A Moselle gin, please!

(NAS/NG) - It took siblings Martine and Pol Streng from Grevenmacher a bit of convincing until their father, Henri Streng, got on board with the idea of producing gin. Recently the first bottles made it on the market.

It took, in fact, nearly two years. As the idea to produce gin in their own distillery developed, the siblings's father, Henri Streng, was a bit skeptical of the proposition. "Gin is produced worldwide. Why would we also just jump on board?" he asked himself. But the siblings didn't give up. And after they took a seminar on distillation methods at the University of Hohenheim, their father knew they were serious--not to mention that the Queen Mum offers an example of how the consumption of gin might not be such a bad thing after all. 

Then the experimentation started. "Producers don't reveal the complete recipe, so we had to mix together the ingredients ourselves," explained Martine Streng.

From marc to gin

The basis for the gin from Grevenmacher is marc, also known as pomace brandy. The first test began on April 3 of this year. With herbs such as, among others, those typically used in gin--including juniper, liquorice root, anise and chamomile leaves--an ideal blend was discovered. "Of course, during that time we tested many different kinds of gin so that we could feel confident with the product," she said.

And it's not just important to get the recipe just right for the gin itself: the product also requires certain packaging. It was clear the name would be M Gin, just as it was clear that the Moselle and Grevenmacher had to play some role. So a modern design by the agency Presss, affiliated to the Musel Zeidung, was selected and printed on a charcoal-colored ceramic bottle.

Mixing it up

To date, 80 litres of the gin, containing 45 percent alcohol, have been produced. M Gin has its own distinctive character: a marc with its own clear aromas and a certain roundness.

Those who may have missed the opportunity to try the gin during the wine festival in Grevenmacher (held the second weekend of September) will have another opportunity to do so during the fifth edition of the 'D'Miselerland brennt!' event, when distilleries of the region  open their doors to the public.

When asked how to drink the new gin, Martine Streng naturally talks about mixing it with tonic water to make a gin and tonic. Of course, she also has the perfect recipe for a real Moselle drink: gin with grape juice.

"D'Miselerland brennt!" this Sunday

On Sunday, October 25, starting at 10am, the fifth edition of the "D'Miselerland brennt!" distillery days will take place. 

The program includes exhibitions, tastings and culinary specialities in the various distilleries in the Moselle region, as well as guided tours. In the restaurants in the region, special menus inspired by the the Luxembourgish distillations will be available. Even kids won't be missing out by attending.

Participating distilleries include Distillerie Zenner from Schwebsange, the Distillerie Rhein-Glock from Erpeldange caves.rheinglock@gmail.com, Brennerei Weber from Wormeldange-Haut (tel.: 76 07 84), the Distillerie Diedenacker from Niederdonven, Distillerie Max-Lahr & Fils from Ahn and Distillerie Streng from Grevenmacher.

For more information, visit www.visitmoselle.lu and www.brenner-am-miselerland.lu

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