Citadelle Gin: Winter, Meet Summer – In A Glass

11 February, 2021 Heloise Garrity

Summer just wouldn’t be summer without the joie de vivre inspired by gin and its juniper-lead mélange of botanical flourishes that comes to life in so many classic cocktails. The thing about this summer spritzing favourite though is that it does an equally stellar job of weathering the colder months. Quite the lifesaver, especially for those of us who are always feeling a little short-changed of the summer-is-never-long-enough sort with the onset of the colder months.

And if there’s anyone that knows a thing or two about creating and savouring summer in a glass, it’s the folks behind Citadelle Gin. One of the best artisanal gin exports from France, this elegant, aromatic liquor is distilled in small Charentais pot stills in the legendary region of Cognac using 19 botanicals including juniper berries – the signature botanical of Citadelle grown locally at the Château de Bonbonnet – as well as citrus fruits, cinnamon and fresh flowers. And if anyone were to live up to that twist on the proverbial phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make gin & tonic”, it would be the purveyors of this original Gin de France whose quest to distill the essence of the Cognac region into “one perfectly crisp spirit” was inspired by a typical Summer’s day in the southwest of France, you know – abundant sunshine baking the vineyards, the branches of juniper trees swaying in the ocean breeze… And succeed they did. Might we add, the simplest way to recreate this summer sentiment all year long is with their refreshing signature serve, Citadelle & Tonic garnished with a shaving of fresh lemon peel. Winter, here we come.