This is the small miniature bottle of Ginsch. But you might be asking yourself, Ginsch, what is that? We have the answers for you: Firstly, Ginsch is a word combination of Gin and Kölsch (Kölsch is the local beer from the city of Cologne). Moreover, Ginsch is a declaration of love to the most beautiful city in the world, Cologne. Because this extraordinary spirit is produced with much love by ourselves, the ALANDIA Team, based in Cologne. Each bottle of Ginsch is corked, labeled and signed by hand. In detail, it is a Gin liqueur aged in a Kölsch barrel. Sounds extraordinary? Yes, definitely! The innovative production process is based on the barrel-aging process familiar from whiskey, rum or cognac. You'll learn more about it in the next section.
Ginsch: Production and taste
To produce Ginsch, Kölsch beer is first stored in a wooden barrel. Through the storage, the staves of the barrel absorb the Kölsch aromas. The goal of this first step is to produce a true "Kölsch barrel". After several months of aging, the barrel is emptied and then filled with Gin. The Kölsch barrel is not filled with conventional Gin, but with a Gin distilled from juniper and the typical ingredients of a Kölsch beer: Hops and malt. The Gin then matures in the barrel. Through this, the spirit wins on flavor and gets its natural gold-brown color. In the final step, the barrel-aged gin is adjusted to drinking strength and made into a Gin liqueur. The result is a Gin liqueur with delicate Kölsch beer and barrel aromas.
Ginsch is a 100% natural product, completely without artificial flavors or other artificial additives. At 30% alc. by vol, it is a pleasantly strong liqueur. Ginsch is malty-sweet in taste, with herbal notes of juniper. It is drunk neat, preferably iced. If you like, you can serve Ginsch as well as a highball or cocktail. Here are the recipes.
> 40 ml Ginsch
> 200 ml Tonic Water
> Splash of juice form a fresh orange
> Serve with ice cubes and orange slice
Cologne Mule:
> 50 ml Ginsch
> 10 ml lemon juice
> 300 ml Ginger Beer
> Serve with ice cubes, slices of cucumber and lemon
Cologne Negroni:
> 30 ml Ginsch
> 30 ml Campari
> 30 ml Vermouth (red or white)
> Serve with ice cubes and orange slices
Ginsch: The liqueur of Cologne
Ginsch is made with much love for the city of Cologne. Therefore, how could it be otherwise, the famous Cologne Cathedral is also depicted on the Ginsch label. One small detail stands out. The cathedral has not just two, but three towers. This third tower is sometimes often overlooked. This is because it is located on the rear nave. The stylized logo of the Cologne Cathedral can also be seen on the engraved wooden cork. In addition to its uniqueness, Ginsch is also ideal as a gift or souvenir for lovers of the city of Cologne. And if you have never visited Cologne until now, you can at least drink the spirit of Cologne now :-).
