It’s June 12th, aka World Gin Day. What better excuse to pour a G&T and enjoy the sounds of the bubbling tonic water and ice cracking in your glass, as you contemplate the meaning of life. Or what to have for dinner.

Mallorca is the home of a number of artisanal gins and if you haven’t tried gin from Mallorca, the following are worthy accompaniments to one of the many varieties of tonic water now on the market.

Cabraboc

Can be shipped abroad by Fet a Sóller for personal consumption (not retail). This gin from Sóller contains herbal extracts from the Tramuntana. Their varieties include Taronja (orange) gin and the Mandarina gin liqueur – which is not sickly sweet like some liqueurs.

Gin Eva

The Gin Eva distillery in Llucmajor is on a trading estate, but you’ll forget that once you’re inside (it’s open to visitors – see website for details).  Stefan and Eva Winterling are behind this successful business; originally winemakers, Eva is Catalan and Stefan is German and they have worked in wineries in several countries. They swapped wine-making in Mallorca for gin production to start Gin Eva in 2012, after making gin for the Mallorcan winery where they previously worked.

They’ve won several awards for their delicious gins, which include Bergamot Gin, Old Tom, La Mallorquina, Green Spice Gin, and the original Gin Eva. They also produce a few artisanal spirits and Single Tree Limoncello. My favourite Mallorcan artisanal gin is their La Mallorquina Olive Extra Dry Gin, made from the pomace of olives grown on the centuries-old Son Moragues estate in Valldemossa. Whenever I have a G&T made with this evocative gin, I think back to a wonderful day I spent at this estate in the mountains.

Gin Mercant & Mascori

The distillery Pareis makes these in the village of Llubí, not far from Inca. Gin Mercant is described as super-aromatic, with notes of fennel, cinnamon, Mallorcan oranges and other sweet spices. Mascori is made with Mallorcan lemons, fennel and citric spices. It has a delicate fruity aroma with an acid touch. Both of these London Dry gins are best with a neutral tonic.

Onze

This gin is made at the winery Bodegas Can Vidalet near Pollensa. This gin is made with eleven Mediterranean botanicals, including juniper, fresh citrus fruits, rosemary, and other botanicals sourced from the Sierra de Tramuntana mountains. It was the first Mallorcan artisan gin (which was then called Can Vidalet) we tried here.

Palma Gin

The British-owned Mallorca Distillery in Palma has made a huge impression on the local gin market. Byron Holland is from Newcastle in the northeast of England and worked in the nautical sector before running a restaurant in Edinburgh. With roots put down in Palma de Mallorca – a city he’d visited during his career at sea – Byron started this business with James Gibbons as his distiller. It’s been phenomenally successful and won several awards for its Palma Gin – in a distinctive white bottle.

If you’re in the UK and are missing your fix of Mallorca, you can buy Palma Gin from The Gin Warehouse

Suau

This Marratxí-based distillery is best known for its brandy. Its 1989 Club Suau is made up of members who have bought a barrel, kept in a locked cage-like section of its cool dark cellars. The distillery has recently returned to making artisanal gin, using the original recipe they used a century ago. Suau has been in Mallorca since 1851 and, if you have the opportunity, a visit to the distillery (which has a museum) is an interesting experience.

Mallorca Gin Festival

We have fond memories of attending the 2019 Mallorca Gin Festival – the second of its kind (we enjoyed the first event too). It gave us an introduction to some new gins, including artisanal gins made on the island of Mallorca.

The Covid-19 pandemic put paid to the 2020 edition of the Mallorca Gin Festival, but we’re hopeful it will be back later in 2021.

Mallorcan Tonic Water Too

Meanwhile, when you’re next out for a G&T in Mallorca, give one of the island’s artisan gins a try. And do try a Franklin & Sons Ltd Mallorcan Tonic Water with it for the full Mallorcan gin-tonic experience.

Jan Edwards ©2021