Luz Gin

Luz Gin, nine botanicals from Trentino

Luz Gin by Marzadro is a Trentino gin made from nine local botanicals – from juniper and lemon to olive leaf and sweet woodruff. Each is macerated separately and distilled in a pot still. At 45% ABV, it is aromatic and fresh. Available here in a 700 ml bottle.

Luz Gin is the signature gin from Distilleria Marzadro: nine botanicals, all from Trentino, macerated individually in alcohol and then distilled together. That a grappa producer would make a gin sounds unusual, but it tastes completely logical—because someone who has been distilling their whole life knows how to extract aromas from plants. At 45% ABV, it has a strong presence in the glass without being harsh.

On the nose, Luz is fresh and herbaceous; on the palate, it is aromatic, spicy, and long-lasting—juniper and lemon at the front, with the herbs following behind. A gin that tastes of the south, not of London.

The nine botanicals

Juniper, laurel, olive leaf, sweet woodruff, rosemary, sage, clary sage, wild mint, and lemon—all from Trentino.

It is this list that sets Luz apart from most gins. Juniper is essential, otherwise it wouldn't be gin; the lemon provides the freshness. But olive leaf, sweet woodruff, clary sage, and wild mint are not standard botanicals—these are plants that grow in Trentino, and they give the gin a Mediterranean-alpine character that a standard recipe lacks.

Each of the nine is macerated separately, meaning they are steeped individually in alcohol so that each can release its aroma at its own pace. Only afterwards is everything combined in the classic 1000-liter capacity pot still. This is more effort than macerating them all together, but it is the method that allows nine aromas to be perfectly balanced instead of overpowering one another.

Why a grappa distillery makes gin

Leonardo Veronesi began his first trials in 2013, experimenting for years until the recipe was finalized.

Gin and grappa are more closely related than they appear: both rely on the distiller understanding the exact moment in the distillation process when to keep certain parts of the spirit and when not to. Marzadro brings this knowledge from over seventy years of grappa production, and Veronesi applied it to these botanicals until, after many trials, a distillate was created that is both fresh and aromatic.

The result is a gin that doesn't rely on the dry London school of thought, but rather on the plants of its own region. Anyone familiar with the distillery's grappa will recognize the signature style: Marzadro is always focused on the aromas of what grows right outside their door.

How to drink it

As a gin and tonic, neat on the rocks, or in a cocktail—Luz excels at all three.

It is most accessible as a gin and tonic: a good, not-too-sweet tonic water, plenty of ice, a slice of lemon, or a sprig of rosemary that highlights the herbs in the gin. A neutral tonic without its own botanicals is the better choice; otherwise, two different herb profiles will compete against each other.

If you prefer it neat, serve it over ice and let the nine botanicals speak for themselves. In a cocktail, it brings an herbaceous depth that a neutral gin cannot provide—for instance in a Negroni, where it needs to stand up to Campari and vermouth.

It is distilled in Nogaredo in the Adige Valley, not far from Lake Garda, where Sabina Marzadro began distilling in 1949. More than 75 years later, Andrea, Anna, and Stefano Marzadro—the children of her brother Attilio, who took over in 1960—continue to run the house. You can find the house's other spirits and products under Marzadro liqueurs and grappa.

A sprig of rosemary instead of the usual garnishes

For a gin and tonic: one part Luz, two to three parts tonic, plenty of ice, and a sprig of rosemary instead of the usual garnishes—the sprig brings out the herbs in the gin. Served neat, it should be cool, but not ice-cold, so the nine botanicals can show themselves. Unlike grappa or liqueur, gin does not have a set place after a meal: Luz is an aperitif, not a digestif.