The fellas behind Bluecoat Gin started out with one thought: that Pennsylvania needed a distillery. Before Prohibition, the state had a plethora of spirits pouring out of it, but from the time of the Noble Experiment until Philadelphia Distilling set up shop in 2005, the craft distilling market was dry as a bone. Rob Cassell, one of the founders of the distillery, had previous experience in brewing (Wayne’s Valley Forge Brewing & Downingtown’s Victory Brewing) and was confused as to why there were so many breweries and so few spirits being produced. After a quick study of distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, finding partners Andrew Auwerda & Tim Yarnall, and acquiring a distilling license, a plan was hatched.

Bluecoat gin was flowing freely out of the distillery by 2006, and was enjoying the trappings of success, winning accolades at home and awards abroad. Bluecoat paved the way for more spirits from Philaelphia: Penn 1681 Vodka, Vieux Carre Absinthe, and XXX Shine Whiskey, respectively. All the spirits have a distinctly American feel, in name and in taste. And why not? U.S. craft spirits market is growing at an exponential rate, and with an ever-increasing demand for home-grown products, Philadelphia Distilling is just what Uncle Sam needs in his glass.

The bottle itself stands out, with it’s brilliant blue color and embossed design on the front. It reads “American Dry Gin” in gold lettering as well, clearly a simultaneous nod and thumb to the Brits as a new take on the classic London Dry. Now available in 29 states, you too can have this pretty bottle grace your liquor shelf at home. It’s delicious too, just in case you were curious. Speaking of which..

Tasting Notes
Soft, citrusy and earthy. Herbal and spicy. Lovely.

Recipes
Gin is THE classic spirit, so there are hundreds, if not thousands, of recipes to choose from. We picked 3 our personal favorites.

Vesper
James Bond’s tragic love. If you can’t find Cocchi Americano, Lillet Blanc will work.

3 oz Bluecoat Gin
1 oz vodka
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano

Shake all ingredients over ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Aviation
A classic, found in the revered Savoy Cocktail Book. Creme de violette is just for color, and can be forgone.

2 1/2 oz Bluecoat Gin
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz creme de violette
1/4 oz maraschino liqueur

Shake all ingredients over ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Corpse Reviver #2
The tastier of the two Corpse Reviver recipes, again Lillet can be substituted for Cocchi if needed.

1 oz Bluecoat Gin
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1 oz lemon juice
3 drops of absinthe

Shake all ingredients over ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Aviation Corpse Reviver gin recipes tasting notes