The man behind the product is Stig Bareksten, the founder and owner of OSS Craft Distillery situated just outside Bergen, in Flesland, Norway. Aside from gin, it also produces aquavit, whisky, vodka and fruit liqueurs.
Bareksten Botanical Gin features “bright zesty green juniper and pine aromas layered with red berries and earthy spice…and a very smooth palate with a touch of sweet wood, cinnamon and citrus”. It contains 26 different botanicals, 19 of which are locally sourced such as wild berry, lingonberry, blueberry, rhubarb, elderflower and rosehip.
“I wanted to define the essence of Norwegian gin, using the fantastic raw materials from our nature. Here in Scandinavia, we’re using smaller stills and local botanicals to create a richer gin with more flavour that reflects the Scandinavian taste palette.” Stig Bareksten
Bareksten Botanical Gin is distilled like a traditional London Dry Gin, using single shot distillation with added water. However, Bareksten also uses a modern method, adding citric orange and lime, as well as rhubarb, mint and flower aromas, via a vapor head. The botanicals are steeped in low alcohol content to optimize the richness of their flavors. During the distillation, the richness from the berries is transferred into the still, giving the gin a different mouthfeel from that of traditional gin.
Stig’s background in the drink industry includes working as a bartender across various cities (in Norway and London in the UK), for companies such as Maxxium and Det Norske Brenneri as well as being part owner of Broker restaurant in Oslo. However his desire to start his own distillery coupled with his focus on the Norwegian fauna with routes in the Norwegian Norrona history, led ultimately to the creation of Bareksten Botanical Gin.
Stig is also happy to admit that the profile of his gin today was part of a journey that started with Det Norske Brenneri: Bareksten botanical gin is the 3.0 version. It is all about the Nordic DNA.
“Gin needs to be dry and bitter. If you get that balance right, it’s a good gin.” Stig Bareksten
For Reference – Gin Foundry feature on Bareksten Gin
For Reference – Q&A with Stig Bareksten
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