There are certain gins that announce their origins before you even uncork the bottle. Gin d'Azur is one of them. The name alone conjures the luminous coastline of southern France — the salt-kissed air, the wild herbs clinging to limestone hillsides, the particular quality of light that has drawn artists and dreamers for centuries. Whether or not the liquid inside was distilled within sight of that famous shore, it carries the unmistakable ambition of capturing a place in a glass.
A London Dry With Mediterranean Intentions
Classified as a London Dry, Gin d'Azur sits at a confident 43% ABV — a strength that suggests the distiller wants the botanicals to speak clearly without the burn overwhelming the conversation. London Dry as a category demands juniper-forward character with no added sweetness after distillation, and that rigid framework can either constrain a gin or liberate it. The best London Drys use those rules as a scaffold for something distinctive, and the Provençal name here hints at a botanical bill that likely leans into the herbs and florals of the Midi rather than relying solely on the classic English template.
At £32.95, Gin d'Azur occupies the mid-shelf with quiet confidence — neither bargain nor extravagance. It is a gin that asks to be taken seriously without demanding reverence, and I respect that. My rating of 7.3 out of 10 reflects a well-constructed London Dry that delivers on its Mediterranean promise, though I find myself wishing for just a little more daring in the final pour.
Best served on a warm evening on a south-facing terrace, lengthened with a dry tonic and garnished with a sprig of fresh rosemary and a thin wheel of pink grapefruit.
