Waylaid – Wilhelm Marx Genziana

There is a long-lasting tradition here in Germany to distil gentian root. However, most of the time these spirits are associated with “cheap liquor” which is consumed in old taverns and beer halls. Exactly the opposite is the case with the Wilhelm Marx Aqauvite die Genziana. Apart from the melodic name, the eau de vie promises to be a gentian spirit of the highest quality. Similar to my article on the Marx Lemon eau de vie, I again deconstructed a Negroni variation. Or you could say I just threw a lot of things in a White Negroni…

Besides their gins and eau de vies, Wilhelm Marx set out to also produce unconventional spirits. For this special sprit, thy use gentian roots from South Tyrol and steep them in neutral grain alcohol. The distillation takes six weeks before distillation. Afterwards, the eau de vie spends some time in mulberry wood casks, too. In the end, the spirit is bottled at an ABV of 48 %. 

Menthol and earthy notes

It should be clear, that this eau de vie tastes of gentian. Yet, I almost was surprised on how many other flavours I discovered in the bouquet and taste. There were certain earthy notes, a lot of spices and it even reminded me of fresh carrots. Through its higher ABV it also packs quite a punch, but I guess this was the point here. All in all, I know that the applications of gentian eau de vies are limited, but it is excellent to spice up your White Negronis!

Another maximalist cocktail

I guess you could call this cocktail a maximalist cocktail, too. Yet, contrary to my “7 Bottles” cocktail, I did’nt use equal parts. Instead, I built the “Waylaid” around the concept of a White Negroni. I got the idea of enhancing the regular recipe with gentian eau de vie by Sepo. As a gin, I chose the Woodland Navy Strength, because I thought that its balanced juniper notes and a certain “earthiness” would suit the drink. Next, I added Genepi, because “what grows together, goes together”, e.g. Artemisia genepi and gentian root. Last but not least, I used a split vermouth base of Rinomato Americano and Mancino Bianco. Oh, and just for fun I added a China-China liqueur in a syringe.

Maybe the best White Negroni?

You should try the drink first without the China-China. Then, the “Waylaid” starts with clear White Negroni notes. Namely, a strong gentian note from the Ciane and the gentian eau de vie. However, the gin and the other ingredients hold the bitterness at bay. When you add the bitter liqueur, the tastes shifts a bit towards darker caramel notes. In conclusion, as laborious the recipe may sound, it is definitely worth a try. – This might just be the best White Negroni variaton I came up so far!

*The fact that I received a product reviewed in this article for free, did not – in any way – influence the rating of said product. The gentian eau de vie was provided by Wilhelm Marx.