gin no. 017 – Cold River Traditional Gin

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• Cold River is a lovely gin from Freeport, ME with a base spirit made from Maine potatoes.
• I first started drinking this gin at Ostra in Boston.
• At 94 proof it is strong in alcohol content but also in flavor.

I first drank Cold River Traditional Gin at Ostra in Boston. I liked it immediately, but at this point I don’t remember where my bottle came from. It was one of the gins I wrote about back in 2017, when I first started to catalogue my collection. Below are my edited notes from that original post.

Maine Distilleries’ primary spirit is vodka and, like their vodka, they make their gin out of Maine potatoes and water from the Cold River. It’s gluten-free and also Kosher. Using a recipe from the early days of British gin, they add seven botanicals including juniper, coriander, orris root, angelica and cardamom.  There is also lemon and orange peel.

Cold River is distilled at a strong 47% ABV. Tasting it, cardamom and a light floral flavor come through first. It’s stronger than most gins, both in alcohol and taste and so it makes a great cocktail gin.  Even though it packs a punch, it sips well neat.

Cold River Traditional Gin comes in a traditional looking bottle. It has old fashioned green glass and a mostly black and white label.  The ingredients, written in an archaic font, circle the label in latin.  I had to do some work both to read and translate “citrus sinensis”.

Almost a decade later, I still really enjoy Cold River Gin. I don’t see it around often, but when I do, I’m happy to order one. It runs about $30 which is a fair price for a very solid gin.