The Story of Sir Edmond

Sir Edmond is an affordable gin that will shatter all your preconceptions with the first sip and dance on your taste buds with its irresistible vanilla flavor. It is precisely infused with bourbon vanilla sourced from the island of Réunion, where it is cultivated by local farmers without the use of any fertilizers or pesticides.

Gin has a distinctive vanilla aroma with notes of citrus, spices, and juniper that will take your breath away. The name of the gin comes from Edmond Albius, who is the pioneer of the quick pollination method of vanilla flowers.

Edmond Albius (circa 1829 – August 9, 1880) was a gardener from Réunion. Albius was born into slavery and became an important figure in vanilla cultivation. At the age of 12, he invented a technique for the quick and profitable pollination of vanilla orchids. Albius's technique revolutionized vanilla cultivation and made it possible to profitably grow Vanilla planifolia outside its native environment (Mexico to Brazil).

Albius's master, Mr. Beaumont, taught him the basics of botany, including how to fertilize flowers. In 1841 Albius invented a method for rapid pollination of the vanilla orchid using a thin stick or blade of grass and a simple thumb gesture. The hands use the stick or blade of grass to lift the rostellum, the flap that separates the male anther from the female stigma, and then use the thumbs to coat the sticky pollen from the anther onto the stigma.

Albius's hand pollination method is still used today, as nearly all vanilla is pollinated by hand. After Albius's discovery, Réunion became the world's largest supplier of vanilla for a time. French colonists used Albius's technique in Madagascar to cultivate vanilla, and Madagascar remains the world's leading producer of vanilla.

Réunion Island, the vanilla capital of the world. It makes sense to create a gin around one of the most precious flavors in world history and a botanical plant - vanilla. In crafting this truly unique gin, its creators were inspired by the best chefs of haute cuisine, who use various spices for culinary magic.

Master distillers gathered the finest ingredients, selected with a single goal - to enhance the vanilla, which gives the distillate an unusual character. The gin is created through a precise distillation process that involves juniper, angelica root, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon. This distillate is then infused for several weeks with bourbon vanilla, leading to a flavor transformation of the gin Sir Edmond.

The combination of six botanicals provides cocktail lovers and bartenders with an unparalleled drinking experience that demands a new approach and fuels inspiration. As vanilla overcomes the natural bitterness of juniper, mixologists are compelled to rethink gin's possibilities in creating new cocktails and reinventing classics.

Bourbon Vanilla lends the gin an adventurous spirit. If it weren't for Mr. Edmond Albius born on the island of Réunion, vanilla might never have become such a popular flavor of this gin.
Juniper Berries are aromatic "berries" that are not true berries, but fleshy cones with seeds. They come from Macedonia, which is the world's leading producer. In autumn, the berries ripen as their green skin turns purple.
Angelica Root loves cool and moist conditions; it prefers to grow near water. It originates from Greenland. Originally, angelica root was cultivated for its nutritional and medicinal properties, but later it became popular among gin makers.
Cardamom is a strong, fragrant spice made from small black seeds of plants from the Zingiberaceae family. Cardamom comes from India, is still grown in much of Asia, but today Guatemala is the largest producer.
Ginger is a spice known for its versatility. It was one of the first to be imported from the Orient to Europe. Sir Edmond uses the one that is grown all the way in Nigeria.
Cinnamon was imported to Egypt as early as 2000 BC, but until the Middle Ages, the source of this sweet spice remained a mystery to Europeans. Cinnamon is essentially the inner bark of a tree. The cinnamon used in Sir Edmond comes from China.

Producing gin requires patience. With six botanical ingredients, balance is key. The distillation and infusion process of Sir Edmond is time-consuming for a reason: the bottles must contain the best possible distillate.

Sir Edmond Gin is produced in Schiedam, Netherlands at one of the best distilleries in the world: Herman Jansen. This family business started its operations in 1777 and has been distilling spirits for almost over 250 years.

The creation of gin infused with bourbon vanilla did not happen overnight. Before the first bottles of Sir Edmond rolled off the production line, countless combinations of ingredients were tested. The result of year-long discussions with master distillers and the production of samples was ultimately the perfect recipe.

It takes this long to create the finest and most refined gin you can imagine, made only from natural ingredients and high-quality alcohol. For reference: "normal" gin can be made in 24 hours. What actually happens during those eight weeks? First, all botanical ingredients are distilled in two separate stills - except for bourbon vanilla, because distilling vanilla at high temperatures would destroy its flavor. Instead, it is steeped in alcohol for six weeks. This is a cold infusion that ensures the release of finer and more complex aromas. After mixing both liquids, the mixture is left to rest for a week to achieve perfect harmony.