Meet The Botanist An Ori-Gin-Nal Spirit

Photo Credit: The Botanist

When it comes to classic cocktails, there isn’t one quite as simple and elegant as the gin and tonic—and there’s no gin better suited to the modern day G&T than The Botanist. “The Botanist Gin is the first and only dry style gin from the Scottish island of Islay,” Dominic Alling, national brand ambassador, told Haute Living at a recent event. “Featuring a unique combination of 22 locally hand-foraged botanicals from Islay in each bottle, Botanist is extremely versatile. This unique versatility makes for a beautifully balanced gin that serves as the ideal foundation to complement the local and seasonal ingredients that suit your taste.”

Photo Credit: The BotanistBotanist’s distillation process also sets it apart. First, the 22 aromatics, which include apple mint, hawthorn, lemon balm, white clover, and wood sage, are carefully dried and stored. Next, the liquid slowly simmers in a rare style of pot still called a Lomond still—the distillation takes 24 hours. This method ensures that the gin is gently infused with the delicate flavors of the herbs and florals.

Photo Credit: The Botanist

It’s the only gin in the world made using a Lomond still, and the resulting liquid has incredible depth and complexity. Like wine, Botanist gin also reflects the terroir—the land where the botanicals are harvested. Alling recommends enjoying Botanist in a jazzed-up gin and tonic. “One of the best ways to drink it is in a gin and tonic with fresh, seasonal garnishes such as mint, rosemary or basil, and Fever Tree tonic.”

Photo Credit: Aubrey Pick

If making cocktails at home isn’t your jam, experience The Botanist at The Treasury in downtown San Francisco. “Botanist Gin is a balance of so many unique herbs and botanicals from the Islay. This overall makes the gin stand out above the rest. It’s perfect for a G&T or my personal favorite, a 50/50 martini with Manzanilla sherry,” Treasury’s bar manager Ryan Hall says. The drink is also featured in one of the bar’s signature cocktails, Smoke & Mirrors. “It is a riff on a gin sour with pineapple and smoked Oolong tea gum, citrus and bitters. Botanist is a perfect gin for this cocktail as it not as juniper forward as most of its competitors.”

Photo Credit: Kelly Puleio

At Bellota, the wildly popular Spanish restaurant South of Market, bar manager Dave Osborne uses Botanist to make a Spanish-style gin tonic. “The Botanist is one of our top sellers. It pairs well with many tonics and our use of botanical garnishes in the G&Ts is a great way to enhance the gin’s inherent flavors,” Osborne says. “The fragrant, fresh botanicals balanced with citrus and juniper give The Botanist a unique yet approachable flavor profile. Guests love hearing the story about the Islay botanicals and the foraging process that is involved in sourcing them.”