The distillery currently offers ultra-premium Tod & Vixen’s Dry Gin 1651 (male foxes are known as Tods, females are known as Vixens) made from the cocktail backward.

Made from the cocktail backward

How our products are consumed is as important to us as how they are made. So, we recruited a team of revered cocktail professionals led by Gary (gaz) Regan, including Leo Robitschek and Jeffery Morganthaler, early on and paired them with our British Master Distiller to help us develop our gin. The result is one lively mix of British Sensibility and American Mischief©.

Specifically designed to enhance the flavors of gin cocktails, our inaugural Tod & Vixen’s Dry Gin 1651 is made by macerating botanicals — including juniper, angelica root and rooibos tea — to extract their flavors, then non-chill filtering to retain the unearthed profile. The resulting sip is bold on the entry, giving way to a well-balanced, vibrant gin with a weighty mouthfeel.

As the esteemed gaz Regan put it: “THIS GIN ROCKS.”

Why 1651?

The short answer is a man by the name of Jellis Douwse Fonda, Eral’s great, great (truly great) Dutch grandfather.

Jellis arrived in New Amsterdam (now New York City) in 1651 and proceeded up the Hudson Valley. On October 19, 1651, the court in Rensselaerwyck (not far from present-day Albany) gave Jellis license to distill liquor, making him the first person in our family to own a distillery. We hope we’re making him proud, though you have to wonder what he would have thought of the Brit we have as our Master Distiller.

The distillery currently offers ultra-premium Tod & Vixen’s Dry Gin 1651 (male foxes are known as Tods, females are known as Vixens) made from the cocktail backward.

Made from the cocktail backward

How our products are consumed is as important to us as how they are made. So, we recruited a team of revered cocktail professionals led by Gary (gaz) Regan, including Leo Robitschek and Jeffery Morganthaler, early on and paired them with our British Master Distiller to help us develop our gin. The result is one lively mix of British Sensibility and American Mischief©.

Specifically designed to enhance the flavors of gin cocktails, our inaugural Tod & Vixen’s Dry Gin 1651 is made by macerating botanicals — including juniper, angelica root and rooibos tea — to extract their flavors, then non-chill filtering to retain the unearthed profile. The resulting sip is bold on the entry, giving way to a well-balanced, vibrant gin with a weighty mouthfeel.

As the esteemed gaz Regan put it: “THIS GIN ROCKS.”

Why 1651?

The short answer is a man by the name of Jellis Douwse Fonda, Eral’s great, great (truly great) Dutch grandfather.

Jellis arrived in New Amsterdam (now New York City) in 1651 and proceeded up the Hudson Valley. On October 19, 1651, the court in Rensselaerwyck (not far from present-day Albany) gave Jellis license to distill liquor, making him the first person in our family to own a distillery. We hope we’re making him proud, though you have to wonder what he would have thought of the Brit we have as our Master Distiller.

It’s all about the botanicals!

From your first sip of Tod & Vixen gin, we guarantee you’ll taste the difference. Now here’s some distilling knowledge you can use to impress your friends.

Juniper

Juniper is the only essential botanical in all gin. The word gin is derived from the Dutch word for juniper, jenever. While found in most temperate climates, we found the best growing region to be Southern Europe, specifically Macedonia. Juniper gives our gin it’s signature fresh pine and resiny aromas.

Angelica Root

Historically, angelica root was used as a medicinal plant. It is now also used to flavor liquors and food. Angelica has a distinct earthiness that pairs nicely with the juniper and coriander we use in our gin.

Orris Root

Orris comes from the root of the iris plant. We use orris not so much for its aromatics as a binding agent to balance and combine the other flavors in our gin.

Coriander Seed

Coriander is the ripe seed of the cilantro plant. Although coriander and cilantro come from the same plant, they do not share the same flavors. Coriander adds zesty citrus notes to our gin.

Red Rooibos Tea

Red Rooibos comes solely from South Africa. The tea has a warm earthy flavor that compliments the pine and citrus flavors in our gin.

Makrut Lime Leaves

Makrut lime leaves are native to tropical Southeast Asia and are frequently used in dishes from the region to balance the flavor of other spices – especially coriander. We use makrut lime leaves for the same purpose.

Fresh ORANGE Peel

Sweet, juicy and low in acid, navel oranges are the foundation of our gin’s citrus notes.

BITTER ORANGE Peel

Bitter oranges, not to be confused with their cousin the Bergamot, are used in preserves and medicinally around the world. We use their peel to compliment the fresh citrus notes and add another dimension to our gin and your cocktails.

Gin News & Notes

The latest and greatest gin-related content from the Vale Fox blog.

The Spruce Eats: The 9 Best Gins of 2021

The Spruce Eats: The 9 Best Gins of 2021

Upgrade your martini hour with bartender-approved bottles Written by Kate Dingwall Gin, though usually considered an easy-sipping clear spirit, is a complex category. There are herbaceous gins, citrus gins, malty gins, and gins spiced with roots and herbs. There are...

read more
Nashville Scene – Two Local Chefs Cook for the Public Good

Nashville Scene – Two Local Chefs Cook for the Public Good

There are many local chefs doing great works out of the public eye to help out important causes, and they’re worthy of some recognition. The famed Culinary Institute of America is the birthplace of so many great chefs, and they’ve joined forces with and The Vale Fox...

read more