gin no. 083 – Gin Matante

In 2022, right after Thanksgiving, we took a drive to Montreal. The first night there we had dinner at Au Pied de Cochon. It was a wonderful meal, starring Foie Gras Nigiri with maple-peanut sauce and Duck in a Can with more foie gras as well as bacon and cabbage.

I also had a cocktail called Gin Guay. It’s made with Gin Matante, maple syrup, tonic, and champagne. Gin Matante, literally “My aunt’s gin,” is actually made by Au Pied de Cochon. They make a second gin, Gin Mononcle, yes that means “My uncle’s gin.”

The next day I went to the SAQ, the state liquor store, but they didn’t have a bottle. I ended up buying gin no. 076 Menaud Gin and a bottle of Coureur des Bois instead. But in 2023, I returned, again just after Thanksgiving. On November 25, I went to the right SAQ and got a bottle of Gin Matante for The Collection. It is now gin no. 083.

Gin Matante is made by macerating juniper berries with alcohol for several days. That is followed by a second distillation with additional botanicals. Finally orange peel is added and the gin is left to rest in stainless steel vats. The result is a modern gin with notes of citrus and rhubarb. It has an ABV of 40%.

Bottles of Gin Matante are only available at SAQ, and only in a limited number of them. I paid $49.50 Canadian which is approximately $36.50 USD. If you don’t want a bottle, it is well worth having dinner at Au Pied de Cochon and enjoying a glass and maybe Duck in a Can.