Hernö - Blackcurrant Gin, 50 cl

Hernö

It all started back in 1999 when Jon Hillgren went to London together with a few friends to start working as bartenders. He quickly discovered gin and instantly fell in love with it. During the years that followed, his passion for the drink evolved into gin crafting, and after copious amounts of gin tasting, academic studies and technical visits to distilleries around the world, Jon finally founded the Hernö Gin Distillery in 2011. At the time it was Sweden's first dedicated gin distillery and the world's northernmost gin distillery. As testament to Jon's dedication and passion for creating beautiful gin, Hernö was recently crowned the Gin Grand Master for the 2nd time.

The distillery is located in the village of Dala just outside the City of Härnösand in Ångermanland, Sweden. All part of the UNESCO world heritage area called The High Coast, it is an area of real natural beauty. Jon takes inspiration from this beauty to create a truly organic, artisan gin with the finest botanicals. To stay true to its Swedish heritage, the distillery is built in a traditional Swedish manor in wood painted in red and white. British Airways's in-flight magazine 'Highlife' describes it as the best distillery in the world to taste gin.

Hernö Blackcurrant Gin

Why not create a fruity Gin once you created the world's first gin ageing juniper casks and two multi-award winning gins ? Go and pick local blackcurrants and make a different type of fruit gin obviously! In the summer of 2013, Hernö launched a Blackcurrant Gin in a limited range of 588 bottles, which quickly sold out. Bucketfuls of blackcurrants are macerated in Hernö Gin, with honey swirled into the blend to take away the bitterness and provide a sweeter edge. This seasonal blend appears to have become a regular fixture in the Hernö lineup, which isn't too great a surprise, given its popularity.

Bottled at 28% ABV, the unusual fact about Hernö Blackcurrant Gin is that it's not overly sweet. It's not a Fruit Cup, nor is it like a Sloe Gin. The London Dry base has been infused with whole berries but they've made sure that enough Hernö character comes through. It's a nice addition to the cabinet for those looking to super-charge a Bramble cocktail (use 25ml Blackcurrant / 25ml with their London Dry) or add as a base to a champagne fizz. The Hernö Blackcurrant Gin is a good first foray into the world of fruit gins from the distillery and no doubt, it will not be their last.