Gin as we know it – an herbal spirit, flavored primarily by juniper berries – has been around for nearly 400 years. In its most popular style (London Dry) it has remained remarkably consistent since the advent of the column still in the 1830s. Nevertheless, modern distillers keep finding ways to give it a new spin while preserving its core identity.
It’s to be expected, considering how much thirst there is for craft glow-ups within the category. According to the most recent data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, super premium gin sales have increased by 172% since 2019. Much of that growth is driven by so-called, “New World Gins.” These are liquids that tend to elevate other herbal profiles; supplanting juniper as the star of the show. Fantastically popular examples du jour open with ingredients like lavender, chamomile–even cucumber.
But Boatyard Distillery is built different. For a decade now the Northern Irish craft darling has been doubling down on the joys of juniper. The response has poured in through a parade of international accolades and enduring global success. Now the brand has its eyes set on American shelves.
Boatyard Double Gin is the expression leading this charge. It’s a wheat-based liquid enhanced with a total of eight ingredients, including botanicals sourced from the distillery’s family-owned farm along the banks of Lough Erne. These vibrant elements (including a healthy portion of dried juniper berries) are macerated for 18 hours. Then founder and master distiller Joe McGirr subjects his spirit to a vapor chamber chockablock with even more juniper. It puts the “double” in the Double Gin name. It also gives the final 92-proof product a pungent, piney nose and lingering earthy zest.
Counterbalancing the drink’s herbal assertiveness is an underlying creaminess to the body. It coats the mouth with a licorice-like tickle and finishes with top-shelf allure. It possesses all the right properties to sing in Negroni form as well as in a classic Gin and Tonic preparation.
And counterbalancing its environmental footprint, Boatyard Distillery operates a carbon neutral facility. By working almost exclusively with local organic farms, up-cycling all byproducts in the stillhouse, and avoiding all plastic in shipping, it recently became the Emerald Isle’s first certified B Corp distillery – a designation reserved for UK businesses which prioritize social and environmental impact.
Earlier this summer, Boatyard brought on industry vet Tim Herlihy to manage its US national sales and advocacy. He used to work with William Grant & Sons – the family-owned producer responsible for Hendrick’s one of the most popular “New World” gins of all time. So in addition to seeing $40 bottles of Boatyard at your local liquor store, you can also expect to see Double Gin cropping up on drink menus from coast to coast. If you’re betting on better Northern Irish-inspired cocktails in the near future, you had better make it double or nothing.