Damson Gin Averell

Averell is an exceptionally bright liqueur––the fresh-pressed juice of heirloom damson plums married to a botanical gin marked by juniper, warm winter spices, bay leaf, and ginger.  Although nominally a fall fruit, the acidity in this liqueur works wonderfully with most forms of fizz––club soda, ginger beer, or lemon soda––which will refresh and transport those longing for autumn.

The Damson is one of the oldest known plum varieties, prized by the Romans, its cultivation spread throughout Europe and later to the orchards of North American by settlers who appreciated its nervy character––rich, slightly bitter, and intensely tart.

Post-war development in commercial farming and a consumer shift to the supermarket over local farmer's markets forced the damson and many other heirloom fruit and vegetable varieties into near or total extinction. The damson stands today as an endangered variety from a bygone era, grown in limited quantities by stubborn farmers, one that flutters the heart of a farmer's market passerby.