Restinga, a delicious and authentic Gin from Argentina

Restinga is, by far, the best Argentine gin. It’s a relatively new company, founded in 2015 after one of its owners visited some of the best gin distilleries in the UK.

From that moment, they have been growing steadily and firmly, producing a high-quality gin and improving their distillery. They have also proved to be a company with continuous innovation. A ceramic bottle and bags to top it up, a “duo pack” containing two small bottles with different flavours, a “gin kit box” with botanicals and tools for your cocktail, a mobile bar with gin on tap, are some of their new ideas.

Moreover, every year they produce a new seasonal flavour, and last year they made a ready to drink Negroni, which we personally tested and was delicious.

History

Mar del Plata’s Lighthouse

Restinga is a word in Spanish to define a rocky prominence in the sea, which is the product of the continuation of a mountain range system called Tandilia, which ends up offshore, at around 600 metres from the coast of Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Due to these rocky formations, a lighthouse was built there to alert ships. However; several shipwrecks have been registered; being the English ship James Clunies in 1949 the last one.

The surroundings bring inspiration to the gin producers. Sandy beaches, forests, algae and lots of marine life. Moreover, the fertile lands near the city are excellent to produce organic botanicals.

Gin

Its notes from the experts: “On the nose, juniper and floral, with notes of pepper, lemongrass, orange and kumquat. The aroma has a coastal touch that is reminiscent of the stones washed by the ocean tide. A sparkle of citrus and juniper notes are complemented by a hint of laurel and cardamom. This combination delivers an elegant, fresh-tasting experience that rounds off the taste sensation with a light touch of sea salt.”

The gin is produced from a 100% grain alcohol (malt and corn), with two distillations incorporating 9 botanicals, to finally be rested until is ready to go.

Those 9 botanicals are the following: Juniper, Grapefruit, Lemon, Kumquat, Basil, Bay, Cardamom and Jamaican Pepper.

Distillery

Restinga’s distillery, 60 km from Mar del Plata
Restinga’s main copper alembic

We had the pleasure to visit their distillery a number of times. It is located next to a town named Coronel Vidal, which is 60 km away from Mar del Plata, on the popular Route No 2 which connects it with Buenos Aires, Argentine’s capital.

We have witnessed their growth and improvement, and we have been testing their gin since they started, which has also improved a lot.

Their production remains small, keeping high-quality standards and awaiting to conclude and secure some new investments. They have also recently signed a contract with an Irish company to take the gin to the UK and the rest of the World.

They produced 20,000 litres last year, plus 10,000 of a gin called “Gin Comunal”, in association with Patagonia Cerveceria. On top of that, last year they donated 9,000 litres of alcohol (70%) to be used as sanitiser to combat Covid-19.

Map

More Pictures

Decorations in their distillery
Distillery’s tap room
Restinga’s mobile bar, which includes gin on tap

More Information

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