The mystery of Basel

The mysterious Gentleman’s Gin comes from Switzerland and appeared for the first time in 2018. It is said to be based on a recipe from the early 20th century.

It is a London Dry Gin, but that only says something about the production process. Gentleman’s Gin is produced by a Swiss company called “Ale&Bread,” founded only in 2018.

According to Ale&Bread, Gentleman’s Gin is made in a distillery in Basel’s Old Town, by hand, with love and passion, from the best ingredients “from distant lands and nearby mountains” and according to a recipe forgotten for a hundred years found in an old archive. Consequently, the recipe dates back to a time when spirits were often banned and could only be enjoyed in notorious speakeasies, which probably explains the shape of the bottle, which is disguised as a drugstore bottle.

In fact, it is a flat, black-brown bottle of the type used for medicine at the time. The bottle contains 50 centiliters. It also has a black label with gold print, which looks very elegant. The bottle closes with a red cap, whose shape is reminiscent of a gentleman’s top hat from the last century. The spirit itself has 41 percent alcohol by volume.

More than this is not known about Gentleman’s Gin, so everything else must remain a secret for the time being.

Gentlemen’s Gin is distilled in small batches in Basel. Botanicals are macerated and partly de-stemmed. This leads to a diverse flavor profile and creates a classic and refined London Dry Gin that is easy to drink neat. Each bottle is sealed by hand.