Gin Xoriguer Mahón

Nestled along the picturesque harbourfront of Mahón on the island of Menorca lies the world-famous birthplace of Gin Xoriguer Mahón. The history of this legendary spirit dates back to the 18th century, when British naval fleets were stationed at the strategic port of Mahón. Seeking the comforts of home, British sailors demanded gin—prompting resourceful Menorcan craftsmen to distill their own spirits using local Mediterranean ingredients and imported botanicals.

In the early 20th century, Miguel Pons Justo formalised this centuries-old tradition, founding the distillery under the name Xoriguer—named in honour of his family's historic 18th-century windmill. Today, the distillery remains steeped in family heritage, handcrafting one of the oldest, most authentic gins in the Mediterranean world using unchanged artisanal methods.

What sets Gin Xoriguer apart from almost every mainstream London Dry gin is its base alcohol: rather than industrial grain spirits, Xoriguer is distilled from high-grade wine alcohol (distilled grape spirits or holandas). This grape-based alcohol confers a extraordinarily smooth, round, and slightly fruity mouthfeel that forms a silky, luxurious backdrop for the botanicals.

The primary botanical—wild Mediterranean juniper berries—is harvested from neighbouring mountain ranges and matured in open burlap sacks at the distillery for up to a year. This aging process concentrates the natural essential oils before distillation, resulting in a vibrant pine, resinous, and deeply herbaceous flavour profile balanced by a strictly guarded family secret blend of local herbs.

The distillation process at the Molí de Ponent distillery on the Mahón waterfront is a living museum of historic craft. Distillation takes place in original copper alembic pot stills that are more than 250 years old. These ancient copper stills are heated directly over open fires fuelled by local pine and oak wood harvested from Menorca's forests.

In a remarkable nod to maritime ingenuity, the steam vaporised during distillation is condensed using sea water pumped directly from the harbour of Mahón through external cooling coils. The resulting spirit is bottled directly without oak ageing, capturing the pure, crisp, aromatic essence of the Balearic coastline.

The Iconic Handle Bottle & Menorcan 'Pomada'

PGI 'Gin de Mahón' Certification & Purity