The German Gin Guide
On This Page: German Gin and Distillery directory, reviews and tasting notes, distillery tours in Germany, interviews with German distillers, and industry insights.
|
Germany is home to a vast wealth of distilleries and gins, with growth in recent years taking the number of commercial distilleries through the hundreds and the number of individual gin products into the thousands. Despite having abundant native juniper, which has long been used by Germans in cooking and in spirits, vodka was the German spirit of choice for many decades and it has been the past 2 decades that have really seen the rise in German gin production and consumption. Beyond the likes of Monkey 47, Ferdinand's Saar, Elephant Gin and now Knut Hansen Gin, German gins are surprisingly underrepresented internationally, but with news of Diageo investing in Siegfried Gin we can expect to see more of it in years to come. Read on to discover the best gins Germany has to offer!
|
German Gin Reviews - A to Z
- Elephant Gin - Info & Review | Garnish: Apple or Ginger
- Hartingowe Gin - Info & Review | Garnish: Lime or Lemon
- Knut Hansen Dry Gin - Info & Review | Garnish: Orange, Basil or Cucumber
- Old Well Gin - Info & Review | Garnish: Lemon or Orange
- Monkey 47 Gin - Info & Review | Garnish: Lime, Orange or Sage
- Siegfried Gin - Info & Review | Garnish: Lemon Peel or Grapefruit
- Tommys Gin - Info & Review | Garnish: Orange Peel
For more German Gins, try Allee 68 Gin, Ferdinand's Saar, Gin Sul, GINSTR, Gutshof Gin, Hausberg Gin, Knut Hansen Gin, Legendary Dry Gin, MATS Dry Gin, Niederrheiner Gin, Niemand Gin, Rhein Gin, V-Sinne Gin, Windspiel Dry Gin.
Award-Winning German Gins
The recent winners of the 'Best in Germany' Award in The Gin Guide Awards are:
The recent winners of the 'Best in Germany' Award in The Gin Guide Awards are:
- Winner 2023: E1NSER Premium Dry Gin
- Winner 2022: Old Well Gin
- Winner 2021: Renton Gin
- Winner 2020: GINSTR: Stuttgart Dry Gin
Distilleries & Tours in Germany
A growing number of distilleries in Germany are open for tours and/or tastings, and they are wonderful experiences for gin lovers living in or visiting these areas:
|
Meet the Makers
Get to know some of Germany's finest gin creators and distillers in our 'Meet the Maker' interviews. Find out how they created and launched their gin, how it's made, what botanicals are used, how best to serve their gins and what they have planned for the future:
|
|
|
|
|
The Inside Scoop
With Robin Gerlach of Elephant Gin
We caught up with Robin Gerlach, Co-Founder of Elephant Gin, to find out more about the German gin industry and how it has evolved in recent years:
In Germany, we’ve seen a big wave of more sophisticated drinking, with significant interest in perfect serves and classic cocktails. Compared to the UK, where gin has been an established spirits category for many years, Germany is more of a late adopter. But with a growing interest, lots of local gin distilleries have been popping up all around the country.
Germany has a very strong local spirits market, and hyperlocal products have historically always been preferred. In general, Germans tend to prefer smaller brands that offer premium but affordable products, rather than trying new flavours or trendy drinks. But the German market is slowly evolving. On the one hand, local craft brands continue to grow, but international brands with locally produced spirits bring more variety and also serious competition.
Read more of Robin's insights into the German gin industry - full interview.
In Germany, we’ve seen a big wave of more sophisticated drinking, with significant interest in perfect serves and classic cocktails. Compared to the UK, where gin has been an established spirits category for many years, Germany is more of a late adopter. But with a growing interest, lots of local gin distilleries have been popping up all around the country.
Germany has a very strong local spirits market, and hyperlocal products have historically always been preferred. In general, Germans tend to prefer smaller brands that offer premium but affordable products, rather than trying new flavours or trendy drinks. But the German market is slowly evolving. On the one hand, local craft brands continue to grow, but international brands with locally produced spirits bring more variety and also serious competition.
Read more of Robin's insights into the German gin industry - full interview.
