The Duke FC Bayern München Gin

About this bottle

Fittingly, the official gin of FC Bayern München is made at Bavaria's The Duke distillery. The Duke takes its name from Duke Henry the Lion, a belated thank-you from the founders for founding the city of Munich. Where else should this gin be made, even if the distillery has only been going since 2008?

FC Bayern München Gin is made using the London dry method and then rests for four weeks before bottling. The recipe was developed in collaboration with FC Bayern and also goes by the name Liberalitas Bavarica Gin.

Botanicals in FC Bayern München Gin

It's an organic gin, made entirely from organic ingredients, and comes at 42% ABV in a decent 0.7-litre bottle. Compared with the usual 500 ml bottle, that leaves room for another G&T or two in extra time. Very nice. There are eleven botanicals in total, plus hops from the Holledau.

Tasting notes for The Duke FC Bayern München Gin

On the nose

No, you're not met with an aromatic wheat-beer shower or the smell of grass and grazed knees. I'm definitely pleased that this doesn't smell completely mainstream. Juniper is present, citrus notes are easy to pick out, and an earthy herbal aroma makes itself known too. I can smell fruit, but it's no fruit salad. Coriander comes through after a moment as well.

Taste

My first taste of the gin is a surprise. I'd expected a drier style, but there's more fruit than even the nose suggested. Very appealing, with a little lemon and an initial kick that's quickly caught by a mix of spice and juniper. The hops come through beautifully. That faint bitterness in the background fits the whole picture well. Hold it in your mouth for a moment and the flavour shifts back and forth quite dramatically. Almost like attack, counter-attack, attack. But enough of the weak football references. ‘That'll do nicely’, as I think they'd say in Bavaria.

Finish and aftertaste

Herbal aromas, a hint of coriander and, above all, a certain fruity lightness are there and stay. No lingering heat or heavy sweetness: it's more short and punchy. But it isn't flat.

With ice

Ice and its meltwater underline FC Bayern München Gin's fruit-and-hops character. The flavour comes through a little sweeter and more intensely still.

Thoughts on FC Bayern München Gin

I'm always a little wary when collaborations with brands as big as FCB get under way. But in this case, the makers of The Duke have created a lovely product. A fair price, and surely a big deal for fans who can finally celebrate their club in a G&T too. The hops are great: a different note, even if it's no longer entirely new. But everything doesn't always have to be new. A shame for anyone who can't bring themselves to try it because of the logo on the bottle. Sometimes you have to put your club loyalties aside so you don't miss out on something like this.

And of course you can buy the gin from Amazon (affiliate link) or the distillery's shop. If you'd like to compare it with the other THE DUKE gins, you'll also find small tasting sets there.

FC Bayern München Gin? About time, wasn't it? Bayern fans can finally put the right gin in their tonic. FC Bayern München Gin? About time, wasn't it? Bayern fans can finally put the right gin in their tonic. Gone are the days of facing that ordeal: tonic with an EFFZEH gin? BVB firewater, or perhaps some Prussian ethanol broth? Never! ‘We are who we are’ rings out from the south. Well, that's how a long-time Hamburg resident imagines things in exotic places ‘south of the Elbe’.