15-04-2025
This Grand Boston Hotel Offers Guests An Exclusive Gin Inspired By The City's Public Gardens
Coterie Gin is Four Season Hotel Boston's customary spirit with a flavor profile that includes rose buds, jasmine flowers, sunflower petals, elderflower and rosemary.
During the latest redesign of Four Seasons Hotel Boston, the property knew they wanted to infuse a stronger sense of place at the new restaurant, Coterie.
The parkside lobby lounge is adjacent to Boston's Public Garden — the first and longest operating public garden in the U.S. — so they looked to local artisanal spirits maker Short Path Distillery to create a gin that captured the botanical essence of this prized green space.
'We are always seeking experiences that bring the heritage and culture of our Public Garden setting to life,' Delainey Rowland, restaurant general manager, food and beverage, told Forbes. So, the team asked Short Path to create 'a floral-inspired gin with a strong juniper backbone.'
Crafted, distilled and bottled in Everett, Mass., Short Path presented the beverage team with nine iterations of the gin before landing on the preferred flavor profile that includes rose buds, jasmine flowers, sunflower petals, elderflower and rosemary. The gin plays perfectly in a collection of signature botanical-centric cocktails, including a selection inspired by the legendary Boston Tea Party on the menu at Coterie.
Additionally, the hotel offers all overnight guests an in-room Coterie Gin & Tonic Trio featuring the custom-blended gin with a sampling of tonics: original, grapefruit and rosemary, and orange & elderflower.
Below, Rowland shares more about Coterie Gin and the ethos of Short Path that was perfectly suited to the Four Seasons Hotel Boston.
Coterie Gin in the bar setup at the hotel's Royal Suite.
Jillian Dara: How did you decide to work with Short Path Distillery?
Delainey Rowland: We work with local makers whenever we can. Short Path uses locally sourced ingredients and combines old-world distilling techniques with a new-world approach to spirit development to handcraft spirits that represent the best of both worlds.
JD: What is it about their brand that aligns with Four Seasons Boston?
DR: Short Path's handcrafted approach reflects the Four Seasons Hotel Boston focus on authentic hospitality, artfully delivered. Their philosophy mirrors our own where we blend traditional luxury hospitality with contemporary innovations.
JD: How else can guests experience Coterie Gin during their stay?
DR: The gin is available in the Royal Suite with assorted mixers and garnishes, as part of the suite's full bar, which is complimentary to guests.
JD: Can you share more about one of the botanical-inspired cocktails Coterie inspired?
The 'Destruction of Tea' is a large format cocktail for two guests, served in a teapot. The gin base is infused with mountain berry tea then combined with lime, thyme and prosecco. Before 1820, the Boston Tea Party was referred to as the Destruction of tea; this is Coterie's take on tea time.
JD: Why do you think it's so important to offer this type of amenity for your guests?
DR: We see increased guest interest in local products on both the dinner and bar menu. In addition to sourcing many of our seafood, meat and produce regionally, we feature a strong selection of local beers, cider and spirits. Plus, it's our goal to bring the character and history of Boston alive for our guests. Our Coterie gin quite literally captures the essence of our Public Garden setting.
JD: Anything else you'd like to share about the proprietary gin?
DR: The gin has inspired a lot of creativity within the Coterie team. In 2024, we offered a monthly rotating Coterie Gin cocktail special, in which each team member, from bartenders, to food runners, to managers in Coterie created their own specialty cocktail with the gin which was offered for a month. This was a great way to create conversation about the gin within the restaurant and guests! We plan to restart this monthly special once we return to the busy season.
