New Amsterdam Gin is a product of the New Amsterdam Spirits Company, from Modesto, California, a subsidiarity of E. & J. Gallo Winery. New Amsterdam Gin is produced as a contemporary take on classic gin-making standards. That includes a base of neutral spirits, combined with an infusion of botanicals, including citrus, as well as the primary flavoring constituent of any gin - the juniper berry.
New Amsterdam Gin is named for "New Amsterdam", the original European name for New York, when under Dutch rule. New Amsterdam claims that, based on a unique distillation method and precise flavor infusion, their gin embodies a uniquely smooth, crisp, slightly-citrus flavor.
New Amsterdam's marketing approach is targeted towards a younger generation of gin drinkers, looking to capitalize on the popular appeal of the "New York ideal" in addition to their claims on smoothness and tasteness superiority.
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the Beverage Testing Institute, two spirit ratings organizations, have had somewhat divergent reactions to New Amsterdam. The San Francicsco competition has rated the gin highly, giving it two gold and one double gold medals in 2007, 2008 and 2010.[1] By contrast, the Beverage Testing Institute gave the gin relatively middling scores of 88 and 89 in the same years.[1]