When freshly cut, It will burn into your eyes
like no onion ever has
and spike your nose with a sizzle
like rockets raising spacecraft
It’s ferocity lies on a bed of soil
Heat and Earth...The summer’s Sun and Guts.
In ancient medicine, horseradish was used as a
stimulant and for clearing the respiratory system. It
can also ease digestion of rich foods and, when used
regularly, can aid in correcting imbalances in the
digestive system.
Native to Central Europe, horseradish gained popu-
larity in the US in the early-1800’s. Since then,
cultivation has centered in Southwestern Illinois
which supplies roughly 60% of the world’s total
yield. The town of Collinsville, IL is recognized as
the "Horseradish Capital of the World," a designa-
tion celebrated each June with the International
Horseradish Festival. All the horseradish sourced for
this year’s Vernal Gin is from JR Kelly Co. - the
country’s largest supplier, located in Collinsville.
By hand, we cut down and processed several hun-
dred pounds of the fresh, tough and mangled root
to make this year’s batch. Directly from the bottle,
the spicy wasabi-like heat is intense, it piques the
senses with its mustard-like pungence that tickles
the nostrils and taste buds, yet mellows to a round
vegetal earthiness when diluted or mixed in cock-
tails. We love this gin in a Red Snapper (Bloody
Mary with Gin) and in Dirty Martini variations.
