Saar Dry Gin – 200ml

Saar Dry Gin by Ferdinand's in the small 200 ml bottle

Saar Dry Gin by Ferdinand's Spirits in 200 ml is the small edition of the Riesling gin from the Saar, bottled at the same 44 percent and with the same recipe as the large bottle. Not a miniature for the display case, but an amount that you will actually finish.

Saar Dry Gin in 200 ml is the artisan-distilled Riesling gin from Ferdinand's Spirits in the Saar valley, here in a size for trying it out. One such bottle provides around six gin and tonics of three centiliters each, enough for a long evening for four. Anyone who wants to test a gin before ending up with half a bottle sitting in the cupboard should start here.

Six gin and tonics and no leftovers in the cupboard

The small bottle solves a problem that every home bar is familiar with: open spirits that stand around for years.

200 milliliters are used up in one evening with guests, and the gin remains as fresh as the day it was bottled. The format is also practical for traveling, for a weekend house, or as a birthday present, as it fits into any bag while still looking impressive. Anyone wanting to taste several gins side-by-side will get much further with these small bottles than with three half-empty large ones.

There is no special ritual required for pouring. A bulbous glass, plenty of ice, a dry tonic in a one-to-three ratio, and a bergamot zest – this gin doesn't ask for anything more. As a small gift, the bottle makes a well-rounded addition next to a bottle of vermouth and two good glasses, without turning into a whole gift basket.

Over 30 botanicals from the Saar vineyards

The small bottle contains exactly the same recipe as the large one, featuring over 30 hand-picked botanicals from the region.

Juniper sets the tone, overlaid with red vineyard peach, quince, and Rubinette apple from the trees behind the distillery. Lavender from the Konzer Tälchen and herbs from their own garden provide the floral side, while cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg add warm spice.

The gin carries its 44 percent lightly because an infusion of Riesling Spätlese grapes softens the bite. Smooth, floral, and with a dry core, it reveals itself as different from juniper-heavy London Dry Gins, without ever disowning its juniper roots.

Distilled by the Vallendar family since 1824

Saar Dry Gin is distilled at the Avadis Distillery in Wincheringen-Bilzingen, on an estate with a long tradition of fruit brandy production.

Andreas Vallendar, the house's master distiller, studied beverage technology and runs the distillery where his family has been working since 1824. The Riesling grapes come from the Saarburger Rausch, a steep south-facing slope on Devonian slate, cultivated by Dorothee Zilliken at the VDP winery Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken.

The brand is named after Ferdinand Geltz, the royal Prussian head forester and co-founder of the VDP Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. Simon Difford gave the gin a full score of five stars back in 2014 and called it simply outstanding. It is now shipped to 42 countries. If you like it, the large 0.5-liter bottle is waiting for you, and there are several other German brandies standing nearby on the gin shelf.