gin xoriguer mahon tour

The visit includes:

• Explanation in the shop of Xoriguer Gin and the distillery’s history
• Visit to the stills to explain how gin is made
• Guided visit to the distillery’s first floor to explain how the juniper berries are selected and prepared
• Tour of the shop to discover all of the distillery’s products
• Tasting of the distillery’s products, along with cold cuts and pastries from Menorca

Groups of more than 10 people, please fill in the application form.

Events for May

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Full tour in spanish 12:30 sale has ended, full tour in catalan 12:30 sale has ended, full tour in english 10:30, full tour in spanish 12:30, full tour in catalan 12:30.

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Xoriguer Gin Factory

Top ways to experience Xoriguer Gin Factory and nearby attractions

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Xoriguer Gin Factory - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

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Xoriguer Gin Factory

Top ways to experience Xoriguer Gin Factory and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

Xoriguer Gin Factory - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

• (0.18 km) Can Alberti 1740 Boutique Hotel
• (0.23 km) Sindic Hotel
• (0.16 km) Agroturismo Can Pere Sord
• (0.18 km) CASA IRIA CASCO HISTORICO MAO
• (0.22 km) Catalonia Mirador des Port
• (0.23 km) Can Xavi
• (0.21 km) Akelarre Jazz & Dance Club
• (0.16 km) Sa Colársega
• (0.30 km) Arjau
• (0.08 km) Antesala-Lobby Bar

Xoriguer Gin Factory

Top ways to experience Xoriguer Gin Factory and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

Xoriguer Gin Factory - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• (0.18 km) Can Alberti 1740 Boutique Hotel
• (0.23 km) Sindic Hotel
• (0.16 km) Agroturismo Can Pere Sord
• (0.18 km) CASA IRIA CASCO HISTORICO MAO
• (0.22 km) Catalonia Mirador des Port
• (0.23 km) Can Xavi
• (0.21 km) Akelarre Jazz & Dance Club
• (0.16 km) Sa Colársega
• (0.30 km) Arjau
• (0.08 km) Antesala-Lobby Bar

Xoriguer Gin Factory

Top ways to experience Xoriguer Gin Factory and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

XORIGUER GIN FACTORY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• (0.18 km) Can Alberti 1740 Boutique Hotel
• (0.23 km) Sindic Hotel
• (0.16 km) Agroturismo Can Pere Sord
• (0.18 km) CASA IRIA CASCO HISTORICO MAO
• (0.22 km) Catalonia Mirador des Port
• (0.23 km) Can Xavi
• (0.21 km) Akelarre Jazz & Dance Club
• (0.16 km) Sa Colársega
• (0.30 km) Arjau
• (0.08 km) Antesala-Lobby Bar

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF MAHÓN GIN FROM XORIGUER.

USING THE SAME CENTURIES OLD RECIPE, OUR GIN SINGS OF OUR BREATHTAKING ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIED WAY OF LIFE.

A STANDARD FOR WORLD-CLASS CRAFT GIN, WE ARE PROUD TO ACCOMPANY OUR ICONIC SPIRIT IN ITS NEW JOURNEY…

This Menorca Gin Distillery Will Change Your Mind About Spain

May 23, 2023

A trip to a Menorca gin distillery in Mahon reveals a surprising story behind the popular drink. Here’s what you need to know.

Table of Contents

Why You Should Visit This Menorca Gin Distillery

The Xoriguer gin distillery overlooks the edge of the harbour that brought the drink to its shores. It showcases bronze pipes that reach up and around and down in the distillery process and offers juniper berries you can hold in your hand (it’s those berries that give the drink both its name and flavour.)

Xoriguer gin uses a grape based spirit infused with juniper berries and a secret, aromatic blend of herbs and “floral botanicals.”

And at the end, after tasting the infamous Mahon Xoriguer gin, you can find new flavours – ranging from chocolate to peppermint to turpentine.

And if you close your eyes (under the influence of said gin) I’ll swear you can taste the flavour of history.

What history is that? Well, let me explain.

Fun facts about the Xoriguer Menorca Gin Distillery

Xoriguer takes its name from a windmill built in 1784 (you can still see the picture on the label.) Senor Miguel Pons Justo started the brand in the 1900s, naming it after the mill that used to grind wheat for his family.

Why Gin is Important in Menorca

Menorca threw several surprises my way when I visited. Wild flowers, with fields of poppies, violets and periwinkles all dancing like hippies in the sun. Bronze age settlements and olive oil-soaked cheese, made from milk gathered fresh that morning.

With Spain, I’d expected tortilla and wine, sunshine and fiestas. And for that, the island did not disappoint.

But most of all, Menorca surprised me with gin.

It wasn’t just that I’d expected more cerveza, rioja and fino sherry, for example.

Nor was it discovering the word “ginlet,” a thimbleful of the neat gin that kickstarts the day for Menorcan men the old fashioned way.

No, it was a combination of the island’s pride and the trip down the rabbit hole of history that truly took me by surprise.

For one, who knew that gin was invented by the Dutch? (And since I had no idea who had invented it, why should any answer surprise me?)

The History of Gin in Britain

Gin spread to Britain through William and Mary of Orange and apparently British soldiers sipped it on the eve of battle at Antwerp, leading to the phrase  “dutch courage.”

In tropical regions, colonial Brits found that the “tonic” for malaria (bitter quinine with carbonated water) tasted far better with a hefty splash of gin.

Meanwhile, back in Blighty, gin became the drink of the poor, due to strange tax laws leading to “gin joints” and “mother’s ruin” as the phrases we know today. Heck, there were even riots when the government attempted to reign in the gin.

But what does all of this have to do with visiting a gin distillery in Menorca?

As the proud owner of the largest natural harbour in Europe, Menorca made a great base. And the British Naval Fleet moved in…bringing with them the habit of gin.

The History of Gin in Menorca

Lord Nelson’s long since gone but, as is often the case with these curious tales of forced cultural exchange, the culture remains.

Menorca, unlike much of the rest of Spain, prides itself on gin.

But, of course, it’s gin with a Menorcan twist. 

Pomada: the Menorcan way to drink gin

Try a pomada, an island drink made from Menorcan gin and cloudy lemonade.

How to visit the Xoriguer Gin Distillery

It’s an easy walk from Mahon’s port to the gin distillery, where you can taste and buy Menorcan gin in more flavours than you can imagine. It’s a modest affair, not the razzamatazz of, say, the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.You’ll need only one to two hours. And a fully lined stomach…

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4 thoughts on “This Menorca Gin Distillery Will Change Your Mind About Spain”

Never knew that Menorca was known for its Gin. The cloudy lemonade looks like it can be refreshing on a hot day.

Glad to surprise someone else then ;-)

You had me at Gin. Now Menorca is on my hit list. Thanks Abi, I love your writing :)

Mwaha! And thank you ;-) Menorca was a beautiful surprise – highly recommended.

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Xoriguer Mahón Gin

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As of 2016, Xoriguer Mahón Gin still qualifies for protection as a gin with a geographical indication under European Union Regulation No 110/2008 . Famously, you might remember Plymouth Gin formerly qualified for this as well; however, under the terms of the 2008 regulation, trademark owners had to produce and publicly distribute a technical file which would disclose “what makes this spirit unique.” Plymouth, and Plymouth trademark owners Pernod Ricard, saw the value in the process rather than the GI, and decided to rather than disclose the details of what makes Plymouth so unique, they opted to forgo the Geographical Indication. On the other hand, the GI was so important to La Isla De Menroce, that they did indeed file a technical summary which describes the process in keen detail. Under the terms of the 2008 law, the E.U. approved the technical file and Gin de Mahón is still protected.

So what is Gin de Mahón?

There are three prescribed ingredients: ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin,  juniperis communis berries with essential oil by weight content ranging between 7 and 9%, and distilled drinking water. No additional aromas or extracts may be added.

The process might be where the unique process angle arises. Gin de Mahón is distilled in copper pot stills set over a wood fire with the juniper berries in the pot still. The final product of the distillations are then filtered.

The story behind the GI is that the Island of Menorca, was a port of call for British soldiers, who would often stay and frequent the local drinking establishments. Rather than import the booze that might appeal to their guests, the people of the island made their own, creating an economic benefit for the locals owing to their out of town guests. The gin apparently was a hit and worked its way into even local cultural events.

Perhaps what I found so striking about the technical file is that it did not mention that the base spirit  must be distilled from grapes. As for the genesis story, the style arose from the grapes which were grown locally. In fact, Xoriguer Mahón Gin is distilled from grapes; however, this curiosity, which would have clearly set apart this gin as being quite unique over the past few centuries in which it has been made (and the grape base is often cited as part of what defines the style), is not actually part of the GI. Just plain old agricultural alcohol, which suggests that grape, potato, sugar beet, wheat, etc. You name it. That’s not what’s special as much as the the direct wood fired heat on the copper still.

A note in GI vs. Style

Although clearly a historically and geographically protected designation, I don’t think that is rises up to to the level of being called it’s own  style.  While Gin de Mahón may fairly refer to an important cultural and quality protection designation, objectively, I find it hard to say “this tastes like its own thing.” [I also levy this same critique of people who suggested that Plymouth was a style rather than a quality/cultural designation]

While the name Gin de Mahón should connotate warm images of wood fired copper stills on a beautiful Balearic island, it doesn’t necessarily connote a spirit which tastes a certain way. The dearth of ingredient, base spirit, and wholly unique process elements means that geography aside, there are other distilleries doing something quite similar around the world. So we won’t treat it as if its a style unto itself. We’ll evaluate the gin as a gin, that just happens to have a long and illustrious history.

Tasting Notes

Lots of juniper on the nose, with some camphorous and herbaceous notes suggesting pine resin and rich, oily juniper berries as well. The nose is largely one note by my assessment, though it does an excellent job at capturing a really rich portrait of that one note. Heady and juniper-forward.

The palate of Xoriguer Mahón Gin is thick and luscious, with copious amounts of pine and juniper again. Spruce, an some faint intimations of lemon zest behind the scenes, with sage, juniper needle and pine. The finish is long with juniper. It’s dry with conifer in the rain sort of notes, with a pleasant ensuring warmth.

One of the intriguing ways to drink this Mahón Gin, which as I’ve read may be a the closest to how it is best enjoyed in Menorca, which is mixed in a 2:1 ratio with Lemonade . The spirit is nicely moderated and brightened with the sweetness and citrus. I definitely recommend this drink, which I think even suggests that you could pack this gin in a cooler for the beach. It’s also good, but heavy on the pine resin in a  Gin and Tonic . I think it had some interesting character that it brought in some mixed drinks like the  Aviation  and  Last Word , but I enjoyed it perhaps most of all in the  Gin and Juice style.

Overall, Mahón Gin is a lovely juniper forward gin that will delight those who have been looking for some more juniper in their life. Fans of more contemporary style gins, may want to look elsewhere.

Leave a Comment

7 thoughts on “xoriguer mahón gin”.

Nice and very fair, observant review of Mahon. You nailed it.

This is at least a Four Star gin. A unique, spicy classic gin. Highly recommended if you can find it.

Had I been a Brit in Menorca, I’d have continued to import my Plymouth….

It has strong celery note, and nice herbs. I like it!

Enjoy with bitter lemon lemonade ratio 2 – 1 with plenty of ice and a good squeeze of fresh lime juice

My favourite for a Gin Sour – somehow there’s enough overlap with the lemon notes to build a nice aroma bridge, and it adds a clear juniper profile. Very much recommended.

Xoriguer Mahón Gin Review

A gem of a gin

This gin hails from the Spanish island of Menorca, where it's made to very specific, archaic practices. The wood-fired alembic stills for distillation range in age from 70 to 270 years old. Meanwhile, the juniper that gives the gin its signature profile is aged for 1 to 4 years in open crates at the distillery, ensuring lengthy contact with salty air. These details combine to provide a gin with a standout, distinctive character. It pops with citrus, prickles with pepper, and serves a subtle salty spray on the palate. Serve in an equal parts Martini with sherry. Garnish with both a twist and olive.

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Tui Taste of Mahon tour - Xoriguer Gin Factory

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Tui Taste of Mahon tour

Half day tour of Mahon. Picked up at 0750 on a Saturday morning. Trouble with these tours on Menorca is the time it takes to pick up the other trippers. Once in Mahon, there was a hours tour by boat around the port - very interesting with all of the history. Then about an hours free time around the market and surrounding streets. Lots of leather goods and clothes. The next and last stop was the gin distillery. Large variety of different types of gin. Lots of tasting to be had. Got off the bus about 1500 - very good half day.lots of info given by Nichola,the tour guide.

Went here on a cruise, the ship docked a very short distance away, just come of the ship and turn left and its just down the road, when you get inside (free entre)just help yourself to all the free samples. Really good prices. It's a must if you visit this area in minorca.

Shop has a range of gins available for you to taste before you buy - pour your own measures & range of other goods also available. No pressure to purchase, but we enjoyed it so much we bought a few bottels to take home. There are some flavours that are not available at other outlets.

We went to the Gin distillery as part of TUI taste of Mahon tour . We were given a small talk by our own tour guide and allowed to sample as many of the gin flavours or liqueurs as you wanted . The lemon gin was the best . Although chocolate liquor was good too !! Nothing for children or teenagers so we headed back to the bus . Loads of opportunity to buy gin liqueurs meat cheese etc .

Worth a look if you like gin. Probably better in a group too. We just had a wander round tasted some samples but were left to it.

Next to the marina. Free samples of lots of gins and liquers. Making gin in the distillery when we were there. Reasonable prices.

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Theatres in Moscow

Cultural life of Moscow city is various and rich! Operas, ballets, symphonic concerts... Russian composers have created some of the most beautiful classical music. Russian classical music is very popular in Moscow. It is performed in many beautiful historical venues. Do not forget to include a visit to a concert hall in your itinerary when you are planning your stay in Moscow! And do it in advance.

There are almost no restrictions on dress code in Russian theatres. Visitors may wear jeans and sports shoes, they may have a backpack with them. Only shorts are not allowed.

A typical feature of Russian theatre – visitors are bringing a lot of flowers which they present to their favorite performers after the show.

Here are some practical advices where to go and how to buy tickets.

The Bolshoi Theatre

The Bolshoi Theatre is the oldest, the most famous and popular opera and ballet theatre in Russia. The word “Bolshoi” means “big” in Russian. You can buy a ticket online in advance, 2-3 months before the date of performance on the official website . Prices for famous ballets are high: 6-8 thousand rubles for a seat in stalls. Tickets to operas are cheaper: you can get a good seat for 4-5 thousand rubles. Tickets are cheaper for daytime performances and performances on the New Stage. The New Stage is situated in the light-green building to the left of the Bolshoi's main building. The quality of operas and ballets shown on the New Stage is excellent too. However, you should pay attention that many seats of the Bolshoi’s Old and New Stages have limited visibility . If you want to see the Bolshoi’s Old Stage but all tickets are sold out, you can order a tour of the theatre. You can book such a tour on the official website.

If you want, following Russian tradition, to give flowers to the performers at the end of the show, in the Bolshoi flowers should be presented via special staff who collects these flowers in advance.

In August the Bolshoi is closed.

The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre

This theatre is noteworthy. On one hand, it offers brilliant classical opera and ballet performances. On the other hand, it is an experimental venue for modern artists. You can check the program and buy tickets online here http://stanmus.com/ . If you are opera lover, get a ticket to see superstar Hibla Gerzmava . The theatre has a very beautiful historic building and a stage with a good view from every seat. Tickets are twice cheaper than in the Bolshoi.

The Novaya Opera

“Novaya” means “New” in Russian. This opera house was founded in 1991 by a famous conductor Eugene Kolobov. Its repertoire has several directions: Russian and Western classics, original shows and divertissements, and operas of the 20th and 21st centuries. It is very popular with Muscovites for excellent quality of performances, a comfortable hall, a beautiful Art Nouveau building and a historic park Hermitage, which is situated right next to it. You can buy tickets online here http://www.novayaopera.ru/en .

Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Center

The Opera Center has become one of the best theatrical venues in Moscow. It was founded in 2002 by great diva Galina Vishnevskaya. Nowadays its artistic director is Olga Rostropovich, daughter of Galina Vishnevskaya and her husband Mstislav Rostropovich, great cellist and conductor. Not only best young opera singers perform here, but also world music stars do; chamber and symphonic concerts, theatrical productions and musical festivals take place here. You can see what is on the program here http://opera-centre.ru/theatre . Unfortunately “booking tickets online” is available in Russian only. If you need help, you can contact us at and we can book a ticket for you. 

Tchaikovsky Concert Hall and The Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory

These are two major concert halls for symphonic music in Moscow. Both feature excellent acoustics, impressive interior, various repertoire and best performers. You can check the program here http://meloman.ru/calendar/ . You need just to switch to English. Booking tickets online is available only for owners of Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian phone numbers. If you need help, you can contact us and we can book a ticket for you. 

Moscow International Performing Arts Center (MIPAC)

This modern and elegant concert hall houses performances of national and foreign symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, solo instrumentalists, opera singers, ballet dancers, theatre companies, jazz bands, variety and traditional ensembles. Actually, it has three concert halls placed on three different levels and having separate entrances. The President of MIPAC is People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Spivakov, conductor of “Virtuosy Moskvy” orchestra. You can see pictures of the concert halls here http://www.mmdm.ru/en/content/halls . The program is impressive in its variety but is not translated into English. You can contact us at and we can find a performance for you.