St. George Spirits St. George Terroir Gin NV 750ml

One of a trio of new gins from this artisan distiller, this gin’s claim to fame is that it was inspired by a hike on Mt. Tam, and the distiller describes it as akin to “drinking a martini in a pine forest.” Some will find the juniper essence too strong, although it also reads as clean and bracing, and it’s laced with a peppery finish. Botanicals include Douglas fir, fennel, bay laurel and sage. A portion of the profits from the gin are donated to support California wilderness.

Lance Winters, a small-batch-spirits pioneer known for his absinthe and liqueurs, was inspired while picking up his son at summer camp in the Oakland Hills. "It smelled like cedar mulch and pine trees and bay laurel and fennel and sun-baked earth," he says. Released a year ago, this gin is a spectacularly evocative translation of that place.

St. George Spirits distiller Lance Winters has gone to great lengths to capture the essence of place in the new Mt. Tam edition of his gin, harvesting wild juniper berries, California bay laurel, coastal sage and Douglas fir tips from the forests of Marin. The addition of wok-roasted spices and citrus peels serves to establish a traditional gin foundation for what drinks and feels like a foggy stroll through the redwood groves. If you're feeling rugged, add some ice and nothing more; if now, enjoy it with seltzer or ginger ale to avoid clear-cutting the flavors.