GauGin : exclusive, hand-crafted small batch gin with the very best from nature On a unique estate in Andalusia (Spain), Belgian Paul Van den Heuvel launched his exceptional project in 2015. After experimenting with honey, fruit and spices, he created GauGin, a much appreciated gin in two flavours: GauGin I (orange) and GauGin II (lemon). The idea for a gin came about only when he realised a honey beer was unsustainable due to the unreliable production of honey...
A fine start The Belgian blog Gin Ur Way quickly awarded GauGin II the title of Best Belgian Gin and placed GauGin I fourth, with a score of 93/100 and 91/100, respectively.
A fine start, certainly when you realise that some established names could nowhere near match GauGin s rating: Gordon s London Dry (78/100), Beefeater (80/100), Bombay Sapphire London Dry (82/100), Hendrick s (85/100) and Tanqueray No. TEN (87/100). According to Gin Ur Way, GauGin belongs to the world s best gins.
Paradise on earth In the whitewashed village of Gaucin, Paul has a finca of approximately 16 hectares. The domain consists of - alongside some 1,700 cork oak trees - trees producing nuts, chestnuts, oranges and lemons, while the herb garden boasts a wealth of aromatic herbs: rosemary, sage, lavender, thyme... Paul rightly calls it his paradise on earth. If you need to add an extra flavoured tonic, then your gin is no good. A top gin does not require the extras of a lemonade. The village is set 700 meters above sea level, and it is exactly this altitude to which the fruit and herbs owe their high quality. Due to this altitude, the temperature in winter drops to freezing, but it does not get very hot in summer. As a result, the fruit takes longer to ripen and the sugar content is much higher than average. This makes for a purer product and better alcohol.
I hate everything industrial, especially if it must pass through the stomach.
Besides oranges and lemons, the following plants are of great importance in the production of GauGin : juniper, wild rosemary, wild thyme, lavender and wild sage. In total, there are 27 carefully selected herbs and sun-ripened fruits that grant Gaugin its unique character and exquisite taste. Unsurprisingly, therefore, GauGin s slogan is: Loved by nature, enjoyed by you!
GauGin is distilled three times in small batches in a small craft distillery. There are busy preparations underway to also distil on the estate, so that customers, distributors, hoteliers and journalists can watch the process, and possibly combine it with an overnight stay in one of the beautiful suites on the sprawling domain. The estate - right in the middle of an ecologically valuable area - is a jewel of nature, where only organic work is done.
The Perfect Serve The perfect serve is very important when serving a top gin. There are (too) many soft drinks on the market that drag down every top gin. It is important, therefore, to use the correct mixer. We recommend one that is as neutral as possible. Only then can you enjoy GauGin s complex aromas to the full. Gaugin needs no extra flavours, it is totally self-contained! That s why we can only suggest the following mixers: Schweppes Premium Mixer (Tonic Original), Erasmus Bond Classic. For an up-to-date list of mixers for the perfect serve, visit: www.gaugin.eu. The orange zest is added to GauGin I, while it is the zest of lemon that is added to GauGin II.
1 2 3 4 ice zest 4-7 cl GauGin 20cl Tonic
I d rather put a traditional top product in an industrial bottle than an industrial gin in a top bottle. Technical sheet GauGin I Main ingredients: oranges, wild rosemary, wild sage, wild thyme, lavender, juniper Alcohol content: 42% alc/vol 500 ml pharmacist s bottle Small- Batch Hand-Crafted Dry Gin not for pregnant women not for under 18s keep away from the sun or intense light; ideally stored in a dark place storage temperature 18 C best consumed within 24 months of production date thrice distilled all bottles are coded Serving suggestion: orange zest Tonic/mixer: see The Perfect Serve
The focus is on the product, not the packaging. Technical sheet GauGin II Main ingredients: lemon, wild rosemary, wild sage, wild thyme, lavender, juniper Alcohol content: 44% alc/vol 500 ml pharmacist s bottle Small- Batch Hand-Crafted Dry Gin not for pregnant women not for under 18s keep away from the sun or intense light; ideally stored in a dark place storage temperature 18 C best consumed within 24 months of production date thrice distilled all bottles are coded Serving suggestion: lemon zest Tonic/mixer: see The Perfect Serve
About Gin Ur Way Glenn Vanbellingen is the face behind Gin Ur Way, the famous Belgian blog where you will find everything you need to know about gin. On the social media, Glenn captivates a growing group of followers at home and abroad, ranging from gin aficionados right through to producers. Gin distillers from across Europe ask him for advice, reviews and visibility for their brand. His role as an intermediary between producers and distributors is unique; his reviews in several magazines are widely read. All this contributes to the establishment of the Gin Ur Way brand as an international quality label. Meanwhile, Glenn has evaluated more than 550 gins according to a specific, very strict methodology. About Paul Van den Heuvel Paul Van den Heuvel has stood at the cradle of several successful companies and has either worked on, or cowritten, several bestsellers. For example, he was the first to release an international book for the general public around the Vatican Secret Archives. Paul is passionate about gastronomy and quality. Only the best is good enough! That s why he will only work with organic products, without any compromises. Guests take away lasting memories from this estate and the houses on it. For GauGin, Paul travels to the four corners of the world to spread the virus info@gaugin.eu www.gaugin.eu
info@gaugin.eu www.gaugin.eu