“The heart note of every bottle of BIBERGIN is the passion for producing the best possible gin in Switzerland and the rhythm of the old city of Gallus, which flows through our veins.” Founder Benjamin Brunner
Founded only in 2019, the BIBERGIN Distillery in St. Gallen follows the authentic process that was applied a hundred years ago. Burning logs blaze in the flames and fuel the steam boiler, which is located right next to the still. The slight note of woody smoke is in the air… The unique, traditional maceration and percolation processes and distinctive craftsmanship produce characterful, award-winning gins in small batches.
Sankt Gallen Old Tom BIBERGIN is distilled according to a secret recipe. This gin is, where tradition and modernity merge in harmony. A Biber is a Swiss speciality, a sweet pastry, like a ginger bread, made from honey dough and filled with white almond paste. It is very typical for the town of St.Gallen.
Benjamin had the idea to create a BIBERGIN when he tasted various gins at his brother’s house. The trained Confiseur tasted different, clearly defined spices in the gins, and one in particular inspired him: cinnamon. It reminded him of the BIBER, this speciality from Sankt Gallen, of which he made so many in his professional life. But could the specific properties of the pastry be instilled in a gin? He acquired basic knowledge of distillation during his biomedical studies in Zurich. And so he set out to combine both. The result: the incomparable BIBERGIN, that was awarded a double gold medal at the CWSA, the China Wine and Spirits Awards 2020, a bronze medal at IWSC, the international Wine and Spirits Competition 2020, as wells double bronze at the Swiss Gin Awards 2020.
BIBERGIN Truffles
In cooperation with Confiserie Roggwiller, which is located in the heart of St.Gallen, these unique, high-quality and regional specialties have been created. In the BIBERGIN truffles, the internationally awarded BIBERGIN meets melt-in-the-mouth chocolate from Confiserie Roggwiller. An absolute must-try for every BIBER and chocolate lover!
In the age of the mechanical food industry, small batch manufacturing is becoming more and more important, as it allows to set accents in the gins that would not be possible in any large distillery.
At BIBERGIN Distillery, great emphasis is put on tried and tested, professional craftsmanship. Every single step, be it from maceration in pure alcohol, through distillation to completion and numbering of the bottle, every manufacturing process is carried out by hand. This enables the distiller to guarantee the best possible quality through sensory, technical knowledge and experience.
Sustainable organic raw materials, regional suppliers and short delivery routes are further key to the manufacture’s philosophy.
BIBERGIN Distillery handcrafts gins predominantly using the classic maceration process, but also partly using the percolation process.
The botancials determine which process is optimal for the production of gins.
Whether a botanical is percolated or macerated depends on the volatility of the essential oils. Highly volatile essential oils from botanicals such as Oranges are distilled using the percolation process. Fresh orange peel, in so-called herb baskets, is hung over the evaporating mash. The essential oils are dissolved in the alcohol and thus absorbed in the gin.
In the maceration process, heavy botanicals are placed in raw alcohol for different lengths of time and stored temporarily. The direct exchange in the alcohol enables a more intensive exchange of the aromas with the neutral alcohol.
“Gin is like a bottle of wine, age and storage count!”, says Benjamin Brunner.
Only storage and correct handling after distillation can ensure that the aroma develops optimally. Be it storage in barrique barrels or timely bottling, multiple factors are fundamental for a Swiss gin with a strong character.