gin no. 036 – Hardshore

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• Hardshore Gin is produced in Portland, Maine
• I bought my bottle at the distillery in 2019 when visiting for my birthday.
• It’s made with juniper and just four botanicals.

In 2019, my wife and I went to Portland, Maine to celebrate my birthday. While there we visited the Hardshore Distilling Company. It’s located on Washington Avenue, the center of spirit making in Maine. The next gin in the collection, no. 037 Sprigge Barrel Rested Gin is made just up the street. Perhaps my favorite part of the visit was that they had a gin and tonic slushie.

I tried Hardshore and bought a bottle to take home. One thing I don’t like about it is the cap. It is extremely hard to open this bottle. It barely sits over the lip and is made of glass so it is smooth and hard to grip. But once you break your way into the bottle, you’ll find a solid gin.

Hardshore uses only five botanicals, including Tuscan juniper, in their gin. The other four are rosemary, mint, orris root, and coriander. It’s bottled at 92 proof and sipping it over ice, it’s strong, but enjoyable. It’s rich and herbal. Mixed in a gin and tonic it is slightly sweet. Because of the high ABV it can take a little more tonic than our normal 2:1 blend.

Overall Hardshore is a nice gin. It’s well made with impressive complexity given the brief botanicals list. While this gin doesn’t embody Maine, or have a particularly exciting story, it is the type of gin that would make an excellent go to gin for those who find it within reach.

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