gin no. 086 – Glendalough Rose Gin

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• Glendalough vapor distills garden and wild roses to create this gin.
• This Irish gin is not one of our preferred gins.
• I got this bottle as a Christmas gift from my friend Gretchen.

If you ask me for an Irish gin recommendation, I’ll reply, “whiskey”. I’m holding out hope that there is a great Irish gin out there, but I haven’t found it yet. Glendalough Rose Gin has an interesting story and a cool look, but the taste is just average.

This gin was first made to honor Glendalough’s head distiller’s mom, Rose, at his little brother’s wedding. Rose had recently passed away, and this was his way to have her there in spirit, pun intended. They use flowers from her rose garden along with wild roses and other mountain botanicals to flavor it. Finally, the gin is infused with additional roses giving it a distinctive pink color.

My friend Gretchen gifted me this bottle for Christmas in 2022, but it sat unopened until March 16, 2025 when I broke it open for St. Patrick’s Day. We tried it neat, in a gin and tonic, and in a Martinez. While it wasn’t offensive, it was just average. This isn’t a gin I’d seek out again.

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