Condesa Gin

History

Condesa was founded in 2015 by Ben Brooksby, Jordi Nieto and Hillhamn Salome, who is also the Maestra Destiladora and an expert in Mexican botany. The project was created to introduce the world to a Mexico that is not only agave and desert dust, but also one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, with a wide variety of indigenous flora.

Mexico City is also a world capital of culture, rich and vibrant with stimuli: it was here, in the kitchen of a residential house in Bosque de las Lomas, that the three founders began experimenting with various species and different maceration techniques, using a 20-litre still;

The quality of the gin and the use of unusual local botanicals made Condesa popular from the very beginning: the brand was chosen by Mexico City's culinary aristocracy, and Enrique Olvera's iconic Pujol included it on its prestigious cocktail list. With growing demand, a change was necessary, and so the distillery had to expand, and the old small still was replaced by two 400-litre stills, handmade by the same Michoacan artisans who had created the first one. As always, the selection and treatment of the ingredients, which are air-dried as on the first day, remain unchanged;

Condesa owes its name to the leafy barrio of La Condesa, a thriving arts district in Mexico City, bustling with live music concerts, world-class restaurants, bars, art galleries and cafés.

Production method

All the botanicals used in Condesa gin are inspired by the rituales de curandera - shamanic rituals - used by Mesoamerican healers since ancient times. It was by fusing the ancient tradition with a contemporary approach and aesthetic that this gin was born;

Condesa's small workshop processes each ingredient by hand: Mexican limes are carefully hand-cut to remove only the fresh, green skin, not the white pith underneath. Prickly pear, the fruit of the Mexican desert cactus, is harvested in its short season each year, cut and dried in the sun. Palo santo, a highly perfumed native wood, is macerated separately from all other botanicals and added gradually to achieve a balance consistent with the characteristics of the wood over the course of the seasons. Each operation follows the rhythm of the seasons and is carried out with scrupulous care and craftsmanship;

The gin distillation process takes place in copper stills with reflux chambers, handmade in Michoacan, a Mexican state known for its strong tradition in copper craftsmanship. This customised and artisanal production process guarantees the highest quality and precision of the distillation tools. The main botanicals are distilled in 400-litre stills with reflux chambers, which help increase the purity of the spirit by allowing some of the evaporating alcohol to condense and return to the pot. This increases the number of distillations and makes the final spirit smoother and more refined;

In Condesa Gin Clasica, separate macerations are carried out with palo santo, myrrh and jasmine, the duration of which depends on the season and intensity of these delicate ingredients. In Condesa Gin Prickly Pear & Orange Blossom, juniper berries, coriander seeds, prickly pear, lemon peel and fresh raspberries are used; a separate maceration is carried out with orange blossoms.