A summer friendly gin from Texas.
Seersucker Original Gin Review
Made in: San Antonio, Texas, USA, by Seersucker Distillery
Base: Grain
Method: Copper Pot Distilled.
42% alcohol/84 proof
Botanicals (7): Juniper, mint, clove honey, lemon, lime, cardamom, coriander.
Style: Modern gin.
When I came across the name Seersucker on a list of gins it caught my eye. But when I saw their slogan “Southern Style Gin” it made a lot of sense. After all, Seersucker clothing came out of the south of the United States, and the pattern of seersucker, with tight stripes is right on the bottle of every bottle of Seersucker gin. The bottle looks a little bland compared to others in the gin market, but it’s not what’s on the label, but what’s in the bottle that counts.
Made in Texas and boasting that being made with honey and mint would make this one of the most flavorful gins you ever taste, worried me a bit. But one of my favorite gins, Himbrimi, uses honey as a key ingredient, and I've enjoyed lots of gins made with mint.
Tasting notes
This is a\]] gin designed to be sipped. In fact so much so that the distiller suggests serving it on the rocks or with soda. Low heat, plenty of flavor, but oddly delicate.
On the nose this gin is very citrus forward with a small degree of menthol and just a hint of juniper.
Not surprisingly the taste of the gin matches the olfactory notes in the profile. There is a lot of citrus, both bright and bitter, with lemon, orange and yuzu-like tang followed by a delightfully mild but pleasant sweet minty taste, then finishes with touches of lemon blossom, juniper, and a modicum of black pepper. It’s both flavor forward, and delightfully delicate at the same time.
The mouthfeel is slightly oily, light, and cool on the tongue.
Mixability:
It’s really wonderful on the rocks and or with a touch of soda, but how well does it mix?
Seersucker Original can’t do everything as I quickly found out. It’s fine in a very dry martini, citrusy, and minty, but drier the better. BUT take note -the more dry vermouth I tried it with, the less I enjoyed it. So it’s not best in a classic martini, but is solid in a Perfect Martini (equal parts of dry and sweet vermouth) and should be good in certain flavored ones.
For a gin and tonic I was a bit confounded. Just what tonic would go well with the sweetness of the Seersucker, and it’s citrus/mint base. In the end I decided on Fentimans traditional tonic water. It wasn’t a great choice, as the bitterness of that tonic, just completely washed out the delicate botanical mixture of the gin, so I decided to try it with some Jack Ruby extra bitter tonic. To be fair I liked it a lot more with this, and the citrus, with just hints of the mint still peeking through. That I would drink again.
For a more complex cocktail I went to Seersucker’s webpage for a suggestion and since I wasn’t going to open a bottle of champagne tonight I decided to make Southsider. It was a nice one where the mint elevated the cocktail well. With the flavor profile I’d like to think this would be very good in an Aviation, Basil Smash, or a Last Word.
Overall
Sometimes the word different is used a bit too easily, for things with slight differences, but in this case we are talking about a gin that is VERY different from traditional gin. It’s light, refreshing, and designed in such a way that unlike most gins, it really doesn’t call for mixers.
While it’s not overly complex, it’s fun and remarkably easy drinking. I could see this as a staple of summer parties, and as an alternative to the mint julep on Derby Day.
This is an excellent choice for people who don’t normally like gin, and could definitely act as a gateway gin for those looking to try something new.
Seersucker also makes three other Southern style gins which I will look forward to tasting.
Flavor profile
spice 2/5
herbal: 4/5
Juniper 2/5
Floral 2/5
Citrus 45
Heat 2/5
Overall rating: 83
What you need to know about reviews: All my reviews are my honest opinions based upon my own personal tasting. I am NOT a paid reviewer, and no compensation was given, or expected. I may from time to time choose to do a second review and amend my opinion of a product, should I feel like it and find my review criteria has evolved, or that I’ve found it different at a later date. That said, as I’m unlikely to repurchase anything I thought was less than very good to excellent, it would be by chance or at the request of a distiller who thought I rated them very unfairly - BUT even then, whatever you get will always be my honest opinion.