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"Gin Mine," the 2024 Courage Gin Challenge winner, was created by bartender Xenia. It transforms memories of urban childhood dining into a flavorful language. The base notes are formed by the sweetness of white rice, the coolness of summer fruits, and the subtle aroma of star anise, while coffee beans and fragrant camellias symbolize the diligence and perseverance of parents. The spirit is smooth and rounded, with delicate layers and a warm, lingering finish, like the love that accompanies one's growth, quietly extending.

2024 Courage Gin Challenge Champion

Bartender: Xenia

What are the flavors that evoke memories for Taipei children? Growing up in the city, I had no childhood spent in fields or forests; what accompanied my growth were the dishes on my daily dinner table. The sweet aroma of white rice, the refreshing taste of summer fruits, the star anise in braised pork—these flavors accompanied my growth. My parents' love, like the nurturing warmth of spring, shaped my heart. Coffee beans symbolize my father's diligence and responsibility, while the fragrant camellia symbolizes my mother's perseverance and charm. The memories of my childhood dinner table and my parents' love combine to create a rich and flavorful gin that symbolizes "me"—Gin Mine.

Growing up in the city, I have no memories of fields or forests. The flavors of my childhood came from the daily meals—the sweetness of white rice, the coolness of fruits, and the aroma of star anise in braised pork. The coffee beans in my father's hands symbolized diligence and responsibility, while my mother was as resolute and gentle as a fragrant camellia. These memories are the soul of Gin Mine: its aroma is warm and refreshing, its taste is round and layered, and its lingering finish is like the love of my parents—gentle and profound, evoking the taste memories of a Taipei child.