Grafschafter Heath Gin

Heide Gin is the first gin made from Grafschaft juniper

The Grafschaft Heide Gin by Sasse is the first gin made from juniper berries from the County of Bentheim, distilled at 45% ABV. Earthy, mild juniper meets lemon and grapefruit. The berries are hand-picked in the heathland.

Grafschaft Heide Gin is the first gin for which juniper berries from the County of Bentheim have been distilled – sourced from the heath right on our doorstep in Nordhorn. The Feinbrennerei Sasse macerates the hand-picked berries, distills the macerate, and refines it with selected botanicals, bottled at 45% ABV in a 700-milliliter bottle. 15 years after the Grafschaft Herbal Juniper, it was clear: there is even more potential in these berries.

It appears clear in the glass, and upon the first sniff, the freshness comes first – lemon and grapefruit, bright and direct. Then the juniper takes over, calm and earthy, and carries the fruit through to the finish.

Lemon, grapefruit, and earthy juniper

On the palate, the Heide Gin reveals fruity, fresh citrus notes of grapefruit and lemon, along with earthy and mineral tones that pair with the mild juniper.

Fresh, earthy, mineral – that is the signature of wild berries from the inland dunes, and it tastes different from wholesale juniper. At 45% ABV, it has punch but remains mild instead of sharp: the juniper here is not a pine tree in a glass; it shapes the gin from the ground up.

In a Gin & Tonic, with a grapefruit twist

The Grafschaft Heide Gin makes a Gin & Tonic with a distinct citrus front – a neutral tonic is perfectly sufficient; it brings the fruitiness itself.

With a grapefruit twist instead of the usual cucumber slice, the grapefruit note in the gin emerges more clearly. Those who want to experience the earthy side should drink it neat over a large ice cube and wait two minutes – that’s when the heath comes through. The Heide Gin also makes a great impression in a Negroni or a Martini because its citrus side can hold its own against vermouth without being hidden.

It comes in a gift box, which makes it easy to bring along as a gift. Its mild liqueur sister made from the same berries is the Grafschaft Herbal Juniper; both are part of the Grafschaft line from Sasse. Those who prefer aged grain spirit can find it in the Münsterland Lagerkorn V.S.O.P..

Wild berries from the inland dunes

The juniper berries come from the Grafschaft juniper heaths – wild berries, hand-picked, not purchased from the market.

The Tillenberge near Nordhorn are an inland dune landscape of about 96 hectares, protected since 1996 and crisscrossed by juniper heath. To ensure berries grow there at all, Bentheim Land sheep keep the area open; during the harvest, the curative educational farm Blekker, where people with and without disabilities work together, provides assistance. Wild juniper yields less and is more inconsistent than plantation produce – but you can taste where it came from.

Since 2010, the Feinbrennerei Sasse has been involved in nature conservation here and funds regional projects through a fund of the County of Bentheim Nature Conservation Foundation – from the renatured juniper grove at Kloster Bardel to the teaching apiary at the Nordhorn Zoo. It is distilled in Schöppingen, where a distillery has stood since 1707 and where Rüdiger Sasse manages the house in the 15th generation. A gin from our heath, distilled in Münsterland, that gives something back to the heath – we are proud of that.

Express the grapefruit twist over the glass

Take a balloon glass, plenty of ice, and a restrained tonic in a 1 to 3 ratio – this gin doesn’t need a tonic that tries to steal the show. Express a grapefruit twist over the glass so the oil lands on the surface, and you will smell the fruit before your first sip. Neat at room temperature, it shows its earthy side most clearly. Once opened, it will last for years if stored in the dark.