Skin Gin – Anthracite Grey

Skin Gin Anthracite Grey from Buxtehude in a smooth skin

Skin Gin Anthracite Grey is the German Dry Gin from Skin Gin in the Altes Land near Hamburg, presented here in its calmest guise. Inside is the same recipe as in all editions, while the exterior features smooth anthracite with copper-colored embossing.

Skin Gin Anthracite Grey is a mild gin from Germany, distilled from 7 individually distilled botanicals and bottled at 42 percent alcohol in a square 500-milliliter bottle. Founder Martin Birk Jensen wraps it in a skin of dark gray, leather-look paper, without patterns or texture. For those who prefer a more understated look behind the bar, this is the one to reach for.

Juniper at its core, mint as a signature

Moroccan mint provides freshness, complemented by orange, pink grapefruit, lemon, and lime from Spain and Italy. Four citrus distillates for one bottle—that is a lot, even for a dry gin.

The juniper comes from the Lüneburg Heath and provides the backbone for the gin, remaining milder than in many other dry gins. Vietnamese coriander adds a subtle spice, making the Anthracite Grey feel fresh, herbal, and uncluttered. "It was meant to be mild, fresh, and fruity," says Martin of his initial 2014 concept, "and it was supposed to stand out clearly from the many other gins on the market."

Four centiliters, plenty of tonic, one orange zest

0.2 liters of tonic to 4 centiliters of gin, add large ice cubes, and the mint gets enough room to shine without dominating the drink.

Martin serves it in a wine glass or a tumbler, garnished with an orange zest and a sprig of rosemary. A dry tonic water pairs just as well with it as a Mediterranean one. On a table that is already busy, the gray bottle remains pleasantly quiet and lets the drink take center stage.

Same gin, different skin

The bottles differ on the outside, not on the inside, and therein lies the philosophy behind the brand's name.

“Everyone has the same taste,” Martin explains the principle, “we play with the theme of ‘skin’ and want to highlight that every person has their own skin.” Outwardly we are all different, but inwardly we are the same, adds the Denmark-born founder. You can see which skin you like best among the other editions of Skin Gin.

Wrapped by hand in Bavaria

Each bottle is individually wrapped in hot-stamped leather foil at a family-run workshop in Bavaria, which is why no two skins look exactly the same.

The anchor, lettering, and cap stand out in copper against the dark gray. The anchor is the brand's emblem and appears in the same spot on every edition. The gin is distilled a few hundred kilometers further north, in the Altes Land near Hamburg, where each botanical is placed separately into the spirit basket of an old copper still. The distillates are only blended afterward.

Within 2 years, Skin Gin was on shelves in 14 countries, despite everything having started with a single bottle in 2015. Anyone wanting to see what else comes our way from German distilleries can find it in our selection of gins and in our entire spirits department. Quite impressive for a bottle that you can recognize by touch in the dark.