The World's Most Expensive Gins

10/9/2021

There's no use crying over spilt gin. Well, that depends on how expensive it is - there are some gins with impressive price tags out there! But like most of the expensive things in life, the producers go the extra mile by means of rare ingredients, limited runs or unusual processes. Intrigued? Read on as Bernadette Pamplin takes a look at the highest priced gins available.

N.B. Prices and availability are correct as of September 2021 and are of course subject to change.

Ferdinand's Saar - Goldcap Dry Gin

Ferdinand's Saar Goldcap Dry Gin from Germany is only produced once a year. It's made with dried Riesling grapes before being infused with the highly regarded wine from the 275 year old Zilliken Winery. Bottled at a generous 49% ABV and beautifully presented, it is something very special and worthy of the higher price tag. Each year's batch sells out fast, but at least we know there should be more coming next year!

2020 Edition Available from Amathus for £94.

Sakurao - Japanese Dry Gin

You'll often find that some wonderful gins come from whisky distillers who have turned their attention to gin while their whisky is ageing, and Sakurao Distillery is no exception. The distillery opened in Hiroshima in 2018 and while waiting for their whisky they've made a rather special gin. The limited edition expression is made with 17 botanicals from both the land and sea around Hiroshima, including Japanese juniper, oyster shells, wasabi and Hinoki.

Available from Master of Malt or Amazon for £95.

Cambridge Distillery - Anty Gin

Cambridge Distillery's Anty Gin is the result of a collaboration with the folk at Nordic Food Lab, and it proclaims to be the first gin in the world to be made from insects! Each bottle of Anty Gin contains the 'essence' of approximately 62 red wood ants, along with foraged botanicals including juniper, wood avens and nettles that complement the citrus notes provided by the ants. If you're curious as to what ant distillate tastes like, the gin also comes with a sample of the isolated distillate!

Available from Master of Malt for £199.

Nolet's Reserve Gin

Carolus Nolet Senior, the tenth generation owner of Nolet Distillery, dedicated four decades to perfecting this gin, which is a long time by any distillers standard! Nolet's Reserve captures flavours of warm and spicy saffron, the world's most expensive spice; and verbena to add bright citrus notes. Nolet's Reserve is a limited production and is bottled at 52.3% ABV.

Available from Reserve Bar for $700.

Watenshi Gin

It's here that the prices start to escalate quickly! Watenshi Gin (which means 'angel's share' in Japanese) is another gin from Cambridge Distillery and is made from the angel’s share of the distillery's Japanese Gin which would otherwise be lost to evaporation. Through managing to collect it, the distillery yields 15ml of spirit per distillation and so each bottle requires 50 distillations at extremely low pressure and temperature. Just 6 bottles are made at a time and the gin is presented in a hand-blown decanter bottle and finished with silver. This is certainly one to sip slowly.

Available from Master of Malt for £2,500.

Morus LXIV Gin

And finally, the most expensive gin in the world right now - Morus LXIV was created by the team at Jam Jar Gin and is sold exclusively through Harvey Nichols. The first batch of just 25 litres took 2 years to make and is distilled with the dried leaves of a single 100 year old Mulberry tree. The gin is then rested and aged in wooden casks before being bottled at 64% ABV in handmade porcelain jars with cotton labels. Now, are you sitting comfortably? Ok, drum roll please... You can buy Morus LXIV from Harvey Nicholls for an eye-watering £4,000!

The Gin Guide's Editor, Paul Jackson, attended the private launch of Morus LXIV at Harvey Nichols in London alongside the Guinness World Records team and got to try a sample - a sip worth £175 based on the RRP!

So there we have it, the most expensive gins in the world. Wonderful ideas, unusual and rare ingredients, years of dedication and incredible packaging. Right, time to start saving up!

Author: Bernadette Pamplin

The Gin Blog
Guides, Insights & Interviews