Overview

• Researchers at Heriot-Watt’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling analyzed juniper berries from seven European countries and varying harvest years to map flavor compound differences.
• Rainfall and sunshine patterns create a distinctive regional terroir in juniper berries, affecting citrus, floral and woody notes in gin.
• A wet harvest year can reduce the berries’ volatile compounds by about 12 percent compared with a dry year.
• Longer drying periods required after wetter weather shift the balance of water-soluble chemicals, further altering gin’s sensory profile.
• Gin makers may need to source berries from drier areas or adjust drying processes to sustain consistent flavor in a changing climate.