Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin (1L, 47%)

Monkey 47 is a dry gin distilled in Germany's Black Forest from 47 botanicals, about a third of them native to the Schwarzwald, including lingonberries, spruce shoots, cranberries and lavender. Made by Black Forest Distillers in Loßburg since 2008, it begins with a molasses base spirit, macerates for 36 hours, then is distilled in an Arnold Holstein copper-pot still with Carter-Head vapor infusion. The spirit rests for three months in earthenware before being cut to 47% with Black Forest spring water and bottled unfiltered in dark glass. The Black Forest botanicals give a forest-floor character, with juniper and spruce up front, lingonberry and cranberry brightness in the middle, and lavender and citrus peel lifting the finish. The 47% ABV carries the botanicals with weight rather than heat, and the earthenware rest rounds the gin into a smooth whole.