With Minnesota gins on fire as of late, the accolades have started to pile up. Our great state landed two golds, three silvers, and one bronze medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition! Out of more than 1850 entrants, our very own Loon Liquors, Tattersall and Vikre all hit the podium.
Loon Liquor
s may not have the recognition yet, but their new Metropoligin took home silver. This eclectic gin has a mix of woodland flowers, bright citrus, cardamom, rosemary and black currant. It’s unlike any other on the market, local or otherwise. All of its botanicals mingle together effortlessly, keeping one another in check without any one dominating.
Tattersall took home a silver and a bronze for their Barrel Gin and flagship Gin, respectively. Their classic gin boasts a blend of 22 botanicals that toe the line between citrus and juniper with hints of mint, earth, and spice. It’s a versatile gin for making all sorts of refreshing cocktails. Their silver medal winning Barreled Gin is aged in French oak Chardonnay barrels, giving it a much more floral and herbaceous tone than their flagship. Meant to be drunk in martinis, negronis, or just neat, this gin is the perfect dry base for any drink!
Our friends up in Duluth at Vikre Distillery nabbed a gold for their Boreal Juniper and a pair of silver medals for their Cedar and Spruce! All three are malt-based, giving them pronounced viscosity. Their Juniper (which also has 94 points from Wine Enthusiast) has a very distinctive note of rhubarb on the midpalate and is perfect for gin and tonics. Vikre’s Boreal Spruce lets a unique note of spruce dominate the classic juniper, a spin on the old classic. The Cedar, on the other hand, has a hint of sumac, anise, and toasted wood, making it perfect for the colder months. As a bonus, their Aquavits (the Norwegian cousin of gin), took home a pair of silver medals as well!
Here at France 44 we are very proud to support local distillers. Try one, try them all; the end of summer is coming fast! Then again, gin season is year-round, isn’t it?
