DIE GESCHICHTE VON THE DUKE
Seit unserer Gründung im Jahr 2008 steht THE DUKE für die Kunst der handwerklichen Destillation und die Kreation von erstklassigen Spirituosen, die mit Hingabe und Leidenschaft gefertigt werden.
Unsere Geschichte begann in einem bescheidenen Hinterhof in München, wo wir kontinuierlich an der Verfeinerung unserer Herstellungsprozesse gearbeitet haben, um außergewöhnliche Produkte zu entwickeln.
Heute, in unserer "Gläsernen Destillerie" in Aschheim bei München, haben wir die Möglichkeit, Besucher willkommen zu heißen und ihnen einen faszinierenden Einblick in die Entstehung unserer hochwertigen Destillate zu geben.
The story of THE DUKE distillery begins in autumn 2007 with the two founders Max & Daniel, a few glasses of gin & tonic and an idea: the production of a high-quality German gin. Admittedly, the juniper distillate was nothing new back then. But at that time, the gin selection in the catering industry was mainly determined by international corporations. You had to look in vain for German gin on the bar menu. And so a simple crazy idea became a declared mission.
Many experiments with a wide variety of botanicals, distillation processes and one or two tastings were to follow. After a year of development full of passion and dedication, the time had finally come: Munich Dry Gin was brought to life. Little did he know that he would one day be considered one of the pioneers of German gin and make a significant contribution to the development of the German gin landscape.


Since 2008, Munich Dry Gin has been produced in small batches in the two founders' student apartment. The custom-made copper cauldron, named Carl, was bubbling at full speed to keep up with the amount in demand. But THE DUKE team didn't stand still either. At that time, the bottles with funnels were filled diligently by hand, labels were stuck on using stencils and boxes were dragged over several floors. Over time, not only did the team expand, but also the product range: LION's Vodka, Munich Caraway and a variety of liqueurs complemented the offering.
While THE DUKE Munich Dry Gin was initially only served in restaurants, demand from retailers and end consumers did not take long to arrive. And so it happened that the capacity limits were soon exhausted. A new production location was needed.




In 2016 the time had come: THE DUKE distillery opened its location, not far from the gates of Munich, in the idyllic former potato distillery in Aschheim. The small copper still “Carl” is now actively supported by a new, much larger still – also handmade from copper. Not only has a lot happened in production, the team at THE DUKE distillery now also has over 25 employees. But even though the move has brought about many innovations, the old craft and the dedication with which we produce our fine distillates remains the same.
With the new premises, the founders fulfilled their dream of the “Glass Distillery”. Gin fans and the curious are invited to visit THE DUKE distillery and our in-house distillery shop, take tours , enjoy tastings and let yourself be tempted by a drink or two in our THE DUKE bar.
»TEBERTEER: A PERSON WHO SUBMITS TO THE TEMPTATION OF DEPRIVING HIMSELF OF A PLEASURE.«
(Ambrose Bierce)
The name THE DUKE
Henry the Lion was once Duke of Bavaria. In 1158 he had a bridge torn down in order to build a new one at the monks' settlement "Munichen". The city of Munich was born.
Our "THE DUKE" (Duke in German) is a homage to the founder of the city of Munich and our place of manufacture at the same time. Because who knows whether THE DUKE Gin would have existed without Henry the Lion.