Gin Eva

C/ Son Fosquet 17, Local 14, 07620 Llucmajor, Mallorca, Spain

I visited Stefan Winterling, owner and chief distiller, at Gin Eva Distillery on 14 September 2015.

Originally from Germany and with a history of winemaking, Stefan met his Spanish wife, Eva, whilst studying in Barcelona. He has lived in Mallorca since 2008 and started the distillery in his spare time. He also works for Son Campaner Winery, located between Inca and Sencelles.

Stefan started making gin in 2010 for Ca’n Vidalet Winery, near Pollenca, where they still sell the gin he produced. 11 (Onze) Dry Gin is named after the number of botanicals utilised in the blend.

In 2012, Stefan bought his own copper pot still with a number of columns, which can perform 7 distillations in one run. He can control the number of distillations by opening or closing the columns and each distillation produces 50 bottles.

Gin Eva has been produced since 2013 and is very much a family business. The gin is named after his wife and intended to be a play on the word “genever”. The photograph on the label is that of his wife’s grandmother taken in Barcelona in the 1930’s and his father-in-law produced the labels.

Gin Eva is a handmade London Dry Gin with a bright citrusy nose and smooth warming alcohol. It pairs well with Schweppes tonic; the bitterness complementing the citrus flavours of the gin.

More than 20 botanicals combine to produce Gin Eva, starting with two types of juniper berries; a Mediterranean variety from the northern Italian region of Piedmont, and the other from the local dunes of Es Trenc. Other botanicals include angelica root for the earthy base, coriander seeds for the citrus aromas and flavours, cardamom pods for their aromatic spices, liquorice root for its woody notes and hint of sweetness, cassia bark for its warm spices and lavender for its deep rich floral flavours.

Stefan uses two methods to infuse flavour into the gin. Firstly, he macerates whole lemons and oranges with the juniper berries, spirit and most of the other botanicals in large stainless steel tanks for 2-3 days. This allows the spirit to absorb flavours and essential oils from the fruit. Secondly, he percolates the spirit through the lavender in the still to extract the delicate aromas and flavours.

Gin Eva is sold on the island, and exported to Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg. A few bottles have made it across the Balearic Sea to Barcelona and it is now available from El Corte Inglés, the largest department store in Europe.

Stefan has also recently been producing his own style of limoncello lemon liqueur for a local hotel, which he has made exclusively for them.

Addendum September, 2022: Please note that Gin Eva has now relocated to c/Marroig 6A, 07620 Llucmajor, Mallorca, Spain.