Gin Xoriguer and Fiestas, an unbeatable combination

C.M / Ciutadella – It is the elixir of the town, of the summer solstice, of smiles, of reunions, of festive blues, of jumps and horses. On its own merits, Xoriguer gin has become the official drink of the patron saint festivities and, of course, the Sant Joan festivities for years.

Xoriguer Distilleries, in the port of Maó, has been producing what is probably the oldest gin in the Mediterranean since 1945, with annual sales of 570,000 liters of all the brand's liquid products, among which gin is king. From May to September, from the festivities of Sant Joan to those of the Virgen de Gracia de Maó, the family business founded in the post-war by Miguel Pons Justo sells 80% of its production. Gin Xoriguer, the gin brand that has become an inseparable part of the DNA of Menorcans and their playful sense of life, leads the sales figures: between 300 and 320,000 liters per year. La pomada, the traditional gin and lemonade, follows in its wake with sales of between 220 and 230,000 liters annually. The figures are eloquent: the company closed 2023 with 780,000 bottles sold of all products. At the head of the ship, a man, Adolfo Vilafranca, who this year celebrates twelve years as general director of the company.

Ciutadella already smells the party. Do you know how many liters of gin are sold in Sant Joan?

The first burst of sales has occurred in Cincogema, with a significant increase in Ciutadella. Now, we already notice how the gin is pouring out. The truth is that through data from distributors, end stores and large wholesalers you do not know where the product arrives, but it is clear that in mid-May or early June, sales pick up pace and barely stop until after Maó's festivities.

Among the entire range of products you make, Gin Xoriguer continues to be the best seller…

Yes, although pomade sales are increasingly approaching those of gin. As for liquor sales, since they are sugary drinks, they are more residual. In general, products containing sugar are increasingly associated with negative customer perception.

You are the only ones who continue making gin in Menorca. But there were four or five distilleries on the island...

The process began in 1982, when we bought the first brand, and ended in 1994, with the last one. Between these two dates, the different brands of gin that existed on the island were purchased. Only one, Sea Wolf, disappeared alone, because the family that produced it had many problems. But the other brands, such as Mica, Son Petit or Beltrán gin, were bought by Xoriguer. The first two, Mica and Son Petit, were due to family transmission. In the case of Son Petit, they found that no one in the family wanted to continue the business, and they offered it to us. A similar situation occurred with Mica gin. It was a residual business, the children were involved in other businesses and the head of the family decided to sell it. Beltrán lived through the entire process of change. In a very few years, starting in 1991 or 1992, the packaging, sealing and labeling regulations were tightened. Xoriguer, who did make a living from that business, had already purchased packaging and labeling machines. For Beltrán, which was a family other business, with interests in tourist areas, the investment was so large that it no longer made any sense to make it, and they also sold the company to us. This whole series of factors is what explains the concentration of companies in Xoriguer. Xoriguer Distilleries was oriented from the beginning as a professional business. If there are technological, organizational or productive changes, we worry about being behind them.

How much money do you bill annually?

Around six and a half million euros.

Is Xoriguer a profitable company?

If we had to start from scratch it would not be profitable. But we are a company that has been making gin for eighty years and we are always one step ahead. Like all companies, we have periods of crisis, and both in the Covid period and in the post-Covid period we have had a very bad time. In addition, international supply problems have affected us greatly. It cannot be said that the company is not profitable, because it would be very unfair to say so, among other things, because we are a family business, with a very established structure, and with much of it amortized.

How old is the recipe for Xoriguer gin?

The origin is not known exactly, although it possibly dates back to the year 1736. The oldest recipe of which we have evidence dates from the early 1800s, between 1790 and 1801. We preserve a writing from ca's Fornero from 1897 with the formula. This recipe is, point by point, the one we follow to make our gin. But the thing is that in the same recipe book it was explicitly stated that it is exactly the recipe that his grandfather left him.