The flavor of a gin and tonic may be impacted by climate change, scientists have found.
Volatile weather patterns made more likely by climate breakdown could change the taste of juniper berries, which are the key botanical giving gin its distinctive taste.
Scientists from Heriot-Watt University’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling have found that changing weather patterns may be altering the flavor compounds in the berries.
The berries have their own regional “terroir” just like wine, depending on rainfall and sunshine, according to the findings, published in the Journal of the Institute of Brewing.
Matthew Pauley, an assistant professor at the ICBD, explained: “A wet harvest year can reduce the total volatile compounds in juniper by about 12% compared to a dry year.”
Wetter weather’s impact on the water-soluble chemicals in juniper berries ‘has direct implications for the sensory characteristics that make gin taste like gin’, said Matthew Pauley of the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling. Photograph: Agata Gladykowska/Alamy
“This has direct implications for the sensory characteristics that make gin taste like gin.”
Scientists distilled juniper berries from different regions across Europe, including Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, and Italy, for various harvest years. They analyzed the resulting spirits using gas chromatography to measure the levels of key flavor compounds.
They found that berries from each region had distinct chemical profiles, and the differences could impact the woody, resinous, citrus, and floral notes in the gin.
The amount of rainfall in a given year significantly impacted the flavor of the berries. Wetter weather meant longer drying periods for the berries were needed, which changed the abundance of water-soluble chemicals in the berries.
Prof Annie Hill, the study’s supervisor, said: “The least water-soluble compounds are most affected by post-harvest drying.”
For distillers, this means the flavor profile can shift depending on the harvest conditions.
For a multibillion-pound industry that is increasingly focused on consistency and quality for its discerning consumers, this represents a risk.
Premium gin producers carefully select their berries from certain regions to maintain a distinctive taste and house style, but this may be disrupted by climate patterns changing and some areas getting more rainfall than others.
