Copperhead Gin (500mL)

A lesson in London Dry minimalism done well.

Copperhead NV is the maker of two Gins: “Mr. Copperhead” and “Black Batch." The company claims to have been founded on a secretly discovered recipe derived from “a notorious alchemist” named Mr. Copperhead who divined the ingredients while searching for “the elixir of life.” That’s why the call their Gin line “The Alchemist’s Gin.” Their marketing and creative teams are sticking to that story, so we’ll just go on to let you know that their products are made in Belgium and that records suggest that they were founded in 2014.

Mr. Copperhead Gin is a lesson in minimalism. This means that they use triple-distilled grain spirits and apply only five botanicals — far fewer than most Gins. Their ingredient list includes handfuls of juniper berries and orange zest, followed by the gentle application of angelica, coriander, and cardamon. And sometimes simple is THE best way to do things, and “The 2016 Spirits Business” awards agree, bestowing a Gold medal on the effort this year as the best in the London Dry category.