Product: Desert Juniper Gin Producer: Bend Distillery Approximate Retail Value: $23/bottle Category: Gin Country of Origin: Oregon, USA Reviewer: R. Pietsch The F Words: Flavor – Juniper with a hint of vanilla. Feel – Light and crisp. When sipped neat, one of the smoothest gins around. Finish – A few scattered fragrant flavors.

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Since its creation, gin has been commonly referred to as “juniper juice.” Gin is, and has always been, a white spirit distilled from grain with juniper berries. Over the years, the process morphed and now typically involves distilling the spirit after various botanicals have been added. Products like Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray No. 10 add no less than 10 different botanicals and extracts—such as lemon peel, coriander and “liquorice”—for character and flavor. Or, if you prefer France’s Citadelle gin, you add 19.

Desert Juniper makes no pretenses. This is “juniper juice” in its finest form. The nose on this gives it all away. Some gins on the market now smell more like something you’d clean your bathroom with and less like something you’d mix with tonic. Desert Juniper has a nose of pure juniper, and not the sickeningly sweet “juniper” like you’d smell in a Bath & Body Works lotion. This is crisp and real.

As gins go, this one has a shockingly low alcohol level of 41 percent (or 82 proof). Despite the lower alcohol content, Desert Juniper is incredibly well balanced. While I don’t know many people who enjoy sipping gin straight, this is one that is certainly worth tasting. Its fresh, bold flavor stands in great contrast to other gins on the market. While I’ve never seen anyone taking shots of Beefeater, Desert Juniper is worth an experiment. I wouldn’t suggest lining up shots, or drinking straight Desert Juniper for hours on end, but it’s necessary to taste this straight in order to appreciate it.

That being said, the distinct flavor of the juniper brings an interesting dynamic to even the most standard gin cocktails. If you’re not one for drinking a straight martini, give the gin and tonic a throw using Desert Juniper instead of Bombay—or, whatever your usual gin happens to be. It might not make you swear off the more traditional gins altogether, but it should certainly be a welcome change. The best use I came across was Desert Juniper in a Tom Collins—just shake with a splash of sour and top with a club soda float. It’s an absolutely perfect cocktail for one of those lingering summer days before the fall fully sets in.