Juniper vs cistus
Two resinous materials that taste of the landscape they grow in, one circumboreal and one Mediterranean, and both better known to distillers and perfumers than to drinkers.
botanical
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Juniper berry | Cistus |
|---|---|---|
| The plant | A circumboreal conifer — the 'berry' is a cone. | A sticky-leaved Mediterranean scrub shrub. |
| What it is known for | Gin, which cannot legally be gin without it. | Labdanum resin, historically combed from browsing goats' coats. |
| Flavour | Piney and resinous with a peppery bite. | Strongly tannic and resinous with an amber note on the nose. |
| Preparation | Crush before use or almost nothing comes out. | Long steep, but a heavy dose turns it genuinely unpleasant. |
| Native range | Algeria, Morocco, the Caucasus, Siberia, China, all Europe, most of North America. | Mediterranean scrubland from Iberia to the Levant. |
| As a drink | A component rather than a solo infusion. | Brewed in Greece, Cyprus and Turkey from gathered material. |
The short answer
Juniper is the more familiar aroma and easier to buy. Cistus is the more tannic drink and worth meeting if young red wine appeals.
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