gin no. 111 – Le Gin

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• I absolutely love Le Gin. It’s made by one of France’s most popular Calvados producers.
• I had it for the first time at Crown Shy in NYC.
• I finally found a bottle in Boston’s North End, but drank most of it within 24 hours.

On July 22, 2023, I tried a few of new gins while dining at Crown Shy in Manhattan. The one I loved the most was Le Gin, made by Christian Drouin. Drouin is more famous for his Calvados, apple brandy, than for his gin. But this gin is a work of art. More than thirty different varieties of apples go into along with eight botanicals: ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, almond, rose, cardamom, lemon, and of course juniper. The result is divine. It has a gentle mouth feel and a balanced but rich flavor. This is one of the best gins I’ve ever tasted.

After trying Le Gin for the first time, I tried to get a bottle. Online options were challenging and expensive, but on July 11, 2025 I walked into Boston Bottle in the North End and saw it sitting on the shelf. For $44.99, it was mine. That’s not a cheap gin, but well worth the price.

I opened it the next day with Michael and Ryleigh and we drank about two-thirds of it. I am already planning to go back and buy another, maybe two, because I really want this gin in the collection.

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