First Impressions
Gin Mare is a gin that polarises people, and I find that exciting. When you pour a spirit that contains arbequina olive alongside basil, rosemary, and thyme, you've made a deliberate choice to go somewhere unconventional. This is a gin that smells like a Mediterranean herb garden after rain, and it tastes like one too. If you approach it expecting a classic London Dry experience, you'll be bewildered. Approach it on its own terms, and you'll find one of the most characterful gins produced anywhere in the world.
The distinctive cobalt-blue bottle sits on many a bar shelf these days, and deservedly so. This is a gin with a clear identity and the confidence to commit to it fully.
The Distillery
Gin Mare is produced in a small fishing village south of Barcelona, in a former chapel that's been converted into a distillery. The production method is notable for its patience: each key botanical — olive, thyme, rosemary, and basil — is macerated individually for up to 36 hours before distillation. This extended maceration extracts deeper, more rounded flavours than a simple vapour infusion would achieve.
The arbequina olives are sourced from local groves and distilled whole, which contributes the savoury, almost briny quality that defines Gin Mare's character. It's the kind of creative botanical choice that raises eyebrows in the gin world, but the Spanish team behind this brand have always been more interested in the flavours of their coast than in conforming to Anglo-Saxon gin conventions.
Tasting
The nose is immediately savoury and herbal. Fresh basil hits first — not the dried, dusty kind but the bright, peppery character of leaves just torn from the plant. Rosemary follows, adding depth and an almost resinous quality. The arbequina olive makes itself known as a subtle brine note, savoury and intriguing. Thyme, warm cardamom, and a whisper of citrus complete the picture, with juniper playing a subtle, structural role. If you've ever sat at an outdoor table in Catalonia with olive oil, bread, and herbs — that's what this nose evokes.
The palate delivers on the nose's promise. There's a genuine olive oil richness here, a savouriness that's completely unique in the gin world. Basil freshness cuts through the richness, while rosemary adds earthy depth. Cardamom provides warm spice that bridges the herbal and citrus elements, and juniper — while not dominant — provides enough backbone to keep this reading as gin rather than herbed vodka. The mouthfeel at 42.7% is smooth and slightly oily, which suits the Mediterranean character perfectly.
The finish is medium-long, with herbs persisting alongside olive brine and a warm cardamom-citrus close. It's a finish that makes you think about food, which is entirely the point.
How to Drink It
Gin Mare practically demands a Mediterranean tonic serve. Use Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic, a sprig of rosemary, and a green olive. This is not a gimmick — the olive in the G&T genuinely works, amplifying the gin's savoury character in the way a lemon wedge amplifies a citrusy gin. It's a serve I first encountered in Barcelona and have been evangelising ever since.
In cocktails, Gin Mare is exceptional in a Dirty Martini (the olive notes reinforce the olive brine beautifully) and surprisingly effective in a Negroni, where the herbal complexity creates something more layered than a standard version. It also makes a stunning Gimlet with a basil leaf muddled into the lime cordial.
The Bottom Line
Gin Mare earns its 8 by daring to be different and executing that difference with skill. At $38, it's well-priced for a gin that offers a genuinely unique experience. It won't please purists who want juniper front and centre, and it shouldn't try to. This is a gin for cooks, for Mediterranean food lovers, for anyone who believes that savoury and spirit can coexist beautifully. If you've never tried a savoury gin, start here. You might never look at the category the same way again.
