Porcelain Distillery
By Velier
The founder of Porcelain, Hubert Tse, comes from a long family tradition in spice production, and chose to create a gin based on Chinese botanicals in order to make their distinctiveness known to the world. The distillery is located in the north-eastern province of Liaoning.
Overview
Porcelain gin is distilled from 18 selected botanicals from over 90% of the Tse family's production and the local market. The final recipe was chosen after more than 30 attempts, and led to the definition of 'Shanghai Dry Gin' to emphasise its territoriality. Even the packaging reflects the extreme care taken to give the gin a territorial character, with a bottle reminiscent of the iconic Chinese porcelain vases: it was designed by artist Lala Curio and produced in Hong Kong.
Distillation takes place in a specially made 500-litre copper still called Mulan; the main botanicals simmer in the boiler overnight to achieve intense aromas, while the fresher ones pass through the infusion chamber. The aromas are then further combined and refined through a 6-plate vertical reflux column before being cooled in the condenser.
The main botanicals of Porcelain Shanghai Dry Gin are Mongolian juniper, goji berries, Sichuan pepper, cardamom, coriander, almonds, hazelnuts, orange, lemon and grapefruit peel, mandarin, rose and 6 secret ingredients. For Mandarin Gin, mandarin peel is additionally added.
