When freshly cut, It will burn into your eyeslike no onion ever hasand spike your nose with a sizzlelike rockets raising spacecraftIt’s ferocity lies on a bed of soilHeat and Earth...The summer’s Sun and Guts.In ancient medicine, horseradish was used as astimulant and for clearing the respiratory system. Itcan also ease digestion of rich foods and, when usedregularly, can aid in correcting imbalances in thedigestive system.Native to Central Europe, horseradish gained popu-larity in the US in the early-1800’s. Since then,cultivation has centered in Southwestern Illinoiswhich supplies roughly 60% of the world’s totalyield. The town of Collinsville, IL is recognized asthe "Horseradish Capital of the World," a designa-tion celebrated each June with the InternationalHorseradish Festival. All the horseradish sourced forthis year’s Vernal Gin is from JR Kelly Co. - thecountry’s largest supplier, located in Collinsville.By hand, we cut down and processed several hun-dred pounds of the fresh, tough and mangled rootto make this year’s batch. Directly from the bottle,the spicy wasabi-like heat is intense, it piques thesenses with its mustard-like pungence that ticklesthe nostrils and taste buds, yet mellows to a roundvegetal earthiness when diluted or mixed in cock-tails. We love this gin in a Red Snapper (BloodyMary with Gin) and in Dirty Martini variations.