Wajos Indian Summer Gin. Pumpkin, walnut leaves, orange, grape and ginger, 42 percent – the gin for the weeks between late summer and the first frost.

Wajos Indian Summer Gin is a 42 percent alcohol gin whose botanicals are characterized not only by juniper but also by pumpkin, walnut leaves, orange, grape, and ginger, 500 ml from Dohr on the Moselle. Not a liqueur, not a sweet autumn punch, and not a flavored fruit gin, but a dry gin with an autumnal character, neat or with tonic. Contains sulfites. 18 and older.

Indian Summer Gin by Wajos is made for those evenings when it's still warm enough for the patio, but the air already smells of fallen leaves. A summer gin suddenly tastes too light, a Christmas gin is still too early – and that is exactly the gap filled by a bottle containing pumpkin, walnut leaves, orange, and ginger. A glass with ice, a tonic, an orange slice, a blanket over your knees. For us, this is the gin for October: for the first evening the stove is turned on, and for the guests coming over for pumpkin dinner.

Juniper and orange up front, ginger for warmth, walnut leaf for a tart finish

When poured, the gin initially smells of juniper and orange, followed by something green and tart coming from the walnut leaves. On the tongue, at 42 percent, it is powerful yet rounded: the pumpkin provides a quiet, earthy sweetness, the grape a bit of fruit, and the ginger a warmth that lingers in the finish. It remains dry, however – free of sugar and syrupy notes. Wajos keeps the other botanicals a secret; these five autumnal ones are the ones you will recognize. The gin contains sulfites. It is not suitable for those expecting a classic, citrus-forward London Dry – in that case, the Botanical Gin is the more straightforward choice.

In a tonic with orange, neat on ice, in an autumn cocktail

A Gin and Tonic is the simplest way: four centiliters of gin, a mild or dry tonic, plenty of ice, a slice of orange or a piece of ginger. Neat and lightly chilled, it most clearly reveals its ingredients – a small glass after pumpkin risotto. As a cocktail, it works well in a sour with lemon and a little maple syrup, or in a Mule with ginger beer and lime, where the ginger in the gin doubles the ginger in the glass. One glass is the idea, the bottle stays in the cupboard – and the car stays parked after the drink. It is not suitable for sweet, fruity summer cocktails with syrup and juice: the tart autumn notes feel out of place there.

Our tip: Indian Summer Gin with Botanical Tonic Syrup, sparkling water, ice, and an orange zest – the Gin and Tonic we mix by the fire pit in autumn.

A gin from the Moselle, where spirits began

At Wajos, gin is a continuation of the business where everything started: Walter Josef Oster, from a winemaking family in Ediger-Eller with 15 generations of viticulture, founded a liqueur manufactory next to the winery in the 1980s. Starting in the 2000s, his son Peter Oster and Ulf Schwichtenberg built the Wajos brand in Dohr near Cochem from this foundation – with over 80 employees, stores across Germany, and their own laboratory. The fact that this gin features grape as a botanical is logical for a house with wine roots.

The gin for autumn, for gin collectors, and as an October gift

The Indian Summer Gin is the bottle for anyone who already has a summer and a winter gin and wants to fill the season in between. As a gift, it is perfect for an autumn birthday or as a host gift for a pumpkin dinner; the winter version is our Christmas Gin; all gins can be found on our Wajos page. 500 milliliters are enough for about twelve Gin and Tonics; store in a dry place away from heat and light. The gin is not suitable for anyone under 18 or for those who must avoid sulfites.

Pumpkin, walnut leaves, orange, grape and ginger, 42 percent – the gin from the Moselle for the weeks when the air smells of fallen leaves.