's identity around cucumber and Bulgarian rose. Proved a market existed for non-juniper-dominant gin. Opened the floodgates: the 2000s craft explosion drove virtually all gin category innovation as smaller operations experimented with botanicals, terroir, and production methods previously unexplored.
Flavor Profile
Variable — the category's defining characteristic is that no single flavor profile defines it. Juniper present but not dominant. Can be floral (Hendrick's), herbal-forested (St. George Terroir), extremely complex (Monkey 47), or floral-lavender (Aviation). Each expression has a distinct personality that suggests specific cocktail pairings rather than general utility.
Key Producers
Cucumber and Bulgarian rose as equal botanical partners to juniper; two still types blended; post-distillation infusion; technically 'distilled gin' not London Dry
47 botanicals from the Black Forest including cranberry, sloe berries, lingonberries; 150-liter stills; 36-hour maceration
22 wild-harvested Islay botanicals plus 9 classics, distilled at Bruichladdich; herbal, coastal, distinctly Scottish
Douglas fir, coastal sage, California bay laurel; Northern California forest character; smells like a specific place
Oregon-produced; lavender, sarsaparilla; spring-flavored, delicate