High Hopes – Hertl Der Hopfen-Gin

So, this month’s Home Bar Awards theme are “local ingredients”. Since, this is a topic close to my heart, I decided to come up with drinks with as many local ingredients as possible. Of course, this ruled out using citrus fruits for acidity. However, through the folks from Das Schwarze Schaf Bar in Bamberg I learned a neat trick. In a few of their tricks, they acidify apple juice. Apart from that, I also incorporated a recipe for a vegan milk punch as well as a beer cocktail.

As a base for the drink I chose a local gin produced by the Hertl craft beer brewery in Schluesselfeld, 50 km away from where I live. The gin uses ingredients from Bavaria and besides juniper and lemon grass, it is dry hopped with Mandarina Bavaria hops. Therefore, the gin also has a slightly amber colour. In the end, Hertl bottle their gin in a black stoneware bottle at 37,5 % ABV.

Exotic coconut notes

Besides real coconut flavoured gins, the Hertl Hopfen-Gin is the only one I have tasted so far which tastes of coconuts. At least for me, the gin has a distinct fresh and dried coconut note. Apart from that, there are some spices and hints of citrus which tend towards lemon and mandarin. Yet, for me as a fan of classic gins, the bottling could use a higher ABV.

Three drinks in one

Yes, the drink would have been delicious as a “local ingredient” sour, too. Yet, I wanted to do something more elaborate. Therefore, I used an organic apple juice from a blend of old apple varieties which come from around 50 km of my home, too. On top of that, I used malic acid to make it sour (30 g acid per litre juice). However, I also wanted to make a milk punch, but instead of whole milk, I thought I go vegan and use an oat drink. Last but not least, I topped the drink off with a great “Helles” lager beer also from Hertl. Round everything off with some IPA eau de vie and a home-made rhubarb cordial for a nice, but complex drinking experience.

Complex combination of flavours

I had some natural packaging material lying around and thought it would go with the whole “local” vibe. Apart from that, the drink turned out pretty tasty. Of course, the clarification works better with milk than with the oat drink, but I still was happy with the result. Furthermore, the flavours blend very well together and you will have a hard time making out individual ones. Well, I guess you can taste a slight “oat”-like taste in the finished “High Hopes” cocktail. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this drink with local ingredients!