Ferdinand's Saar

Germany
Founded in: 2014

All about Ferdinand's Saar

Ferdinand’s Saar Dry Gin is named after Ferdinand Geltz; a historical figure who co-founded the VDP Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Zilliken Estate, one of Germany’s finest vineyards. A family-run business, the vineyard has been producing Riesling for almost three centuries.

It is this Riesling which is added to Ferdinand’s Saar Dry Gin after distilling, before being cut with water and bottled. The Gin is made with thirty (yes, thirty!) botanicals, but rather than being overwhelming, it’s a very complex Gin.

Some of the botanical line-up includes lavender, thyme, juniper, rose hip, sloe, angelica, ginger, almond shell, coriander and rose. The distillation process itself is unusual; as well as macerating and distilling the botanicals in a neutral grain spirit, some botanicals are added to the basket in the neck of the still, which vapor infuse at the same time.

This adds more flavor, and while neither process is uncommon, doing both together is. The addition of the Riesling adds another quality to the Gin. It’s probably not one for the purists, but for those who are looking for something unconventional, this is well worth a try.

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All about Ferdinand's Saar distillery

The Vallendar family has been distilling Spirits for several generations on their estate which was founded in 1824 in Wincheringen. The distillery is located on a range of hills between the Wine regions in the tri-border area of France, Luxembourg and Germany (Saar-Mosel).

Andreas Vallendar comes from a family with a long tradition of distilling fruit Liqueurs and Spirits. After studying beverage technology at Saarburg, he founded the Avadis Distillery. A modern bonded distillery based on tradition and cultivating innovation.

Partnering with Spirits marketers Erik Wimmers and Denis Reinhardt of Capulet & Montague Ltd, and alongside Dorothee Zilliken (who has been running the VDP Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken and has studied viniculture, viticulture, and enology), their estate has been producing award-winning Wines for more than 270 years.

The fruity and sweet Riesling produced on the 11-hectare vineyard are matured fully in wooden casks and stored three stories below ground. Ferdinand's Saar Dry Gin is infused with more than 30 botanicals sourced straight from the VDP Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken vineyards.

Masterfully mixing 30 botanicals is not an easy task, but Avadis has not only taken on the challenge but upped the ante by adding Schiefer Riesling after distillation. This adds semi-sweet flavors, resulting in an elegant and fruity Gin. The juniper is present but subtle.

Distillery info

  • Country: Germany
  • Established: 2014
  • Address: Brennerei Andreas Vallendar in Bilzingen 54457 Wincheringen
  • Phone: +49 (0)6583 993 9998
  • Website: http://www.avadisdistillery.de