Mahon – Xoriguer Gin

We had gone into the marina to shelter from the storms that had been forecast, which turned out to be a good decision. The marina was set deep into the harbour and well protected, while outside the storms were developing with winds reaching 50 knots. Safely tucked away inside, we could see lightning flashing in the distance, but conditions in the marina were much calmer, with winds reaching around 25 knots and only a few rain showers.

However, the weather meant that the final day of the festival had to be cancelled. We were disappointed to miss the big head parade, along with the music and entertainment on stages set up along the waterfront, all due to culminate in what was supposed to be the grand finale, a spectacular fireworks display.

The big heads, or capgrossos, are large papier-mâché or fibreglass heads worn by performers to represent colourful, exaggerated characters. They were due to parade through the streets accompanied by music, dancing and the much taller giant figures known as gegants, creating a lively procession. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much anybody could do about the weather! Thankfully, the unsettled conditions passed after a couple of days.

After hearing so much about Gin Xoriguer, the famous Gin de Mahón, we decided it was time to find out more, and, of course, have a taste! So we headed to the Xoriguer Gin Distillery in the Port of Mahón, where we discovered the fascinating history and traditional methods behind the production of one of Menorca’s best known products.

The tour began with the story of how it all started over 300 years ago. Gin making on Menorca dates back to the island’s British connections in the 18th century, when British sailors and merchants brought their love of gin to the island. The Menorcans saw an opportunity and soon began making their own version using locally produced wine alcohol instead of grain spirit, along with juniper berries and local botanicals.

Xoriguer gin itself began in 1945, when Miguel Pons Justo recreated an old gin recipe dating back to 1736. He had previously worked at the Fornero distillery, which was destroyed by fire, taking much of the closely guarded secret recipe with it.

Miguel remembered the ingredients and method but not the exact proportions, so he experimented until he managed to recreate the gin. He took his first barrels to a festival in Ciutadella, where they proved a success, and Xoriguer was born. It has continued to be made in the family for generations, using the same traditional methods today.

After learning about the origins, we were taken to the room where the juniper berries are prepared. The juniper is sourced from the Pyrenees, and then allowed to rest and mature for around two years, allowing them to develop their full character before they reach the stills.

When they are ready, the juniper are carefully sorted by hand. A large sieve is used to sift through the berries, separating out the smaller ones and removing any loose shells and debris. Only the best berries make it through to the next stage, where they are macerated in the spirit, releasing their distinctive flavour.

The next room we were taken to housed four large stills. Xoriguer still uses traditional copper pot stills, some more than 250 years old, heated by wood fires using local Menorcan wood. The heat of the fire is important and carefully controlled, with the distillers judging the temperature by measuring how quickly the liquid emerges from the still.

The recipe combines wine alcohol, water, juniper berries and a closely guarded blend of botanicals. Everything goes into the copper still together, using the traditional ‘one-shot’ method. As the still heats, vapours rise through the copper carrying the flavours and aromas with them. They are then cooled and condensed, emerging as the finished gin.

The distillation itself is surprisingly quick, and a batch is produced most days, depending on demand across the island. All Xoriguer gin is made here at the original site and continues to use the traditional methods rather than being a modern, mass produced spirit.

It seems that they’ve been quite busy over the past week with the amount of pomada consumed during the festival.

Even the bottle has a story, the distinctive green bottle, complete with its little handle, is based on the traditional caneca, the handled container once used by Menorcans to carry spirits home from the port. The windmill on the label represents the Xoriguer family windmill, where Miguel’s family lived and worked.

After all that history, it was time to sample the results. In a room with photographs of the key people involved in making the gin, along with historic memorabilia, we tasted the Xoriguer gin and got to appreciate its distinctive flavour for ourselves.

We were also introduced to the distillery’s range of other gins and liqueurs, many of which were available to taste. There was an impressive variety, from herbal blends to flavours including coffee, cacao, chamomile, cinnamon, saffron and mint.

And then there was Pomada, the essential Menorcan drink: Xoriguer gin, lemonade and plenty of ice. Very refreshing and deceptively easy to drink.

The drinks came with some delicious Menorcan nibbles, including local cured meats and a very nice Menorcan cheese, firm, slightly salty and nutty.

It turned out to be much more than a gin tasting, at the end we left via their shop, needless to say, we didn’t leave empty handed!

It certainly seemed like a very appropriate way to spend an afternoon in Mahón!

Just when we thought the festival was over, we heard that the music and fireworks had been rescheduled for that evening. So we headed back around the harbour and found a good spot from which to watch. The music stages were crowded as everyone gathered for one last night of celebrations. The big head parade didn’t go ahead but we managed to find a big head and a couple of giants.

Later, the fireworks lit up the harbour. After having the previous evening’s celebrations cancelled because of the storms, it was a lovely surprise to get our festival finale after all.