Krakowska Destylarnia Alkoholi: Polish FLOAT Gin

Kraków has a long history, a serious gastronomic scene, and an increasing number of producers who interpret traditional drink categories in a completely new way. In that space, between craft, creativity, and modern taste, Krakowska Destylarnia Alkoholi was created, a distillery that produces gins and liqueurs under the FLOAT brand.

FLOAT is not a brand trying to look classic. Its identity is different, more playful, and bolder. The colors are intense, the flavors are fruity and expressive, and the approach to distillation is based on experimentation, collaboration, and the idea that a good drink does not have to be strict, closed, and predictable.

On the official website of Krakowska Destylarnia Alkoholi, FLOAT is presented as “kolorowa strona ginu”, meaning the colorful side of gin, with a description stating that these are multiple award-winning Polish craft gins and liqueurs. The range includes FLOAT London Dry Gin, FLOAT Cheerful Gin, FLOAT The Grapest Gin x Zweigelt, as well as gin-based liqueurs, including passion fruit, quince, strawberry, and Brewbella, a coffee liqueur based on gin.

Gin that does not want to go unnoticed
FLOAT is a good example of a modern brand that understands that today a product needs more than a correct recipe. It needs attitude, visual identity, and a taste that stays in memory.

On its dedicated FLOAT page, the brand states that it comes from Kraków, that the products are made by hand, in their own way, that they experiment with distillation, collaborate with people they enjoy working with, and create products they genuinely want to drink.

That sentence explains their character well. FLOAT is not trying to be a strict replica of traditional gin. It uses gin as a basis for playing with fruit, colors, maceration, and different aromatic directions.

FLOAT Cheerful Gin stands out in particular, a gin infused with sour cherry, which was described in a review by Spirits.com.pl as a product with plenty of juniper, cubeb pepper, sour cherry juice, rhubarb, dried Japanese lemon, apricot, and a fruity-spicy finish. The same review states that it is a very interesting gin.

A silver medal for a signature gin
Recently, FLOAT received another important confirmation of quality. According to the brand’s Instagram post, their signature gin inspired by the world of wine won a silver medal at the international World Gin Awards competition.

For a brand that builds its identity on a different approach, this recognition has special value. It shows that originality is not only a marketing direction, but that behind the color, design, and idea, there is serious work in production.

In the gin category, competition is strong. The market includes a huge number of classic London Dry styles, experimental gins, fruit infusions, barrel-aged variants, and local interpretations. That is why international recognition is not won only because of an interesting story. It is won when the product has balance, aromatic structure, and quality that can be recognized in the glass.

When wine inspires gin
One of the most interesting products in the FLOAT portfolio is FLOAT The Grapest Gin x Zweigelt. The name alone reveals a different direction of thinking. Gin is not viewed in isolation, but through an encounter with the world of wine.

On the distillery’s website, this product is listed together with other FLOAT gins and liqueurs, showing that the brand is developing its own small universe of drinks, from more classic interpretations to more experimental products with fruit and wine-inspired elements.

This kind of approach requires great precision. When gin is connected with fruit or wine elements, it is important that no single component takes complete dominance. Juniper must remain recognizable, the fruit must bring character, and the alcohol base must bring all elements together into a clean and stable product.

That is where the difference between a random experiment and a serious distilling idea becomes visible.

The DES still as the foundation for creative production
Creativity in distillation does not mean much without equipment that can provide control. When a producer works with different styles of gin, fruit infusions, and liqueurs, the process needs to be stable, repeatable, and flexible enough for different recipes.

Krakowska Destylarnia Alkoholi uses a DES still in its production, and precisely this kind of equipment creates space for the development of brands such as FLOAT. With gin, it is important to work precisely with botanicals, the alcohol base, and the aromatic profile. With gin-based liqueurs, it is additionally important that the base distillate blends well with fruit, coffee, or other aromatic components.

A good still does not determine the style of a brand.

But it enables the producer to develop that style with greater confidence.

For FLOAT, this means the freedom to explore different directions, from London Dry style, through fruit gins, to gin-based liqueurs. For the distillery, it means that one piece of equipment must support multiple ideas, multiple batches, and multiple flavors.

Color, fruit, and the modern language of gin
FLOAT shows that gin is no longer only a classic drink for a narrow group of connoisseurs. It can be fresh, urban, fruity, playful, and visually recognizable, while still remaining a serious product.

Their range includes flavors that speak the modern language of the market: sour cherry, passion fruit, quince, strawberry, coffee, and grape. These are ingredients that bring gin closer to an audience looking for something different, but not willing to compromise on quality.

On its website, alongside FLOAT products, Krakowska Destylarnia Alkoholi also offers other craft bottles, such as limoncello, sour cherry liqueur, pear brandy, quince brandy, citrinovka with honey, and potato vodka. This shows the breadth of production and an understanding of different categories of alcoholic drinks.

What does this story mean for future distillers?
The story of Krakowska Destylarnia Alkoholi and the FLOAT brand shows that a modern distillery does not have to choose between craft and creativity. On the contrary, the best results often come when technical knowledge, good equipment, and a bold idea are brought together into one recognizable product.

If you are planning to develop gin, liqueurs, or other signature distillates, it is important to think from the very beginning about equipment that can follow recipe changes, testing, small batches, and portfolio expansion. With such products, process stability is just as important as freedom to experiment.

DES stills are used around the world for the production of brandy, gin, absinthe, liqueurs, vodka, rum, whisky, and other alcoholic spirits. Our range includes more than 40 still models, different types of columns, several heating options, and the possibility of custom production according to production needs.

For producers who want to build a brand with character, the right still is not just a technical investment. It is a tool that enables an idea to become a product, and a product to become a recognizable style.

Kraków, FLOAT, and the new energy of gin
FLOAT is an example of a brand that does not see gin as a closed category, but as a space for play, color, fruit, and a different kind of expression. From Kraków comes a line of gins and liqueurs that combines craft production, modern design, and the courage to present a classic product in a new way.

The silver medal at the World Gin Awards confirms that this kind of approach can also be recognized internationally. For DES, it is a special pleasure when our stills become part of production stories in which tradition is not repeated mechanically, but used as the foundation for something new.

Because good gin can be classic.

It can be serious.

It can be fruity, colorful, and unexpected.

What matters most is that it has character.

Contact us and find the DES still that suits your production.