Intira: the Peruvian gin with muña, lemon verbena and lemon verbena that is made in Cusco

On its label it bears a tribute to the Inti Raymi, the Cusco festival that celebrates the Sun God, as a thank you to the star that encompasses everything. “That strong sun that burns our skin all the time in the mountains is super important to produce the botanicals that we use. If they are so concentrated and aromatic it is thanks to that sun”, says Lorenzo Zanchin, Italian and the creator of Intira, a gin handcrafted in the heights of Cusco.

Its botanical ingredients are original from the fringe of jungle territory that goes from Cusco to the central Peruvian jungle. They grew up in “a wonderful climate that is the result of the clash between the cold of the mountains and the heat and humidity of the jungle. This climate allows those highly concentrated botanicals to be created in aroma, perfumes and quite strong notes”, Zanchin tells us. In total there are 24 botanicals that aromatize Intira, the main ones are citrus fruits from the Valle de La Convención, in Quillabamba, such as orange, Russian lemon, grapefruit and green tangerine. There is also the muña, but not the leaves but the flower because it has a much more floral aromatic profile. Also lemon verbena, lemon verbena, lemon balm and other herbs that are used in the daily life of the people of Cusco.

The objective is to transfer the soul of Cusco, its land, soil, plants and its sun to a bottle of premium gin: “We want Intira to be an expression of this wonderful territory that we have in Peru. Botanicals are the essence of Intira, it does not want to emulate any other gin in the world. It wants to have a very Peruvian presence in its aromas”, emphasizes Zanchin. Only juniper is imported from Tuscany because it does not grow in this hemisphere. In addition, the water in this gin comes from the melting of the Nevado Apu Verónica, so the identity of this product is characteristic.

The resting time is very important for the quality of the gin. In the case of Intira, they mature for 6 months in a steel tank. “It takes time. Some commercial gins are distilled and released to the public immediately, but in premium gins it is important to let them mature, as in pisco.” Lorenzo tells us that gin was born as a bajativo in the Netherlands. In England it is drunk pure with the classic green olive, but being so aromatic it lends itself extremely well to cocktails: “With Intira, which has a very strong aromatic presence, I see bartenders having a lot of fun, it is like a toy room for they. They prepare very interesting cocktails in combination with fruits and other products”.

This Cusco gin was born 6 years ago and was mainly offered at the Incontri restaurants in the Old Town of Machu Picchu and Carpediem Cucina Italiana, in Cusco, managed by Lorenzo Zanchin and Liseth Miranda from Cusco. It was the gin of the house, but seeing its success, the couple wanted to take it beyond the borders of their restaurants, so now we can enjoy a sample of the aromas and flavors of Cusco at home.

More information

Where is Intra located? Make your orders to the email [email protected] or to the phone +51990229181. Also at the Central restaurant and through his Instagram account: