Asbury Park Distilling Co. Gin, New Jersey, USA

An award-winning high-end Gin for your cocktails.

Asbury Park Distilling opened on Memorial Day weekend in 2017. It’s the brainchild and passion of six co-owners lead by Zack Ohebshalom. Master Distiller Bill Tambussi has a masters degree in distilling from the internationally-respected Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, and did his apprenticeship work in Philadelphia before coming to Ashbury Park. As you would expect, their first offerings were Vodka and Gin. But not that there is a bit of time on their side, they have released a Barrel Finished Gin and a Double Barrel Bourbon. The distillery and tasting room are right downtown and they use a custom-made combination still — half pot still, half column still — that lets them do all their work in one.

Asbury Park Distilling Gin is crafted from grain and an exclusive blend of botanicals. We’ll tell you this much, there’s juniper, coriander, angelica root, borage, sweet orange peel, lemon peel, and cardamom in there. Weighing in at 86 proof, the nose might be very juniper-forward but the palate brings forward more white pepper, borage, cardamom, and plenty of pepper. This medium-bodied Gin is excellent for cocktails as it won’t get drown out by your mixers. Oh, and let’s not forget: it won Double Gold and Best Of Class at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.