Inginous Gin - It Doesn't Take A Genius To Know This Is Good

Nginious is a new range of gins from Switzerland, created by Oliver Ullrich and Ralph Villiger, two WSET (Wine and Spirit Education) graduates who met while studying in London. Their first venture together was a wine and gin bar called Tiere 4 in Zurich, which helped fund their dream of crafting their own gin.

While a few Swiss gins existed, none truly represented the country's botanicals or had gained enough popularity to be considered "The" Swiss gin. Determined to change that, they began selecting botanicals—an ambitious feat when attempting to capture the aroma and taste of an entire country. Starting with over 100 botanicals, they systematically narrowed the selection to just 30.

Instead of distilling them together like a traditional London Dry Gin, they decided to create four batches and blend them, a technique more commonly used in whisky production. This approach ensures that all the botanicals remain distinct and detectable rather than being overpowered by stronger herbs. Though more time-consuming and costly, the results make it worthwhile.

Nginious Swiss Blended Gin is full of character, with herbal notes and a fresh, well-balanced profile. It is highly complex, with a soft and harmonious taste, even when enjoyed neat. The 18 botanicals can clearly be identified, proving the effort behind crafting a blended gin was worth it.

While excellent neat, Nginious truly shines with tonic. Unlike many gins that lose their aroma when mixed, tonic water enhances its flavours, allowing them to remain present throughout. The gin’s fruitiness comes from juniper, barberry, and laurel berries, complemented by citrus notes from sweet orange peel, fresh grapefruit, and whole peeled cardamom.

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Nginious Swiss Blended Gin

Botanicals:

• Juniper, barberry, laurel fruit
• Citrus and sweet orange peel, fresh grapefruit, cardamom
• Hay flower, clover blossoms, bee balm, verbena, hyssop, camomile, black currant leaves, orris root, carline thistle root, galangal
• Liquorice

Maceration: Fruits are tossed gently by hand, undergoing brief, intensive maceration.

Pot Still: Small 100-litre batches distilled with precision.

Rest Period: A minimum of 6–8 weeks after distillation.

Awards: Silver Medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2015.

Serving Suggestion: Served in a red wine glass with dry tonic water, ice, and strips of grapefruit zest.

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Nginious! Vermouth Cask X3

Gin is generally unsuitable for traditional barrel maturation, as delicate aromas are often masked by wood. However, thanks to its high complexity, Nginious benefits from a finish in Cocchi vermouth casks.

The regular Blended Gin is aged in a former Barolo cask, previously holding Cocchi Vermouth di Torino. The result is a cask-finished interpretation of a classic Martini, perfectly combining the citrus and herbal complexity of gin with the spicy and bitter notes of vermouth.

The limited Cocchi Vermouth Cask Finished Gin comes in bottles covered with genuine leather. Each batch features a unique leather type, reflecting the distinct characteristics of each cask, making every bottle one of a kind.

Maturation: About two months in Cocchi Vermouth di Torino casks.

Award: Silver Medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2015.

Serving Suggestion: Enjoyed pure on ice or as a Gin & Tonic with Mediterranean tonic and orange zest.

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Nginious Summer Gin

For the summer edition of Nginious, an entirely new recipe was crafted. Besides juniper and blueberries, it features peach, jasmine blossoms, fresh sweet limes, white pepper, and rhubarb. Fruity-floral notes take centre stage, making it distinctly lighter than the Swiss Blended Gin, with a pronounced feminine character and crisp freshness.

Botanicals:

• Juniper, blueberries
• Peach, fresh sweet limes, jasmine blossoms, white pepper
• Rhubarb roots and rhubarb

Serving Suggestion: Served in a red wine glass with Mediterranean tonic, ice, a slice of peach, and fresh basil.