Our May 2020 Gin of the Month is from Monaco's first distillery, what a treat!

In their May 2020 Gin of the Month box, we are sending our members the first ever gin to be distilled in Monaco. That’s right, we are whisking them away to that paradise principality that sits between France, Italy and the Mediterranean sea.

This gin is the perfect way to explore the elegance of that iconic land. Let us tell you the wonderful story behind its development!

Since the 1800s, Monaco’s coastal allure and its commitment to exuberance and extravagance has made it a playground for the rich, famous, royal and bohemian. The list of guests who have enjoyed the fashionable hedonism of Monaco have included Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Coco Chanel, Bridgette Bardot, Grace Kelly, Ringo Star, Louis Armstrong, Roger Moore and many other icons of fashion and film.

But for Philip Culazzo, the glitz and glamour are just one part of what make Monaco so special. As a long-time resident, he prizes the principality for something very different: the simplicity and honesty of life there, in a place where the sun shines, the sea sparkles and the streets are lined with fragrant citrus trees.

Philip has made it his quest to capture this more authentic side of Monaco in his gin.

For Philip, the coast of Monaco has always been synonymous with the long, lazy days of summer.

Eventually, when Philip became a seafood merchant supplying the finest kitchens in France, Italy and Spain with fresh produce, it only made sense to make Monaco his home. One of the friends he made there happened to be Jon Hulme, who would go on to co-found Craft Gin Club with John Burke.

While Monaco had summoned the two men for different reasons, its amazing foodie culture brought out a passion for food and drink in both.

But before the gin came a stunning citrus liqueur – and, of course, the first distillery ever built in Monaco!

When Philip saw the stream of tourists that flowed in and out of Monte Carlo, he was disappointed that they wouldn’t be able to take a little piece of Monaco away with them – not an authentic one, anyway. Philip longed to find a way to introduce visitors to the Monaco he had fallen in love with in his youth.

What makes it the jewel of the Côte d'Azur isn’t just the yachts, fast cars and Belle Époque hotels. It’s also the beauty and mystery of the endless blue of sky and sea, the simple cuisine made with fresh local ingredients, the sunshine, the safety, the cleanliness and the celebration of good taste and good conversation.

After months of allowing the idea to percolate in his head, Philip was heading home one dusk when a wave of fragrance hit him. It was coming from the citrus fruit trees lining the cobbled streets of Monte Carlo.

Like a bolt of lightning, it struck him: nothing could authentically capture the spirit of Monaco as well as its citrus fruits. After all, these trees had lined the streets of Monte Carlo for thousands of years.

Back in the 1700s and early 1800s, Monaco’s real treasure was its citrus fruits. Ships from all over the Mediterranean would come to Port Hercules, which according to local legend was built by the mighty hero of Greek myth himself, to stock up on its oranges.

For locals, citrus fruits remain a significant symbol of Monaco’s history. What most people don’t know, however, is that most of the fruit is wasted.

The government was all too happy to have Philip take some of the fruit off their hands, and it gave him an idea.

However, when Philip opened Monaco’s first-ever distillery, it wasn’t for gin at all. He crafted L’Orangerie Liqueur. To make this truly unique liqueur, each orange is picked by hand, washed and peeled at the distillery before being used in Philip’s closely guarded recipe.

The result is a golden liquid that brings the lightness and playfulness of the Mediterranean to life. When chilled and topped up with gin, fresh fruit juice and Prosecco, L’Orangerie transports the drinker straight to Monte Carlo.

Once his L’Orangerie Liqueur had become the toast of the town and the best mixologists in Monaco were using it to make their favourite cocktails, he began to plan his next adventure.

When the craft gin boom took off, the variety and quality of gins which became available were a real revelation to Philip – especially the spirits he discovered through his old buddy Jon, who had become something of an expert while co-founding Craft Gin Club.

He began by seeking out the most fragrant gins he could find and on his strolls beneath the canopies of trees in Monaco, he found himself wondering how their fruits might express themselves as botanicals in a gin.

The vision for Monaco’s first gin clear in his mind, Philip ordered a gleaming custom-built still from Germany and got to work.

The first thing to do was to create a recipe. He wanted to craft a spirit that was light, refreshing and elegant, but that also captured the complexity of Monaco’s character.

The sunny climes and rich soil of Macedonia and Croatia produce some of the finest juniper on the planet, and this meant that Philip could create a spirit that stayed true to southern Europe.

Then came the real challenge. The Mediterranean coast and Monaco offer such a bounty of high-quality botanicals that Philip found himself spoiled for choice.

Philip went with his gut instincts in selecting the most fragrant fruits and herbs to add to his blend. This included seven types of locally-sourced and completely natural citrus fruits – bitter orange, sweet orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, bergamot and citron.

To elevate the blend of citrus and juniper, Philip added ginger and Sichuan pepper. He topped this off with a touch of lemon thyme, known for its distinctive combination of citrus and herbaceous notes.

When he sat in front of the crystal clear liquid for the first time, he could tell from the way it smelled that he was about to taste something special.

Once Philip had perfected his recipe, there was one man in particular he wanted to share it with – his old pal Jon. After all, they’d always enjoyed sharing a good gin cocktail, and this spirit paid homage to the place they had first become friends.

When they finally sat down to taste the gin for the first time, Philip could sense their anticipation. Each man inhaled the smell, took a sip and allowed the flavours to wash over their palates. Jon and John had found what they had been looking for. With its sunny citrus flavours, La Distillerie de Monaco Gin aux Agrumes would make May a magical month for Craft Gin Club members.

You need to try this fantastic gin in Craft Gin Club’s Race Car, our May 2020 Cocktail of the Month, and our May 2020 Perfect G&T. They are fabulous ways to bring a spot of that Monaco sunshine into your life!