Brazilian Gin & Distilleries in Brazil
On This Page: Brazilian Gin and Distillery directory, reviews and tasting notes, distillery tours in Brazil, interviews with Brazilian distillers, and industry insights with Aruto Isola, co-founder of the distillery and Amazzoni Gin in Conceicao de Feria, and Laerte de Araugo Lima - International Procurement Manager of Gin and Tonic Brazil and Rodrigo Marcusso, the Master Distiller of Draco Gin.
Brazil is not really known for it's gin. The king of the spirits world here is cachaça, a type of white rum made only in Brazil from fresh sugar cane juice. Nonetheless. However, the popularity of gin is on the up, and since the first dedicated gin distillery was opened in 2017, more distilleries are opening their doors and producing wonderful spirits utilising incredible local botanicals.
|
Brazilian Gin Reviews - A to Z
- Draco Gin - Info & Review | Buy / Garnish: Orange Peel or Orange
For more Brazilian Gins try XXXXX
BRAZILIAN GIN FACT!
- The first ever distillery dedicated to gin in Brazil was founded in 2016 and produces Amazzoni Premium Gin.
Meet the Makers
Get to know some of Brazil's finest gin creators and distillers in our 'Meet the Maker' interviews. Find out what inspired them and how they created and launched their gin, how it's made, what botanicals are used, what you can experience if you visit their distilleries, how best to serve their gins and what they have planned for the future:
The Inside Scoop
We caught up with Arturo Isola - co-founder of the distillery and Amazzoni Gin in Conceição da Feira, and Laerte de Araujo Lima - International Procurement Manager of Gin and Tonic Brasil and Rodrigo Marcusso, the master distiller of Draco gin to find out what makes Brazilian Gin special and how the industry has grown in recent years:
What is Brazil's history with spirits and distilling?
Arturo: Traditionally, just few classic gin brands came to Brasil and with very high prices. Only the richest families used to drink gin, whilst the king of spirits in Brazil has always been cachaça, and the most popular serving has always been caipirinha. Today, big distribution companies have begun import new brands.
Laerte: The Brazilian taste for caipirinha, combined with the great culture and experience in the production of cachaça, where more than 4,700 brands of cachaça are produced by more than 1,000 distilleries, makes the migration from cachaça to gin a more straightforward and natural progression.
Rodrigo: The distillate better known and consumed in Brazil is the “cachaça” spirit, from which is made the drink internationally know "caipirinha" is made. It was from 2015 that the Brazilian increased gin consumption, prioritizing the imported brands. By this time Brazil did not have a significant production and quality. In 2015 we start the production of our gin, with focus in good practices of production, by requiring 100% natural botanicals, which was new in Brazil. The Draco gin is the first distillery to produce a premium traditional London Dry, by following the English production patterns.
How has the Brazilian Gin industry developed in recent years?
Arturo: Amazzoni made the first step in setting up the first Brazilian independent craft gin distillery at the end of 2016. Besides that, some other brands have been created, producing their gin in existing cachaça distilleries rather than building gin distilleries. The amount of gin consumed in Brazil is growing very rapidly. After Amazzoni, five more brands have established themselves and we estimate that in 2018 we'll have up to 15 brands. The Brazilian market it’s generous and fast-moving when something new and fashionable appears.
Laerte: The gin boom in Brazil is in full swing. Today more than 165 national gin labels exist in the country, most of them created after 2017. As an example of this growth, from 2018 to June 2019, the increase in sales of Tanqueray Gin was 21%.
Rodrigo: Draco Gin is one of the companies to lead this movement in Brazil, started at a time which there was not so many brands. From the start of 2016 already, many brands have entered the market and nowadays we have more than 100 brands of Brazilian gin, covering many regions as can be noticed at cities like São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, and Rio de Janeiro.
What makes Brazilian Gin different / special?
Arturo: The market is on the rise and this is leading to a diverse and somewhat confusing increase in the supply. There are brands, such as Amazzoni, who respect traditional distillation methods, and other brands that invent unlikely recipes and new, "exotic" distillation techniques.
Brazil is huge, its biodiversity is rich in raw materials and there are many different cultures from North to South, from the Amazon rainforest to Sao Paulo, and from Rio de Janeiro to Bahia’s beaches. The quality and the products that are popping up in the market is the mirror of this diversity. But for the market to grow in a controlled way it will take a lot of education to ensure respect for traditions and the history of gin. For this reason, Amazzoni Gin used a recipe and a method of classic distillation, finished with the presence of some typically Amazonian botanicals, just to emphasize the Brazilian soul. Some of the other new brands are following this path, whilst others are creating new, alternative products such as gin with distilled with sugar cane alcohol.
Rodrigo: Brazil is a very rich country with all kinds of raw material to complement juniper (that is imported) in the gin composition. We can also mention our aromatic herbs, plants, roots, botanicals, and citrus all of high quality. The Draco Distillery is strategically positioned in a region that produces quality citrus for worldwide exportation. We therefore have easy access to the best citrus for our gin production.
What's next for the gin industry in Brazil?
Arturo: Nobody does anything alone. Amazzoni and other serious brands have to continue to educate the local market by offering high quality products and explaining what mixology is and what a quality product is. When the market is ready and educated, the next step will be to export to Europe and to USA, because products made in Brazil have always had a great appeal internationally.
Rodrigo: We have recently had a boom, with the launching of a variety of gins, leading to a saturation of national brands as well as imported ones. We are at the moment to decide who stays in the market. Those who will subsist in the Brazilian market will depend on being resolute as much as having the concept, the product quality and the logistic to attend to the consumers. The great challenge now is how Brazilian gin unfolds in relation to imported brands. The local consumer already gives his preference to Brazilian brands since his recognition that the premium quality has been extended to national gins.
What is Brazil's history with spirits and distilling?
Arturo: Traditionally, just few classic gin brands came to Brasil and with very high prices. Only the richest families used to drink gin, whilst the king of spirits in Brazil has always been cachaça, and the most popular serving has always been caipirinha. Today, big distribution companies have begun import new brands.
Laerte: The Brazilian taste for caipirinha, combined with the great culture and experience in the production of cachaça, where more than 4,700 brands of cachaça are produced by more than 1,000 distilleries, makes the migration from cachaça to gin a more straightforward and natural progression.
Rodrigo: The distillate better known and consumed in Brazil is the “cachaça” spirit, from which is made the drink internationally know "caipirinha" is made. It was from 2015 that the Brazilian increased gin consumption, prioritizing the imported brands. By this time Brazil did not have a significant production and quality. In 2015 we start the production of our gin, with focus in good practices of production, by requiring 100% natural botanicals, which was new in Brazil. The Draco gin is the first distillery to produce a premium traditional London Dry, by following the English production patterns.
How has the Brazilian Gin industry developed in recent years?
Arturo: Amazzoni made the first step in setting up the first Brazilian independent craft gin distillery at the end of 2016. Besides that, some other brands have been created, producing their gin in existing cachaça distilleries rather than building gin distilleries. The amount of gin consumed in Brazil is growing very rapidly. After Amazzoni, five more brands have established themselves and we estimate that in 2018 we'll have up to 15 brands. The Brazilian market it’s generous and fast-moving when something new and fashionable appears.
Laerte: The gin boom in Brazil is in full swing. Today more than 165 national gin labels exist in the country, most of them created after 2017. As an example of this growth, from 2018 to June 2019, the increase in sales of Tanqueray Gin was 21%.
Rodrigo: Draco Gin is one of the companies to lead this movement in Brazil, started at a time which there was not so many brands. From the start of 2016 already, many brands have entered the market and nowadays we have more than 100 brands of Brazilian gin, covering many regions as can be noticed at cities like São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, and Rio de Janeiro.
What makes Brazilian Gin different / special?
Arturo: The market is on the rise and this is leading to a diverse and somewhat confusing increase in the supply. There are brands, such as Amazzoni, who respect traditional distillation methods, and other brands that invent unlikely recipes and new, "exotic" distillation techniques.
Brazil is huge, its biodiversity is rich in raw materials and there are many different cultures from North to South, from the Amazon rainforest to Sao Paulo, and from Rio de Janeiro to Bahia’s beaches. The quality and the products that are popping up in the market is the mirror of this diversity. But for the market to grow in a controlled way it will take a lot of education to ensure respect for traditions and the history of gin. For this reason, Amazzoni Gin used a recipe and a method of classic distillation, finished with the presence of some typically Amazonian botanicals, just to emphasize the Brazilian soul. Some of the other new brands are following this path, whilst others are creating new, alternative products such as gin with distilled with sugar cane alcohol.
Rodrigo: Brazil is a very rich country with all kinds of raw material to complement juniper (that is imported) in the gin composition. We can also mention our aromatic herbs, plants, roots, botanicals, and citrus all of high quality. The Draco Distillery is strategically positioned in a region that produces quality citrus for worldwide exportation. We therefore have easy access to the best citrus for our gin production.
What's next for the gin industry in Brazil?
Arturo: Nobody does anything alone. Amazzoni and other serious brands have to continue to educate the local market by offering high quality products and explaining what mixology is and what a quality product is. When the market is ready and educated, the next step will be to export to Europe and to USA, because products made in Brazil have always had a great appeal internationally.
Rodrigo: We have recently had a boom, with the launching of a variety of gins, leading to a saturation of national brands as well as imported ones. We are at the moment to decide who stays in the market. Those who will subsist in the Brazilian market will depend on being resolute as much as having the concept, the product quality and the logistic to attend to the consumers. The great challenge now is how Brazilian gin unfolds in relation to imported brands. The local consumer already gives his preference to Brazilian brands since his recognition that the premium quality has been extended to national gins.