What did you do before creating your gin and distillery? I'm an IT professional by education and at the same time a lover and a connoisseur of gin. What made you decide to create your distillery? My first contact with gin was love at first sight, authentic and deep, one that does not let go easily. Throughout the years I have devoted a lot of time to gin by studying the production process, educating myself and exploring the aromas in search of new botanical combinations. My trial gin series were an unusual combination of tastes that impressed my friends. Thus, my decision to turn my passion into opening my own distillery and launching my authentic Slovenian Gin, Petriot Gin, was a simple one. What's the inspiration behind your gin? We found our inspiration for Petriot Gin in the diverse Slovenian landscape. These are the birch trees of Bela krajina, the Prekmurje plains, the sun-kissed Karst land and the smell of hay in the sharp Alpine air. The beautiful berries and botanicals of the Slovenian landscape are interwoven in the authentic taste of our gins. As appropriate for someone from Bela krajina (White Carniola), our first series of gins, Green George (Zeleni Jurij) is a homage to Bela krajina. Green George is a well-known character of Bela krajina folklore, and he remains deeply present in the lives of the people of Bela krajina to this day. Our Green George Gin contains ingredients typical for White Carniola and thus pays homage to the heritage and tradition of the region. Can you tell us more about the distillery and still? We are a Slovenian micro distillery of quality gin. For development and production of our gin we use several boilers of renowned European manufacturers. To produce our gin we use the most technologically advanced automated (iStill for development / G Still for production) stills. The whole production process - selection of raw materials, weighting, products packaging – is done manually. Alongside the correct balance of natural ingredients, the high quality of our gin is also a result of using the best equipment. By using automation, we ensure the quality of our products. Can you tell us more about the distillation process and botanicals? The process starts with the selection of the finest botanicals. Juniper berries are hand picked, and afterwards filtered by size and color, so we are fully able to control the quality. To emphasize the taste, some ingredients are crushed and some are macerated for 12 hours in 60% alcohol. The final product gets this “juniper first” taste. After distillation the product is diluted with demineralised water and stored in stainless vessels where “marriage” happens within six weeks. What have been the biggest challenges and achievements, or your favourite story so far? For us the biggest achievement was the gold award we won at the Gin&Brin festival in July 2021in the village of Dutovlje. “It’s a very beautiful and harmonious London dry gin made from quality base spirit, with balanced aromas led by juniper, and a pleasant aftertaste,” was the unanimous opinion of eight Slovenian spirits and catering experts at the Gin&Brin festival. How would you describe Petriot Gin in 3 words? Aromatic, distinct, gentle What's your favourite way to drink your gin?
Personally I enjoy a Gin Basil Smash. Which gins would you always have on your gin shelf (other than your own of course!)?
What's next for you and your distillery - any exciting plans? We are planning to develop a new flavour of gin, with equally meticulously chosen ingredients that will once again bring a unique taste and pay homage to another Slovenian region. We promise that the mysterious ingredient will be a pleasant surprise for gin lovers. You Might Also Like...
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