Artisanal gin is a trend in Romania. Three domestic producers who have invested in this drink explain whether Romanian gin can grow, as it happened in the case of craft beer.​

In the People of the City weekend series, we try to explore the world of bars and restaurants in big cities through stories about the places and people that represent the area.

When we talk about gins, it cannot be said that there are any traditions in the production of this type of drink in our country. As for spirits, we have others to boast of abroad. In fact, many of those who prefer gin do not know that there are also some premium Romanian brands that far surpass the quality of some of the famous foreign brands that can be found in supermarkets.

“If we look at other parts of the world that usually give ‘the exact time’ on these trends, we’re probably about five to seven years behind.”

Stefan Barbulescu. PHOTO: Ștefan Bărbulescu/ Personal archive

Pușcalupi was only launched this year and, at least locally in Transylvania, it quickly became very popular and spread to specialty bars and cafes.

Stefan Barbulescu is the founder of this brand and says that the gin craze started many years ago. Considering that Barcei County has a long history of botany (the first owner of the Mălăieşti hut, the one who also gave the name to Pușcalupi gin, was the one who guided the famous botanist J. Roemer in compiling the most extensive botanical work on Barcei County), he thought it strange that that there was not even a local brand of gin.

“Even though it was unusual, I didn’t start Pușcălupi Single Shot Dry Gin with a business plan on paper, because I would probably stop before I started,” says Stefan.

As for how profitable the craft gin business is, Stefan says it’s too early to discuss that aspect, given that Pușcalupi Single Shot Dry Gin has only been available to the public for a few months.

“We cannot compete with the big global beverage companies on market share, only on quality and integrity. But looking at the overwhelmingly positive feedback I’ve received so far from HoReCa partners, specialty stores and the end consumer, I think we were already expected when we arrived,” says Štefan.

The founder also adds that his personal impression is that, although the local public is strongly beer-oriented, the gin consumer niche is on the rise. The same percentage of those who crave new products and are interested in unusual products made not far from their places of origin.

“But if we look at other parts of the world that usually give the ‘exact time’ in these trends, we are probably about five to seven years behind,” says Stefan.

Gin is not as easy to produce as other alcoholic beverages, but the legislative and authorization component was called the most difficult by the founder of Pușcalupi.

“Obviously there is a production component, but I don’t see it as a thorn in my side right now. The recipe creation process, standard operating procedures, scaling them up were real challenges that spanned a long period of time. Now we just need time and financial resources,” he says.

When starting this business, Stefan wanted to produce better gin than any other he had experienced up to that point – somewhere around 50 brands. Then he wanted to be really personal and very honest.

“The production method chosen, this one-off, is very resource-intensive and has a relatively low yield — again, we’re talking up to 100 bottles in a single distillation cycle.

Basically, we make a product out of fire, with all the ingredients beautifully placed in the same cauldron, under the influence of energy. I believe that this is the only way we can get such an intense and rounded product. There are, of course, the selected plant components, their proportions and the chosen way of processing them – there are already many variables that combine to form a special product.

And so far we have only talked about liquid. We complement this experience with a brand image that fully reflects the talent of the locals, who honor us with their involvement and enthusiasm for Pușcalupi Single Shot Dry Gin,” says Štefan.

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I’m also interested to hear from the source about gin trends:

“Today, the most consumed drink in the world is the famous gin and tonic. It’s probably been 10-15 years since markets with anything more than local laugh about dry gin consumption, but even there, some studies say it’s no more than 15-20%.

Also at the level of the trend that is highlighted externally, I notice an increased inclination towards “colored” gins and endless combinations of equally flavored tonic waters. The local market is also following this trend. I look at these market-relevant products from one perspective and call them ‘gateway gins’, attractive and easier-to-consume products that capture other drinkers and bring them into the gin category.

Eh, after you’ve been enjoying gin for a while, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t start drinking dry gins, whether classic or ‘new wave’. And then, if you still have access to some products in small batches and near the place of your birth – only a subjective matter of taste should keep you from such a product,” says Stefan.

“The population in Romania started to consume quality gin and the gin culture increased, hence the consumption”

Alexandru Haite is a farmer from Teleorman, who considered opening a distillery as a supplement to the farm’s activities. This is how dry gin #4 Magura Zamfirei turned out.

“I liked the idea of ​​making distilled gin and the fact that it allows you to mix all kinds of herbs, fruits and flowers. It is almost impossible for a master distiller to produce a product that is identical to another, you have a unique product,” says Haita about the choice to produce such strength. He also says that the initial investment was 200,000 euros, and he hopes that it will pay off in five to six years. However, he does not know how beneficial it will be in the long run:

“All I know is that we are one of the few distilleries that produce gin and, as far as I know, we produced the first craft gin in Romania. It is good that the population of Romania has started to consume quality gin and the culture of gin is growing and so is the consumption.”

When the recipe is developed, there is nothing complicated, says Alexandru Heite. However, developing a recipe can take, as in his case, two years, as it involves a lot of research into the taste and aroma of the plants and the rest of the ingredients used.

“Then the difference is made by the person who distills and sets the still, and where he wants to separate the fractions of the distillate, hence the unique product. The first gin released by the Măgura Zamfirei distillery is a distilled gin, a London dry gin with citrus notes, subtle aromas of blackberry, black rowan, hibiscus flowers, which gives a very soft taste and aftertaste, we had people who would not believe the blind tasting that it’s gin,” says Haita.

Regarding Romanians’ drinking preferences, representatives of Măgura Zamfirei say that they have noticed that gin and tonic remains the most popular, but they have also noticed an increase in more complex cocktails, with more special ingredients and flavors.

“We like to drink gin with a bit of ice or mixed with a little tonic water, too much and you risk losing the flavor completely”

Jim Turnbull. PHOTO: Jim Turnbull/ Personal Archive

Caspers is another special Romanian gin produced in Sashiza. While most gins are made from pre-distilled alcohol along with juniper and other herbs, Kaspers gin starts with elderflowers that are fermented and then double distilled.

Ten botanicals are then added, seven of which are commonly used in gin. Then goes to the third race.

Jim Turnbull is a Scotsman who founded a company in the village of Mures called Pivnița Bunicii, through which he developed several local products: jams, honey, juices, all kinds of sauces and, since 2019, Kaspers artisanal gin.

The recipe for this special gin was created in 2016 at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, in the Department of Distillation and Brewing. Local specialists had the task of inventing a recipe for gin based on elderflowers.

As such, Kaspers became the first micro-distillery in Romania to be licensed to produce an elderflower spirit, and as far as Jim knows, it will also be the only elderflower distillery in the world.

“There are a few elderflower gins on the market, but they are usually made by infusing elderflower alcohol. We had already made elderberry syrup, distilled it into brandy, but he was not interested – the men did not drink it, because it was not made from plums.

And even if women liked it, they weren’t big consumers. Gin sales have skyrocketed in Western Europe, so my first thoughts in 2014 were to make elderflower gin for export to the UK.

However, when we got the license for the distillery, gin became quite popular in Romania as well. So we started focusing on the market here,” Jim Turnbull says of the beginning.

However, even he cannot estimate how profitable the elderberry gin business will be, because after the launch of the Kaspers brand, a pandemic came, which turned everything upside down, and only this year they began to promote everything properly.

As for how to drink craft gin, Jim Turnbull says it should be enjoyed in the same way as single malt whisky. “We like to drink our gin over ice or mixed with a little tonic water, too much and you risk losing the gin flavor entirely,” he says.

• Also from the “People of the City” series, also read: Four women who launched successful microbreweries talk about a taboo topic: why does society associate beer only with men? “More and more “sisters” are rushing to craft beer”