Since the beginning of our distillers’ story, the idea for the gin came from smells that fill the air by the coast of Cape Kamenjak in the summer. Cape Kamenjak is a protected landscape very close to the distillery, that for us has been a place to escape, rest, spend time in nature, and draw inspiration from for years. It is also a place where we saw the Mediterranean Monk Seal or Monachus Monachus in the wild, and where the idea for the name of our distillery came from.
We wanted to create a scent that evokes a walk down this coast- a mix of juniper, figs, and immortelle. Those are the plants that grow wild by the sides of the roads and in between the rocks, humble, yet providing for this unmistakable scent of Istria.
The juniper berries were handpicked in Istria, as well as immortelle and the fig leaves. The biological mandarine peel comes from the Neretva valley in the south of Croatia, produced by a passionate couple behind the Mandarinet brand. The citruses they grow weren’t treated with chemicals at any stage of fruit development. Instead, they use fruit enzymes to protect and nurture the fruit. The biological coriander seeds come from Italy.
All of the ingredients were left to macerate while they were still fresh, without drying, to keep the aromas as similar as possible to the original.
To the nose, juniper and light citrus notes are the first to come forward, followed by floral notes of immortelle, and then smoky notes of the fig leaves. Almost the same happens on the palate, with the freshness of the citrus and resin-flavor of the juniper being a dominant flavor, accompanied by the sweetness of immortelle, and some bitterness left in the aftertaste from the juniper and fig leaves.
Our gin contains a high amount of essential oils, so it may become cloudy when cooled. We consider this a sign of quality. We wanted to create a smooth, delicate taste, therefore, true gin connoisseurs will enjoy drinking it as a standalone drink.
Studio Bedow made a series of four labels for our gin, inspired by the nature that surrounds us here in southern Istria. Four shapes as symbols of our environment: a wave, a salt crystal, a northern wind ("bura" in Croatian, omnipresent in Premantura), and a pine cone. Monachus symbol is hand-printed on each label, thus the slight variations in color and position.
The production of our gin was entirely plastic-free, and so is the packaging. We ask you to contribute to the protection of our environment by serving our drinks without a plastic straw (or any plastic for that matter).
