One of the great successes of the American gin revival, No. 209 has been a worldwide success since its launch in 2005.

The story of this brand begins way back in the 1880’s when a distillery was added to the Edge Hill winery, then ranked as one of the finest in the Napa Valley. This distillery received licence number 209, which was painted proud on the building’s wall. The spirit made here was said to be delectable, but production ceased during Prohibition.

When production resumed, the distillery was rebuilt not in its original Napa Valley location, but in a warehouse at the end of Pier 50 in San Francisco. It is said to be the only distillery built over seawater.

The gin is a far cry from the dry, piny, Juniper-forward gins of the past. A modern American classic, the gin begins life with a quadruple distilled corn spirit from the American Midwest, which provides a sweeter, slightly creamier base.

To this is added between 8 to 11 botanicals – the mix differs slightly, and the specific recipe is a secret, but lemon peel, juniper berries, cardamom pods, cassia bark, bergamot orange peel, angelica root and coriander seeds are all used by the distillery. After maceration, the gin is distilled in towering, 25-foot copper pot stills, based on those found at Glenmorangie.

The resulting gin is a rich and spicy affair (think cinnamon and coriander), with a big citrus profile – notes of lime and orange dominate. Juniper presents itself florally, with a little lavender flavour, and some slight dry-berry notes.

A terrific, modern gin, bottled at 46% ABV and without chill filtration. Great served with a wedge of your favourite citrus and a high quality tonic.

• Distillery / brand
  No. 209
• Country
  USA
• Bottler
  Distillery Bottling
• SKU
  030473