Five minutes at a table at Masaryčka

We agreed right from the start that this wouldn't be just another bottle with two logos slapped on it. Honza brings a chef’s perspective on how a flavor should be bold and deep. I know how herbs and spices behave in the still. We both work with the same ingredients, just in completely different ways. And that is exactly how this gin was meant to be born.

For us, this was our first time collaborating with a chef to develop a gin. I know now that having a chef in the distillery is a completely different discipline.

“More elderflower.” And then again

Elderflower, one of Honza’s favorite ingredients, took center stage. We added linden blossom as a nod to the Czech landscape and the linden tree, our national symbol. The base is held together by juniper, coriander, and angelica, giving the floral notes a solid foundation.

Then the fine-tuning began. I sent Honza the first sample. He came back with one note: more elderflower. I sent a second. Same answer.

“I want to showcase the ingredient in its greatest strength and beauty. If it’s supposed to be elderflower, then the elderflower simply has to be there.” — Jan Horák

This is the difference between a kitchen and a distillery. We often build gin on balance, where individual botanicals (the herbs, spices, and fruits that give gin its flavor) complement one another. But Honza cooks with concentration; he wants the ingredient on the plate to scream. My task was to get that approach into a bottle.

Yes, it’s cloudy. And there’s a reason for it

Elderflower is a tricky one. It smells like spring in the garden, but it doesn't like the still very much. Distillation alone just didn't deliver the intensity Honza and I were looking for. The familiar scent didn't come through in the final result the way we imagined.

So, we added more elderflower to the finished gin and let it macerate—steep—in the liquid. Finally, the elderflower showed its true colors.

It has one visible side effect. SIN GIN isn't crystal clear. It has a natural color and a slight haze directly from the flowers. Don't be alarmed when you see it in the bottle. This is what a gin looks like when you’ve packed it with a whole lot of elderflower. No added flavorings, no shortcuts.

A sin not to try it

Since we pushed the flavor to the edge, we couldn't give the bottle a subtle name. SIN GIN plays with the themes of sin and temptation. We wanted a gin so alluring that it would be a sin not to taste it. The label is just as bold as what’s inside.

And how should you drink it? Try it in a Negroni. The floral side of the gin really shines through, and that’s exactly the variation you’ll find at the bar in Reason. The collaboration doesn't end with the bottle; it continues in the glass.

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