Amazing what gin you come across on a short break in France. Pays basques is home to several … and people were proud to show them off. Charente (home of Cognac) also gets in on the act.
First up is Brana and in particular it’s espelette flavoured gin. You can’t visit Biarritz or St Jean de Luz without coming across the small red peppers grown around the nearby village of Espelette – and Brana has added a spicy note with the red botanical. @maison_brana #espelette



My French gin odyssey actually started in a great restaurant overlooking the Grand Plage in Biarritz. At Jack the Cockerel, Hugo introduced me to two gins from Charente – G’Vine and Mr Gaston. G’Vine is definitely a smooth one – made from grape spirit and easily one to sip over ice. Mr Gaston has a bit more edge and makes a great G&T with orange & elderflower tonic. @gvinegin @jackthecockerel @distillerie_tessendier



At the Madison hotel, in St Jean de Luz, it was Arana that was brought to my attention. Its hero ingredient is sloe which adds a slight bitterness
@madisonsaintjeandeluz @egiazki



Like most tourist places nowadays it’s no surprise to find a gin named after the destination. And Biarritz is no different This one was in a shop, so no taste verdict! @uraspirits


Read about my stay in France
In St Jean De Luz, I stayed at The Maddison hotel – Basque in the Blue Skies article here
Hotel Madison, 25 Bld Thiers, 64500 Saint-Jean-de-Luz madison-saintjeandeluz.com
In Biarritz, I stayed at the Grand Tonic https://www.tonichotel-biarritz.com/
#paysbasquefrançais #france #biarritz #stjeandeluz #gin #ginmakers #g&t #distilleries
@paysbasque_tourisme @destination_biarritz @enpaysbasque_euskalherrian
My books are available from Great Northern Books here

