James Bay Adds two Expressions for ‘Ginuary’

Spirits

January 7, 2026

James Bay Distillers Ginuary labels SQUARE

James Bay Distillers announced that its gin releases during the month of “Ginuary” 2026 will include GIN 46 and the James Bay Pineapple Gin with a fresh new label. Ginuary is the company’s fun take on the first month of the year, a time to enjoy a wide range of flavorful gins and gin cocktails.

GIN 46 represents some 46 sequential iterations by the James Bay team to perfect this gin, described as a “Juniper-forward gin for the modern era,” to incorporate some of the juniper nature of traditional London Dry gins, but also to advance beyond that style. 

The team’s innovation includes Nepalese Timut Pepper (not a true pepper, it has a lime note) and Persian Dried Lime in their gin basket to expand the citrus notes. The distillery uses local wild-harvested juniper, also steering away from the easier method of using imported bulk juniper.

The GIN 46 label celebrates the artwork of famed artist Robert Lavin (1919-1997) known for his detailed images on stock certificates and evocative paintings of industrial workers. The distillery worked with artist Yulia Tsurkan who reimagined one of Lavin’s images as part of the label project. The front label features a heroic gin goddess, evoking the timeless elegance and mythic aspirations of gin, surrounded by electrons of gin botanicals, looking ahead to a future filled with exceptional gins.

James Bay’s Pineapple Gin incorporates organic pineapple for a sweet and the enticing nose of freshly-cut ripe pineapple, with gin and juniper notes arriving at the finish. The distillery suggests pairing with the Mexican Jarritos brand pineapple soda or Fanta’s pineapple soda for a refreshing and simple cocktail to make at home. The refreshed label adds a Pacific island pineapple vibe, inviting consideration of tropical cocktails.

Release dates for these two gins will be announced by the distillery on social media later during Ginuary.

“There’s 31 days in the month, plenty of time to explore our various gold-medal, double-gold-medal award-winning gins,” Ernest Troth, president of James Bay Distillers, said in a news release. 

Other gins to be featured include James Bay’s’ Navy Gin with a botanical mix favored by the late Queen of England; a Berry & Ube Gin (the first and only gin with ube, a Pacific Island sweet potato that tastes like vanilla and pistachio); Summer Gin No. 5 (“one of the top 12 gins in the US” (Wine Enthusiast) and “Fun, Lively, tastes like Summer In a Glass” (Sunset Magazine); and their Seattle Dry Gin (also not a London Dry, it’s coriander forward and developed with a chef in nearby Seattle). 

“There’s a gin flavor for everyone, and for those who understandably want a lower ABV, we teach our guests how to make cocktails that are full of flavor but lower in alcohol,” Troth said. “Even during ‘dry January,’ there’s a way to have a bit of actual, real, tasty gin and keep the ABV at 5% or lower.” 

The two new gins will be added to the company’s direct-to-consumer sales sites later in the month.

Read more: James Bay Distillers Announces New Club High-Proof Bourbon

James Bay produces gold- and double-gold-medal award-winning whiskies, gins, and vodkas at Paine Field, just north of Seattle. Described as an “emerging brand” at the 2025 Seattle Cocktail Week, and noted for entrepreneurial success in the Snohomish County area “Welcome Magazine,” the company prides itself on the production of sipping spirits. The company’s tasting room offers a gin and whiskey-bar, serving cocktails and individual spirits’ tastings. Wholesale and export orders are invited. For more information, visit https://www.jamesbaydistillers.com/.

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