Interview: Ruedi Zotter
Could you have imagined 15 years ago that gin would be produced in Switzerland?
Sonia Petignat-Keller: With the variety of native, wild-growing botanicals, it's actually amazing that Swiss gin is only IN now. The new products are clearly an enrichment of the Swiss spirits market. I am proud of the creative industry - small but mighty! And I can imagine that the Swiss distillers, although associated with tradition, will always react flexibly and innovatively to the needs of the market. They proved this again last spring, among other things, when they reacted within a short time to the shortage of disinfectants in the country!
How do you see the general development of the Swiss gin market?
Gin was established four years ago at the DistiSuisse national spirits awards as a newcomer category with 13 samples. Two years later, there were already 61 samples - the same number as in the Kirsch category. Producing a gin requires less technical know-how than a good fruit brandy. This also opens up the possibility for producers with little experience to make high-quality products.
How do you rate the quality of Swiss products in this segment?
The local products do not have to shy away from comparison with the established foreign products. With a focus on quality rather than quantity, excellent distillates are produced in this country - and not only in the gin sector!
How should a gin be or taste for you?
Clear juniper aroma and balanced in the interplay with other botanicals, genuinely Swiss, but anything but restrained, just "un-gin-iert"!
What was the motivation to develop a gin aroma wheel?
Via the DARF platform (Destillate Agroscope Régie fédérale des alcools), the industry and interested parties can submit project ideas, which are then prioritised and implemented annually. The aroma wheel for gin was the result of such a request in 2018. There are other open requests for aroma wheels, such as grappa and apricots.
Who is it suitable for and how can it be used?
The common vocabulary should facilitate tasting and describing. A systematic procedure with objective criteria increases the accuracy of the sensory description and enhances the taster's competence. Aroma wheels are mainly ordered by distilleries and agricultural centres as documentation for sensory courses.
This article appeared in
Issue 1-2021
BAR NEWS magazine as single issue
