Canning's - distilled in Ribeira Brava, Madeira
Madeira gin.
Madeira is known for its wine. It also makes gin. Canning's is a dry gin distilled on the island itself, from Madeira's own water and botanicals - made there, not just flavoured to taste of the place.
Juniper opens it; passion fruit and pitanga follow; the pure water of the Madeira mountains gives it a slightly earthy depth. Bottled at 40%, in small batches.
What makes it a Madeira gin
Not the label - the source. The botanicals come from the Laurissilva, the ancient laurel forest that has cloaked Madeira for millions of years and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. The water is drawn from the island's mountains. Passion fruit and pitanga, grown in the island's climate, sit alongside the juniper.
It tastes of where it's from: clean and aromatic, a little earthy underneath, with a long, soft finish.
Distilled in Ribeira Brava
Canning's is made in Ribeira Brava, on the south coast of Madeira, by C.N.A. Companhia Nova de Aguardente. It was first bottled in 2016, but the recipe rests on the accumulated experience of four generations of distillers.
Every run is a small batch, not a production line.
Gold in London
Blind-tasted at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2018, Canning's took a Gold Medal and was named among the 21 best gins in the world. In 2023 it took Silver at the International Spirits Challenge.
How to drink it
As a gin and tonic: about one part Canning's to three of tonic (Fever-Tree Mediterranean is our pick) over plenty of ice, with lime zest and a sprig of mint. Clean enough, too, for a Martini.