In the beer stronghold of Franconia, a small distillery is dedicated entirely to gin. Luebke & Sohn Distillers produces their recipe using the London Dry Gin method. A regional hop variety gives this premium spirit an exceptionally Franconian aroma. 

A conversation with Patrick Lübcke of Shadows Franconian Dry Gin

Patrick, which botanical is hidden behind Mandarina Bavaria?

That is a special variety of hops that does not taste classically bitter, but fruity. This so-called aroma hop is purely natural and not an artificial flavoring. People are familiar with the citrus-like taste from craft beer. Cascade aroma hops, for example, have an intense citrus taste, while Mandarina Bavaria, as the name suggests, has a pronounced tangerine note. It is our most important botanical, and we have integrated it harmoniously into our composition. We source it directly from Franconian Switzerland, so Mandarina Bavaria also stands for our roots. 

We learned how to make gin on a mini-still.

Why create a regional gin in the beer stronghold of Franconia? 

Yes, Franconians usually drink beer or fruit brandy. There is a distillery in almost every town here. But my father and I are absolute gin lovers, and we focus one hundred percent on our creation. We have been on the market for two and a half years. However, our backstory already began in 2016. My father and I attended a gin seminar in Austria. We started from scratch there and learned on a mini-still what gin is and how to produce it professionally. After that, we were constantly busy with gin. The idea of a small-scale craft manufactory had always inspired us, and at some point, we just got started. First, we had to get a still, then obtain permits and start a company. There was quite a lot to overcome, but we were enthusiastic about the project. At the same time, our hobby became our profession.

So, was founding Shadows Franconian Dry Gin a jump in at the deep end for you?

Yes, it was. Distilling doesn't run in our family. I studied mechanical engineering and am now operating a small still (laughs). I couldn't apply my knowledge directly, but rather learned how to distill step by step. Now I know how to operate my machine correctly. 

Father and son. Who does what among you?

Well, I am the managing director and responsible for the operational business. But Luebke & Sohn Distillers is definitely a family business. I create new recipes together with my father, and the whole family does the tasting. There are always critical voices, and that is helpful. When help is needed, my mother supports me in production. For financial or strategic decisions, I sit down with my father, as he has experience in that area.

For the recipe, you have to experiment with the proportions and try things out.

How long did you tinker with your original recipe?

We had already dealt with classic botanicals even before the gin seminar and experimented directly with hops. That way, we arrived surprisingly quickly at a harmonious recipe that we used as our guide. After about 13 of our own distillation runs, we had the perfect recipe: a gin that we can drink for the rest of our lives!

But that was, of course, a longer process, because you cannot scale from a small to a large still. You have to adjust the proportions precisely, and you can only manage that by trying things out and experimenting. For example, cloves can quickly develop a penetrating aroma in the recipe if the dosage is too high.

There is a plethora of gins on the market. What generally makes a good gin?

The foundation is formed by a high-quality neutral alcohol that is distilled multiple times and obtained, for example, by filtering through activated charcoal. In the second step, the producer should process the botanicals fresh and grind them. This automatically makes additional flavors and sugar superfluous. In terms of quality, you are then dealing with a well-crafted gin. The aroma should be harmonious, but taste is always subjective as well. 

Why is the London Dry Gin method non-negotiable for you? 

The London Dry Gin method is the supreme discipline in gin production and is precisely defined in the spirits regulation. In this process, the gin is produced in a single production run and only brought down to drinking strength. It is a pure distillate based on natural ingredients. Flavors, extracts, and sugar are not permitted. The London Dry Gin method is similar to the Purity Law for beer and fulfills our standards. From the very beginning, we wanted to work without subsequent flavoring. That is a challenge that we enjoy.

Inferior gins are often made with sugar, artificial flavors, and extracts. That might taste good, but the craftsmanship is lost in the process. We process our ingredients fresh. This gives us a natural product, and the original character of the gin is preserved.

Our Shadows Gin is full-bodied, complex, and rich.

Which other botanicals are important for your composition, and how does the maceration take place?

Juniper has a present note in our gin. For many producers, the typical taste is no longer in the foreground. But we wanted a classic gin and process the juniper fresh for an intense aroma. And as I said, the aroma hops are extremely important in our composition. Besides that, we use botanical basics like coriander seeds, angelica root, or lavender. With our White Shadows Gin, we highlight the citrus note. Besides lemon, lemongrass freshens up the recipe with a mint note.

Our Shadows Classic tastes exceptionally harmonious, and the botanicals do not stand out individually. It covers all flavor profiles: spicy, fruity, citrusy, and floral. The harmonious composition is full-bodied, complex, and rich. We don't reveal the exact proportions, of course.

How does the maceration work?

We macerate the majority of our botanicals for 24 hours. This includes robust ingredients like pepper, juniper, woods, nutmeg, or cinnamon. The neutral alcohol dissolves the aromatic substances. For softer fruit pieces or fruit peels, this form of flavoring would be too strong. Therefore, we only add orange, lemon, and raspberry during the distillation process. 

Tip: You can find more about the production of gin in our Gin Guide.

Why does Shadows Franconian Dry Gin age for several weeks?

Gin does not have to age, and many producers do not do it. But the longer our Shadows stands, the more harmoniously its taste develops. Therefore, our gin rests for 12 weeks in flavor-neutral stainless steel tanks. The alcohol taste and the ethereal citrus notes become softer and milder. 

Where do you source botanicals and ingredients from? 

We source the fresh umbels of our aroma hops directly from Franconian Switzerland. Usually, the producer sells them as pellets. But we wanted the hops unprocessed with their full aroma. We receive botanicals like lemon, ginger, and orange from the wholesale market in Nuremberg. Of course, such ingredients do not grow in Franconia; depending on the season, they come from Italy or Spain. In addition, we work with regional herb traders. For special spices like cubeb pepper, it took longer until we found a reliable supplier online. Cubeb pepper tastes fruity and is not as hot as classic pepper. But generally, we source our botanicals regionally whenever possible. 

We don't scrimp on ingredients in our small batches.

And then you produce Shadows Franconian Dry Gin in small batches?

With every distillation run, we produce approximately 100 bottles of 500 ml each. Compared to large producers, we are, of course, a very small distillery. But the effort for our production is worth it, and we are currently at a good size and still have capacity for expansion. We don't scrimp on ingredients in our small batches and thus create an especially intense aroma. 

An eagle owl adorns your logo. What is the story behind the design?

We take our inspiration from the moonshiners who illegally distilled their booze in the forest during the time of American Prohibition. As a nocturnal and mysterious animal, the owl is the perfect connection to the bootleggers of that time. But with us, everything is registered, of course. And the eagle owl also exists in Franconia, and it fits metaphorically with our castle ruins and caves. 

What are your plans for the future?

We definitely want to expand our gin range with other unusual creations. Since we launched our first Shadows Gin in the middle of Corona, we were previously able to do little in the event sector. We want to change that now. Currently, we are strongly represented regionally, but in the future, we want to look for cooperation partners supra-regionally as well, including within the EU. Austria is the obvious first choice for that. 

A complex, full-bodied gin engages every taste bud.

How do you taste gin correctly?

A gin should be tasted neat and at room temperature, because certain aromas are lost when cold. Those who are knowledgeable can taste many botanicals directly. You take a small sip and spread the gin on your tongue. Then you exhale through your nose. A complex, full-bodied gin engages every taste bud: sweet, citrus, and a little bit of heat. Beginners often find gin too harsh at first, and there you can, of course, add some tonic or an ice cube.

What is your favorite cocktail with Shadows Franconian Dry Gin?

I am a classic Gin and Tonic drinker. Very puristic with a slice of lemon. That always works. I also like to drink our Black Shadows in a Negroni with a slice of orange. In the summer, I enjoy our Shadows Franconian Dry Gin Iced as a Gin Fizz. That brings out the citrus note particularly well. That is a real kick of freshness!