It all starts with a berry…

The origin of gin: the juniper berry

Even before gin became a bar staple, it all started with a small wild berry : juniper. Or rather, the juniper berry .

This fruit, which is not a berry in the botanical sense but a fleshy cone, comes from the juniper , a hardy shrub found growing wild throughout the northern hemisphere: in Europe, Asia, and as far away as North America.

It is often harvested wild, especially in mountainous or wooded regions – in Europe, areas such as the Alps, the Carpathians or Scandinavia are rich in it.

Historically, juniper berry has been used since ancient times : the Egyptians used it for its medicinal properties, the Greeks to purify the air, and the Romans... to make a substitute for pepper!

But it was in the Middle Ages that it took a central place in medicinal recipes, often infused in alcohol. And this is where the history of gin gently begins...

Its taste? Resinous, woody, a little peppery… with notes of pine and sometimes lemon. It's this complexity that makes it the essential base for gin, even today.

At Panda, we respect this origin while exploring other aromatic horizons, but always with juniper berry as the starting point.