Flag Hill Distillery: KARNER BLUE GIN

Vodka First: While many know that the most predominant flavor of gin comes from the juniper berry, it is less common to consider that at its essence, gin might be conceived of as a flavored vodka. The first step to creating both is to distill the base alcohol product to a neutral clear spirit at a level of around 198 proof. Once accomplished, this is where the two processes diverge. In the making of vodka, the intent is to have a finished product that is by definition neutral, containing no outright color, smell or taste. Gin is quite the opposite, it is all about the unique taste of the product. Gin producers have an unlimited choice of herbs, botanicals and other natural ingredients that can be used in the final step of the process to create a multitude of different flavor profiles. The dominant and most recognizable taste of gin is almost always going to be the same, the taste and smell of pine, coming from the inclusion of a necessary ingredient to produce gin - juniper berries.

Botanicals Next: The final step in our process is to complete a fourth and final distillation that includes steeping the juniper berries and 8 other botanicals into the product. Some of the ingredients used in our Karner Blue Gin include: juniper berries, orris root, cubab berries, lemon zest and summer savory. With the final step the gin is ready to bottle.

NH's State Butterfly: Karner Blue is the state butterfly of New Hampshire, an endangered species found only between the 41st and 46th northern latitude of the United States and lower Canada. Within the US, only 7 states are host to this beautiful creature and in all seven it is an endangered species due to the ongoing loss of its habitat - oak and pine savannahs; in particular the wild lupine flower which is the only plant it feeds on during the larvae stage. As adults, these beautiful creatures feed on a variety of nectars and are an important part of the process of natural pollination of wild flowers. As seen on our Karner Blue Gin bottle, the top side of the butterfly (the male) is a beautiful blue fringed with white, while the underneath is a pale silver with a distinctive pattern of black and orange. (The female is a brownish blue on top with orange spots on the hindwings.) Being true to the natural design of the butterfly, the underside of the creature which is much different than the top can be seen from the back of the bottle. For more information about the Karner Blue butterfly or to learn how to help this beautiful but endangered species, visit the Butterfly Conservation Initiative's page about the Karner Blue