Canning's - from the distillery

The blog.

Stories and guides from Ribeira Brava: the island, its botanicals, and how to drink them.

A slender sprig of laurel leaves against a pale background

The Laurissilva, and the gin made from it

The Laurissilva is Madeira's UNESCO laurel forest, and Canning's Dry Gin is built on botanicals native to it. What the forest is, and how it reaches the glass.

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People at a cliffside terrace bar above the sea at sunset on Madeira

What to drink in Madeira

What to drink in Madeira: poncha, Madeira wine, a Nikita, a Coral and the island's own gin. A local guide to the drinks worth ordering by name.

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A coral-red gin cocktail over ice cubes with a tangerine twist, in a highball glass

Pitanga cocktails: mixing a fruit you cannot buy

Fresh pitanga never reaches the shops, so a pitanga cocktail starts with a gin distilled with the fruit. Serves and recipes from Canning's, Madeira.

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The award-winning Portuguese gins with an IWSC Gold

Only three Portuguese gins hold a verified IWSC Gold - Azor in 2017, Canning's in 2018 and Balancal in 2024 - and two are distilled on Madeira.

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Friends talking over drinks on a cliffside terrace above the sea at sunset

Madeira Wine Festival 2026: what to expect

The Madeira Wine Festival runs 23 August to 13 September 2026 - the Wine Lounge in Funchal, and the traditional grape treading in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos.

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A ribbed red pitanga fruit hanging from a leafy branch

What is the pitanga fruit?

The pitanga fruit - the Surinam cherry - is a small ribbed berry that ripens deep red: delicately tart, lively, and a botanical in Canning's Madeira gin.

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