At home above the clouds - a portrait of Layover Gin

Do you still have dreams when you're at home above the clouds? Christoph Vogel can answer this question with a resounding "Yes!". The man from Groß-Umstadt has been a pilot with heart and soul for over 15 years - and yet he dreamed of creating something of his own on tropical beaches and in the metropolises of this world.

And not just anything: his own gin. Because Christoph Vogel not only has a passion for aviation, but also for the versatility of juniper distillates. With the aim of bringing his two passions together, the pilot founded Layover Gin in 2021.

Buy Layover Gin

Layover Gin Gate Z48- New Western

€39,00 (€78,00 per l)

The Layover Gin Gate Z48 is the essence of a feeling: pure anticipation. Imagine you are 10,000 meters above the world. Below you, only clouds and the...

• Style: New Western Dry Gin
• Lead Botanicals: Salt

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Layover Gin Gate A42 - Dry Gin

€34,00 (€68,00 per l)

Gate A stands for the beginning of our gin adventure and the number 42 for the alcohol content of 42%. This classic dry gin is based on the base distillate...

• Style: Dry Gin
• Lead Botanicals: Passion fruit

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Layover Gin Barbados Gate B45 - Barrel Aged Gin

€46,00 (€92,00 per l)

10,000 meters above the world. Below you, the clouds, the sea and the island chains of the Antilles. Layover Gin Gate B45: Look forward to aromas of...

• Style: Barrel aged gin
• Lead Botanicals: Honey

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His enthusiasm for gin is no coincidence. Christoph Vogel's grandparents ran a distillery on Lake Constance, which is still family-owned today. "The fact that my grandparents were distillers certainly brought a lot of knowledge and experience with them, which flowed into the production of Layover Gin," he says.

And so he slowly but surely set to work on the recipe for his first gin. He finds inspiration for the botanicals for his first own gin creation in the place where vacations taste best: In the Caribbean. Passion fruit, Christoph Vogel's favorite fruit, meets tonka bean, vanilla, cocoa - and a pinch of sea salt. This is how Layover Gate Z48 Gin is created.

Three aromatic gins inspired by the Caribbean

"Passion fruit not only brings a sweet and sour freshness, but also evokes memories of sunny days and relaxed evenings. The use of the sweet and slightly bitter tonka bean gives the gin a special depth, while the sea salt washes a fresh sea breeze onto the tongue and reinforces the feeling of vacation and freedom. The cocoa bean harmoniously rounds off all the other ingredients and makes our New Western a full-bodied taste experience," says Christoph Vogel enthusiastically.

For the fine-tuning of his first creation, he not only relies on the taste buds of friends and relatives, but also brings Blaise Kapet on board, who, as the operator of the Gin Bar in Darmstadt, brings a great deal of expertise to the table.

Layover Gin founder & pilot with heart and soul: Christoph Vogel

Shortly after the premiere of Gate Z48, the pilot is already working on the creation of two more gins. The first is Gate A42, a dry gin in which the distinctive passion fruit is supported by thyme, rosemary and grapefruit pepper, creating a fresh yet spicy and sharp aroma profile. On the other hand, Christoph Vogel has created Gate B45, a barrel-aged gin with just as much Caribbean flair as his two colleagues. Passion fruit, coconut, cocoa, caramel and honey are macerated together with the finest juniper berries. The resulting gin is then stored in a Barbados rum barrel for around six months, adding a few more aromatic rum depths to the already tropical gin.

The wanderlust feeling of Layover Gins is rounded off by the unique bottle design. Through the label, which is reminiscent of an airplane window, sometimes a distant beach panorama shimmers in the background of the bottle, sometimes the deep blue of the sea. All bottles are numbered by hand - underlining the small batch character of Layover Gin.

Layover Gin: produced in the Odenwald

The gins - which have now even been awarded gold - are produced in small batches in the Odenwald spirits factory - a proven address when it comes to the production of top-class handcrafted spirits. And when it comes to the ingredients, attention is also paid to top quality and sustainable production. The botanicals come almost exclusively from roots. natural Manufaktur, whose spices come directly from the producer farms - and therefore stand for quality, sustainability, fair prices and intense aromas.

The special cocktail from the GinBar in Darmstadt - made with Layover New Western Gin.

And how do you bring a beach vacation into your glass with Layover Gins? Founder Christoph Vogel has a tip: "The best way to drink our Layover Gin is with a classic tonic water - and a splash of peach and passion fruit balsamic vinegar. Or you can go to the GinBar in Darmstadt and have the special cocktail served there." Well then: cheers!