London Gin – 500ml

London Gin by Hoos: A Forest Walk from Karlsruhe

London Gin by Hoos is an unfiltered London Dry Gin from Karlsruhe, distilled by Heiko Hoos in batches of 120 bottles and numbered by hand. Juniper, pine shoots, and chamomile set the tone.

London Gin is the hand-distilled London Dry Gin from Heiko Hoos in Karlsruhe; since 2014, it has been the signature of a one-man operation in Karlsruhe with no investors behind it. Fifteen botanicals define its character, led by juniper, pine shoots, and chamomile. What goes into the dark 500-ml bottle remains natural and unfiltered, just as it came from the still.

Juniper, pine shoots, and a hint of lavender

Anyone who pours a glass of Hoos Gin will immediately smell the forest: resinous pine shoots, bold juniper, and underneath, the subtle sweetness of chamomile and orange blossom. Heiko himself calls his gin "a gin like a walk in the forest," and that hits the nail on the head—it smells of needles, resin, and damp earth after the rain.

With 44.4 percent alcohol, the gin has plenty of strength, yet it feels soft and round because soft spring water from the Palatinate Forest gently brings it down to drinking strength. Lemon peel and lemon balm keep it fresh, while cubeb pepper, angelica, and nutmeg blossom give it dark, underlying depth. It remains dry nonetheless, a gin that lacks nothing even when enjoyed neat on ice.

For tonic, for aperitif, for the golden hour

A dry tonic is the obvious partner, as it leaves room for the juniper and doesn't get in its way. Add a slice of orange, plenty of ice, and the glass stays cool for a long time—a good Gin and Tonic doesn't need more effort than that. If you prefer it undiluted, enjoy it neat over a large ice cube, which allows the water to return to the glass only slowly.

Things get fruitier with five centiliters of gin, a dash of elderflower syrup, and well-chilled lemonade to top it off. A summer drink for the patio when the evening stays bright for a long time. Alongside the classic, there is the fruity Pink Grapefruit Gin Liqueur from the same producer, and for those who would like to get to know both, reach for the small 200-ml bottle.

A one-man distillery in the south of Karlsruhe

Heiko Hoos has been distilling his gin himself since 2014, in batches of 120 bottles that he subsequently numbers by hand. He also designed the dark bottle and the sweeping H on the label. "Effort and love go into the product, not into marketing and design," Heiko says of his work—there is no corporation or investor behind the brand.

Fifteen botanicals macerate for two days in neutral alcohol before the copper still slowly extracts them at a low temperature. The gentler the heat, the more blossom and zest survive the journey into the distillate. Afterward, the gin rests for several weeks before soft spring water brings it to drinking strength and the dark bottle protects it from light.

The jury of the International Spirits Competition awarded the gin silver in 2015, and it had already won the Best Innovation Award at the Cocktail Spirits in Paris. You can find more from Karlsruhe at Hoos, and it is in good company in our gin selection. Hats off.