Willibald Distillery
Bottling: Fall 2020
Availability: Ships direct (special release) from the distillery
Spirit base: Unknown
Known botanicals: Cinnamon, clove, and ginger
41% alcohol

Yes, it really tastes like gingerbread, like really spicy gingerbread, which I love. And I love this. It is lightly sweetened, rather like Dillon’s flavoured gins, and like them it’s remarkably balanced and effective as a gin. I haven’t yet found a traditional gin cocktail where it doesn’t work well.

Certainly, it’s a nice sipper too, and good with soda. The presence of sugar probably helps to smooth out spices that can get bitter — a regular problem with spiced gins — but sugar doesn’t explain the versatility of Willibald’s Gingerbread Gin

The cute little 375mL bottles and smaller sample sized bottles are perfect for gifts. Sold out for this year, it seems. Gone in a few weeks from the LCBO and now from the distillery itself with 12 days left till Christmas and after they produced a second batch. I hope they’ll bring it back next year!

The nose is cinnamon, ginger and cloves. On the palate the spice becomes strong, hot even. It’s lightly sweetened and I find notes of black pepper. The finish is long and a little anise comes in.

This overwhelms gingerale, but it’s fine in a G&T or Tom Collins. As you might expect, it’s great in a a gin mule (with gingerbeer and lime), in a gin bramble, and in a hot toddy with lime — recipe below. Lime is really the best citrus for this gin. Lemon is certainly fine, but lime helps it shine (I couldn’t help myself). Great too in a Lillet martini, and makes an interesting Negroni.

Given the affinity for lime, I wanted to try a gimlet but worried it might be muddy, mixing the amber gin with the lime juice. But it ends up quite a nice gingery colour.

The distillery also suggests some seasonal recipes.

PAIRINGS

Winter holiday fare, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, or Thai food, salad, desserts, and pretty much anything with ginger.

SUGGESTED RECIPE:

Gingerbread Toddy

1 1/2 ounce Gingerbread Gin
1/2 ounce syrup (simple or agave)
3/4 ounce lime juice
4 ounces hot water
garnish: lemon peel

  • Stir together in a heat-proof glass or mug: gin, syrup, and lime juice
  • Top with up to hot water.
  • Peel lemon and twist over mug then use for garnish