Triple Peak Gin

Triple Peak Gin by Piekfeine Brände with Earl Grey and wild fruit

Triple Peak Gin by Piekfeine Brände is a London Dry Gin from Bremen that is based on grape spirit instead of grain. In addition to juniper and coriander, the recipe features three Nordic wild fruits and double-flavored Earl Grey.

Triple Peak Gin is the London Dry Gin from Piekfeine Brände in Bremen, distilled by Birgitta Schulze van Loon after her third business year in 2014. It is bottled at 44% ABV in a 500 ml bottle and takes its name from the motto that all good things come in threes.

Juniper, bergamot, and three Nordic berries

The first sip is fresh and citrusy; behind it, the juniper stands clear and unmistakable, as befits a London Dry.

Then the North joins in. Rosehip, elderberry, and sea buckthorn contribute a subtle tartness, and the Earl Grey adds the bergamot note familiar from a teacup. The gin is spicy, fragrant, and resinous, while remaining dry to the finish.

The tea comes from the Bremen tea house Mehrtens and is specially double-flavored for this gin. This is no coincidence, but a nod to local roots: no other German region drinks as much tea as the North.

Rosehip, elderberry, and sea buckthorn also grow on every North German coast, on dunes, dikes, and roadsides. They are the three berries everyone here knows, and they are exactly what give the gin its name – three peaks, three wild fruits.

With tonic, in a Martini, or neat on ice

Put plenty of ice in the glass, 5 cl of gin, and a restrained tonic that does not mask the bergamot.

A slice of orange or a strip of lemon peel is enough as a garnish; you can skip the cucumber and rosemary here. The gin prefers things simple: a very dry Martini, a Negroni with bold vermouth, or a Gin Fizz on a warm evening.

It also works neat over a large ice cube because the wild fruits provide enough substance. Those looking for the fruity, floral side of the distillery will find it in the Rosalie Apero, which, incidentally, pairs perfectly with gin.

A gin based on wine instead of grain

Almost every gin is based on grain alcohol – Triple Peak uses grape spirit as a base instead, which the distillery credits for a softer structure.

It is produced strictly in the London Dry style. All botanicals are added to the distillate at the same time and macerated before the mixture is distilled again in copper pot stills. Subsequent sweetening or coloring is prohibited in this category, making the name a production regulation rather than a label. Only spirits that actually follow this process may call themselves London Dry Gin.

For Birgitta Schulze van Loon, the gin in 2014 was a step into a new category after the first few years had been dedicated to fruit brandies. Choosing grape spirit as a base fits the heritage of a fruit distillery: it comes from fruit, not from grain fields.

In addition to the classics – juniper, coriander, fennel, and citrus fruits – the recipe features those three Nordic wild fruits that give the gin its name. A gin that tastes like the North without hiding the juniper. You can find the entire range at Piekfeine Brände, and for those who prefer grain in their glass, try the Piekfeiner Korn.