I went to school in Rochester, NY and as a result have fond memories of my days living there. Going back and forth to Albany, NY, I frequently make stops to explore what’s available in the local market that I can’t find in Ohio. Among the products I brought back with me, is Flower City Gin.
Made by the now defunct Honeoye Falls Distillery, Flower City Gin was a well received gin in reviews. Reviewers enjoyed the emphasis on floral notes and praised the price. Sadly this praise never seems to have translated into success for the distillery, and what’s left is a handful of bottles, including this one in my collection from back when they were operating. So it is worth trying to seek out?
Flower City Gin
Sight: Clear
Smell: The nose is as implied, very floral, with notes of violets, roses, and honeysuckle. Beyond the veritable florist’s shop of flowers begin notes of exotic spice, a touch of cassia bark, and juniper notes. The nose clearly demonstrates a more contemporary approach. A hint of citrus pith or greenery finishes things off.
Sip: The start is smooth, and then unexpectedly quite spicy. There’s a fair amount of cassia bark, grains of paradise, and other exotic notes that take over the palate. These remain balanced with a surprising amount of sweetness to counterbalance. As the spice fades, violets, carnations, and roses come into the picture with a juniper backbone.
Savor: Transitioning to the finish it picks up an almost pink peppercorn like character which balances against a juniper and floral profile. The finish is relatively short lived, but lingers with some spice.
Flower City Gin is surprisingly floral and complicated for its price point. The flavor of juniper reminds you that this is in fact gin, but the floral and spice notes drag it far away from traditional London Dry territory. The result is a slightly sweet, floral, and spicy gin that’s pleasant to sip, but also seems ready to play well with other ingredients.
In Cocktails
In a Martini Flower City Gin does exactly what it does on its own, it brings the spice. The same exotic spices punch out against the back drop of the herbal character of vermouth. The vermouth herbal notes also give room to amplify with the floral elements. The overall drink is smooth, but it feels as though this would work better in a Negroni. Trying it in s Negroni leads to a more amplified spice and bitter profile, but it works well with the warm flavors of the sweet vermouth. The only slight issue is that the naturally sweet nature of the gin doubles down here, making the Negroni a bit sweeter than usual.
In Review – Flower City Gin
Flower City Gin is a particularly interesting gin, but one that lends its own character to the drinks you make with it. The biggest struggle here is that it would alienate traditional gin drinkers. The balance is also slightly sweet. Given the price point of $20 or under, Flower City Gin is certainly worth a flyer for fans of Aviation Gin. That said, it’s no where near as composed as Aviation, and will take some balancing for crafting with. Combined with Honeoye Falls Distillery closing, Flower City Gin is now a discontinued bottle, we recommend you try a bottle if you find it on clearance, but don’t go out of your way to try to find one.