Twelve Keys Gin

From Twelve Keys comes a small-batch dry gin that was inspired by the great alchemists in history and the pursuit of the Philosopher’s Stone (nothing to do with a certain forehead-scarred child wizard). The name was taken from the alchemic work of Basil Valentine, specifically his Twelve Keys text, which dates back to 1599.

In this text, each of the twelve keys are an allegorical description of a single step in the process to potentially create the Philosopher’s Stone. The symbolic names used to indicate the critical ingredients are changed with each step, just as the ingredients themselves are transformed. To mirror this, founder Matthew Clifford used twelve botanicals, juniper, cinnamon, orris, angelica, frankincense, caraway seeds, gentian root, honey (from Clifford's farm in Norfolk), basil, apricots, quince and figs, to reflect each of the twelve keys.

These botanicals are divided and distilled into four equal quarters, one of which is linked to Bacchus (Roman god of agriculture, wine and fertility), one to Persia (said to be the home of alchemy and advanced distillation), one to the early medicinal scripture of the Benedictine monks and one to ritualistic use of juniper by Cathar priests.

It's all very complex, sure, but the result is ultimately a very tasty gin with an interesting story that you can can explore for yourselves.