Polish Gin & Distilleries
On This Page: Polish Gin and Distillery directory, reviews and tasting notes, distillery tours in Poland, interviews with Polish distillers, and industry insights.
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It would be remiss to introduce the Polish spirits industry without beginning with vodka, which has been produced in Poland for many centuries in one form or another, with recent centuries seeing the introduction of using potatoes, commercial distilling practices, and premium brands. The range of vodkas available in Poland is vast, while the range of gin options is comparatively small, with Lubuski Gin, created in 1987, commanding almost half of the market share. However, more recently a small number of new distilleries and gins have been emerging as the popularity of gin continues to increase alongside a growing interest in cocktails.
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Polish Gin Reviews - A to Z
Lubuski Gin
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Lubuski Gin was launched in 1987 and is the best known gin in Poland, holding more than 50% of the market share. Named after the Lebus region of Poland where their juniper is sourced, the low cost Lubuski range of products also includes their Aged Gin, flavoured gins, and vodka.
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For more Polish Gins, try:
- Breslauer Gin
- Herbarius Gin
- Heritage Magnolia Gin
- J.A. Baczewski Gin - Buy
- Jonston Gin
- Masuria Roots Gin
- Millhill's Gin
- Polish Forest Gin
Distilleries & Tours in Poland
While there a no gin distilleries in Poland that are open to visitors for tours, there are a small number of vodka, aqua vitae, liqeuer producers that can be visited and that offer tours and tastings:
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Industry Insights
We caught up with Andrzej Weclawski - Founder of Breslauer Gin - to find out what makes Polish Gin special and how the industry has grown in recent years:
How has the Polish Gin industry developed in recent years?
Massively! From non-existence a few years ago to dozens of wonderful brands now we clearly can say it is the Craft Gin Revolution here. Still many polish gin lovers are surprised that we have such quality products made locally, so there is a lot of work to do in terms of awareness, but it is getting there. The truth is that it is enough that people know there is something and they start looking for new experiences by themselves.
What makes Polish Gin different or special?
I think that thanks to it being a novelty we don't stick too closely with traditional recipes. What thrives the most is New Western Gin style which allows a lot of unconventional exploration and makes the industry even more diverse and surprising. This then coupled with our centuries old tradition of spirits distillation creates a pretty fruitful combination.
How do Polish gin lovers like to serve gin?
Predominantly people serve gin in a G&T, but serving neat or on rocks is becoming more popular as well. For many people, as I often hear at events, gin hasn't previously been a candidate for neat tasting because there were so few gins that were worth drinking this way! The cocktail culture is growing a lot here as well which of course puts gin on the radar, especially with interesting strong flavours that are still distinguishable after adding mixing.
What's next for the gin industry in Poland?
I think that we will see many more new distilleries pop up, as at the moment a lot of new brands are contract distilled and all made by just a few distilleries. This is not a sustainable situation as it is limited by the throughput of these few that serve them. But the market is still very young and can accommodate many new discoveries.
How has the Polish Gin industry developed in recent years?
Massively! From non-existence a few years ago to dozens of wonderful brands now we clearly can say it is the Craft Gin Revolution here. Still many polish gin lovers are surprised that we have such quality products made locally, so there is a lot of work to do in terms of awareness, but it is getting there. The truth is that it is enough that people know there is something and they start looking for new experiences by themselves.
What makes Polish Gin different or special?
I think that thanks to it being a novelty we don't stick too closely with traditional recipes. What thrives the most is New Western Gin style which allows a lot of unconventional exploration and makes the industry even more diverse and surprising. This then coupled with our centuries old tradition of spirits distillation creates a pretty fruitful combination.
How do Polish gin lovers like to serve gin?
Predominantly people serve gin in a G&T, but serving neat or on rocks is becoming more popular as well. For many people, as I often hear at events, gin hasn't previously been a candidate for neat tasting because there were so few gins that were worth drinking this way! The cocktail culture is growing a lot here as well which of course puts gin on the radar, especially with interesting strong flavours that are still distinguishable after adding mixing.
What's next for the gin industry in Poland?
I think that we will see many more new distilleries pop up, as at the moment a lot of new brands are contract distilled and all made by just a few distilleries. This is not a sustainable situation as it is limited by the throughput of these few that serve them. But the market is still very young and can accommodate many new discoveries.
