At 94 proof, it’s a stretch to characterize any spirit as smooth—but Bluecoat accom-plishes the feat. While even some top-shelf gins are accused of leaving an aftertaste reminiscent of Pine-Sol, there’s little chance of confusing Bluecoat with a household cleaner.

“Unlike mass-produced gin, I determine the cut points based on taste, not quantity,” says master distiller Robert Cassell, referring to the beginning and ending of each batch that gets tossed out. Even after Cassell spends 10 hours distilling each batch, his work isn’t done. He then hand fills and seals each bottle, along with Philadelphia Distilling co-founders Timothy Yarnall and Andrew Auwerda.

of handpicked juniper berries, coriander and citrus. The gin is craft distilled in a 22-foot custom-built, hand-hammered copper still (built in Scotland) that removes all impurities. This tightly controlled small-batch process results in higher proofs and lighter, subtler spirits.

Band of Brothers, clockwise from front: Hendrick’s (Scotland), Anchor Junipero gin (U.S.), South (New Zealand), Bluecoat (U.S.), Citadelle (France) and Boomsma Jonge Genevere (the Netherlands).

Times have certainly changed. In fact, bartenders across the country are rediscovering gin and incorporating it into some of the most cutting-edge cocktails they pour. So it’s no surprise that gin is also among several traditional spirits making a resurgence in the upscale “craft distilling” movement.

In the early 18th century, the British government began imposing a hefty tax on all imported spirits. This new policy spurred the market for substandard grain considered unsuitable for brewing beer, and gin shops quickly overtook every corner in England. In those days, gin was a poor-man’s drink. British officials blamed the alcohol for a host of medical problems and social ills, and even dubbed gin “the masterpiece of the devil.”

A SOFTER, SPICIER PUNCH Philadelphia-based Bluecoat gin distinguishes itself from traditional London dry gins with an ultrasmooth flavor influenced by an infusion