Prague's first craft gin distillery is a tonic for lovers of bespoke spirits

With a grin on his face, Martin Přibík recounts the rich history of gin. “Its main ingredient is juniper, and the word ‘gin’ comes from the Dutch word for juniper – ‘genever.’” Standing in his industrial yet smart-looking craft distillery Garage22 – located within a factory in the corner of Prague’s Holešovice district – Přibík explains why he decided to make a career out of gin.

Gin was widely accessible in early modern times, Přibík – co-owner of Garage22 – tells Expats.cz. “Everyone could make it at home by combining pure ethanol with juniper. Even soldiers would carry it for the so-called and now well-known Dutch courage,” he explained. It was certainly courage that Přibík needed when opening Garage22 four years ago – a good bet, as it turned out: gin appears just as popular today as centuries ago.

Prague’s first ever craft distillery, Garage22 started out as a way of trying to create tonic syrup. “We found a company in Sweden making tonic syrup – we wanted to import it, but were unable to,” explained Přibík. With zero experience in distilling, Přibík and collaborator Ondřej Volák then ordered a distillation pod and started his adventure of producing homemade, custom-flavored gin in 2020.

Slightly resembling a huge version of the R2-D2 robot in the Star Wars series, the bronze-covered distillation pod converts all of its added ingredients into fine-tasting gin. “You can literally put anything in there to create a custom flavor,” Přibík beamed. “Bacon horseradish or shrimp, for example,” he added, to the sound of semi-audible gasps.

“We spoiled around 700 liters of spirit before making the gin drinkable,” Přibík said – with just a tinge of regret on his face. All dry ingredients are placed in a pot and carefully distilled with water sourced from Holešovice – the whole process takes about 10 hours.

Eventually, his flagship product was born: Gin22, which today is the company’s best-selling gin that has scored medals at international gin-tasting competitions such as the World Gin Awards (scoring 96 points out of 100) and the International Wine & Spirit Competition.

We started off with Gin22, a classic London Dry Gin with an alcohol content of 42 percent, including ingredients such as grapefruit, citrus peel, chamomile, and cubeb pepper. Camphor lime leaves and cardamom are also part of the mix, and its botanicals include coriander and allspice. The aroma has notes of grapefruit with a slight spice from cubeb pepper. The taste is primarily juniper, with a mild grapefruit bitterness and some fruity elements.

Next up was a shot of the Summer Gin offering. The taste was refreshing; this gin combines citrus notes of lemon peel, pomelo, and grapefruit with the flavors of Japanese green tea, jasmine, and galangal. Its profile offers a mix of light, fresh, and slightly spicy elements, making it suitable for any season. Notably, the gin's citrus and tea aromas were recognized at the World Gin Awards.

After that – and with our tongues beginning to loosen and conversation flowing – Přibík poured our third gin type: Blue Gin. Notable for its distinct azure blue color, it is derived from the natural petals of the Butterfly pea flower. The flavor profile features a dominant rosemary taste, accompanied by the subtle bitterness of grapefruit, and a juniper finish. What especially caught our attention was that the gin's color changed to a pale purple when mixed with another liquid.

Next up were gins number three and four: Fiesta and Habanero. The spicy Mexican-themed Fiesta, which has a slightly pungent smell, consists of fresh coriander and green jalapeño peppers, offering a type of tangy taste. Habanero, which is derived from hot chili peppers, features tropical mango, lemongrass, and Sriracha sauce, with a distinct smell and zesty taste. The primary botanicals include juniper, coriander, and angelica.

Thankful that at this point we were sat down, it was time for “dessert.” Přibík presented the sweetly called Truffle Gin. This was a seasonal, vegan spirit featuring a blend of juniper, coriander, orange, cardamom, and truffle. It was great for the senses – smelling like oranges but tasting truffle-like. This gin pairs well with truffle dishes like pasta, risotto, or pizza and can be enjoyed neat or in classic cocktails like a Negroni or Martini, Přibík told us.

Roasted cumin, truffle negroni, and aquavit gin also feature among the distillery’s selection. “We have created over 20 different flavors,” Přibík proudly says, though some of them are not available anymore. The company also offers produce, such as chili hot sauce.

For a small team – just three people – in a single, compact warehouse, Garage22 produces an impressive amount of gin. Přibík estimates that, in 2023, his company made around 22,000 bottles per year (that’s around 60 per day), amounting to 11,000 liters annually. 

Garage22 has a lot of interest: as well as retailing to individual buyers, it also sells in bulk to popular local bars such as Vnitroblock and Karlín’s Dva kohouti, making sure thousands of people taste the brand’s multifaceted gin flavors.

The company also has international reach, selling its products in the likes of Slovakia, Denmark, Poland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. In fact, one in 10 bottles are sold abroad, underlying Garage22’s growing influence. 

Already well-established in Prague's gin sphere, Garage22 hopes to continue exploring vibrant flavors to keep Czechia (and indeed Europe's) clientele satiated. A visit to this factory is a worthwhile experience: it could be the perfect tonic for you.