"Creating something unique is an exercise in vision and talent. Making a gin that is expressive and balanced, but that stands out from any other that already exists, requires a different approach."

Barney Wilczak | Distiller

And so our distiller Barney designed his own vision to unify these elements of Portugal. The vision of a forest was the starting point. Here, the top notes of conifer needles evoke the sun touching the forest canopy. Aging with cork, toasted at different temperatures to highlight different elements of this vitally important tree, brings hints of smoke, vanilla, sun-warmed wood, and coconut. The peony flowers that grow wild in Portugal sing their floral notes in an intense yet delicate way. Olive oil from the land of Cátia, in the Algarve, brings underlying herbaceous elements and, moreover, a sequence of textured layers. The influence of tawny Ports brings rich, autumnal notes of wild berries. And on the forest floor we find sweet fig leaves, rich in cocoa and hummus. And our Flor de Sal, with its own unique designation of origin in the Algarve, brings a minerality that makes the whole thing shine. This union, a journey through some of Portugal's most important habitats, is simultaneously a wonderfully complex whole, as well as an evocation of memories of the land and the sea. This is an exercise in respect, with complete disregard for costs.

These delicate botanicals are placed in large quantities within our unique copper still, resulting in a combination of maceration and vapor extraction. Its small size maximizes the contact of the distillation process with the copper. Its gentle heating is entirely powered by a fully sustainable energy source. Only through smell and taste can one perceive the separation of transitions from the aggressive heads, through the expressive heart, to the heavier tails. Working in this purely sensory way for Ginout, we are able to preserve the full spectrum of each of our botanicals with enormous elegance.

And after distillation comes aging, maturing in traditional Port wine barrels, used in the best vintages. The macerated cork, toasted at different levels, reveals a whole spectrum of inherent flavors. The integration of our fleur de sel. Each step taken complements the previous one. Each step makes Ginout more unique.

And in our packaging we strive to reflect the same respect we show, both for our botanicals and for their distillation. The labels are printed and applied by hand on carbon-neutral paper. Natural cork stoppers support one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots. Hand-bottling without chill filtration. Every step allows for no compromises.

Esoteric, complex, elegant, and yet provocative. Ginout is not made for simplicity or mass consumption.

In these drinks, we find a canvas that fills with our own experiences and the landscapes from which our ingredients come.

The art of working in this way demands a certain approach, both in terms of thoughtfulness and quality. And with this shared purpose, two friends, one Portuguese and one English, met in a discussion about how to weave a thread through Portugal, expressing its landscapes, heritage, and diversity.

Cátia Mesquita is originally from the Algarve. Here, the lapis lazuli-colored waters produce some of the world's finest sea salt (fleur de sel) . A place where centuries-old olive groves are laden with fruit and aromatic citrus fruits abound. Now her home is in Porto, where her art and superb understanding of flavor are expressed in fabulous cakes and pastries, while all around her the Port wine trade bubbles; one can imagine an old cellar filled to the ceiling with some of the world's most iconic wines.

Barney Wilczak's work at the Capreolus Distillery has brought cult status to his extremely rare and authentic works of art. His terroir-infused spirits, accompanied by complex gins, have led sommeliers from some of the world's finest restaurants to describe him as "Truly one of the best, if not the best, distiller in the UK at the moment." Nestled amidst ancient forests, populated by deer and sweetly scented lilies of the valley, his home lies in the idyllic Cotswolds countryside of England. It is here that a very special still is hidden in the old greenhouse of his childhood garden, where Ginout was destined to be created.

And from this meeting of souls, a plan was born. An intellectual and artistic journey, combining innovative techniques that age the wine inside traditional Port wine barrels (G(in)) and outside (out) – using cork – with a splendid selection of botanicals, tracing a path through forests teeming with pine trees, olive groves, and cork oak forests rich in biodiversity, stretching all the way to the sea. Highly extravagant and expressive, it is the perfect illustration of a story written by two people in one of Europe's most breathtaking landscapes.