Malfy Gin con Limone. I first discovered this gin thru Instagram, and when I finally saw it at a local store (for an amazing price, no less), I had to try it out. Wow, this is a truly unique and fabulous product. I talked about it in Malfy G&T, but in short – it’s an Italian-made lemon flavored gin (fresh natural lemon zest flavors, not artificial at all) that is refreshingly fruity and reminiscent of limoncello without the sweetness.

Malfy Gin is made at a family-run distillery in a small town right outside Turin, Italy. Other than the fresh lemons sourced from the Italian Amalfi Coast and Sicily, Malfy con Limone includes Italian juniper and 5 other botanicals. These are definitely all supporting cast to the star of the show here – zesty Italian lemons. This is definitely a fantastic gin for people who “don’t like gin” – you can make anyone a convert.  For the gin traditionalist who loves heavy herbal botanicals and juniper, you won’t get any of that with this. Reset your expectations, and embrace the wonderfully fresh and bright flavors this brings. Bellissimo!

On the history of gin in Italy…though the Dutch are commonly credited with the invention of gin (from its earlier form of genever) in the 17th century, it’s likely that gin was actually created in Italy as early as the 11th century (over 1000 years ago!). Wild juniper (the primary botanical that makes gin gin) was abundant in the area where monks were distilling beverages searching for the elixir of life and cure to all ailments, so it’s not a stretch to think they would have experimented with this combination. Drink gin, live long and prosper.