Sipsong for Sipping and Blending of Playful Gin Cocktails

Founder and distiller Tara Jasper survived breast cancer, is an advocate for BRCA gene testing and loves to fly her planes.

By Melissa Smith, Enotrias

A gin evoking exotic Indian spices and North African citrus, made in the heart of California’s wine country. Tara Jasper has created a line of gins at her distillery Sipsong in Sonoma utilizing a 100% copper alembic pot still, and the finest ingredients. Her Indira gin has won awards around the world including double gold in the World Spirits competition, and within the first sip you know why. Italian Juniper, lavender, bay, coriander, lime, makrut lime, cumin, coriander, angelica root, Moroccan sweet orange, bay, lavender, lime, hibiscus, and pink peppercorn are infused into a blended base spirit of grape and corn. The gin tells a story. Unlike other gins listing a myriad of spices and botanicals that are more evocative on the label than in the glass, Jasper has managed to elevate each individual component in a way that begs for contemplation with each sip. Designed to be the perfect gin for a G&T, Indria lends itself to everything from classic cocktails like a Corpse Reviver #2 and a Negroni, to inspired drinks that play off of the savory spices. Try mixing with coconut milk, tonic, agave, and a squeeze of lime in a highball, or shake with fresh carrot juice and marmalade and serve up.

Melissa Smith

Melissa L. Smith is the founder of Enotrias Elite Sommelier Services and the creator of the Wine Collecting Master Class.

Prior to transitioning full time into the sommelier world, she traveled extensively as a fine dining chef spending 15 years in some of the top kitchens in the country as well as Japan, including stints at the French Laundry, and at Terra, under chef Hiro Sone. After spending years roaming the country with her knife bag and an unbridled sense of adventure, bouncing from a Relais & Chateaux dude ranch in Montana to a hunting camp in Idaho, to a charter yacht in Southeast Alaska, and a pineapple scented season in Maui, Melissa then spent time as the private chef for families of industry giants, and settled down in the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue a career in wine and hospitality.

Melissa is certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers, The Culinary Institute of America, The California State Bar Association, The Sake Education Counsel, and the Appraisers Association for USPAP. Melissa’s work has been published in print and online, and she is often used as a trusted source for industry news.