Chilean Gin from Llifén Wins Gold in San Francisco

Chilean Craft Spirits

Goodwinds Gin, distilled in the small Patagonian town of Llifén, has been collecting international awards and positioning Chile on the global craft-spirits map.

A Patagonian Distillery with Global Ambition

Goodwinds Gin is produced in Llifén, a quiet lakeside town in the Futrono commune of Chile’s Los Ríos region. The distillery draws on the pristine water and wild botanicals of northern Patagonia to create a spirit that feels rooted in its landscape.

The brand has moved well beyond its remote origins. It is now poured in some of Santiago’s most respected bars and restaurants, including Artemisa, Arca Bar, and La Calma by Fredes, and is available through an online store that ships nationwide.

What Goes into the Bottle: Ten Botanicals, Two Native Stars

Goodwinds is a London Dry-style gin built around a blend of ten botanicals. Classic gin ingredients such as juniper, angelica root, coriander seeds, black pepper, and cardamom form the backbone.

What sets it apart are two distinctly Chilean additions: red murta, a native Patagonian berry with a sweet-tart character, and merkén, a smoked chilli spice traditional to Mapuche cuisine. Toasted orange peel, wild mint, and English lavender round out a profile that specialist reviewers have compared favourably to France’s acclaimed Citadelle gin.

Llifén Gin Awards and Critical Acclaim

The gin has earned multiple medals in prestigious international spirits competitions, though the distillery has not published an exhaustive list. Independent reviewers have called it “the best Chilean gin we have tried so far,” explicitly linking that praise to its competition record.

This recognition arrives as South American gins are enjoying a moment of heightened global visibility. At the Gin Guide Awards 2025, Chile’s Carpintero Negro Patagonic Gin was named the country’s highest-scoring entry, while Uruguay’s Sur 34 Gin took Best in South America.

Goodwinds sits comfortably within this rising tide of regional quality.

The Business of Patagonian Craft Spirits

Chile’s craft-gin sector remains small but is growing steadily, driven by export interest and premium domestic consumption. A bottle of Goodwinds Gin typically retails in Chile for around CLP 25,000 to CLP 30,000 (roughly US$26 to US$31), placing it in the premium segment alongside imported European labels.

For investors watching Latin America’s consumer-goods space, the Patagonian gin story offers an intriguing microcosm. Low-volume, high-margin production using regionally distinctive ingredients can build brand equity quickly when international awards validate quality.

The challenge, as always, lies in scaling distribution without losing the artisanal cachet that drives demand.

Patagonia’s Wider Gin Movement

Goodwinds is not alone in bottling Patagonia. Tepaluma Gin, distilled in La Junta in the Aysén region, markets itself as “Patagonia in a bottle” and has begun exporting to Europe.

Last Hope Distillery in Puerto Natales, one of the world’s southernmost distilleries, uses yerba maté and winter’s bark pepper in its gins.

Gin Patagón Original, another regional player, infuses its spirit with cilantro austral, fennel, and local juniper berries. Together, these brands are building a collective reputation for Patagonian gin as a category worth watching, much as Argentine Malbec once did for South American wine.

What Expats and Visitors Should Know

For expats living in Chile or travellers passing through Santiago, Goodwinds Gin is accessible without a trip to Patagonia. It appears on the back bars of venues such as Baco, DonDoh, Casa Sanz, Cuerovaca, Lolita Jones, and Karai, all of which cater to a mix of local professionals and international visitors.

The online store offers direct-to-consumer sales, making it possible to order a bottle from anywhere in Chile. As the brand’s international profile grows, export channels to key markets in North America and Europe are the logical next step to watch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Llifén Goodwinds Gin different from other Chilean gins?

Goodwinds Gin uses ten botanicals, including two native Chilean ingredients: red murta berry and merkén smoked chilli. This combination produces a refined, complex London Dry profile that specialist reviewers have likened to France’s Citadelle gin, and it has won multiple international competition medals.

Where can I buy Goodwinds Gin outside Chile?

Currently, Goodwinds Gin is primarily available within Chile through its online store and in Santiago bars and restaurants. Export channels are not yet widely established, but the brand’s growing international award record suggests broader distribution may follow, following the path of other Patagonian gins like Tepaluma that have reached European markets.

How much does a bottle of Goodwinds Gin cost?

A bottle of Goodwinds Gin typically retails in Chile for approximately CLP 25,000 to CLP 30,000, which is about US$26 to US$31 at current exchange rates. This positions it in the premium gin segment, competitive with imported European craft labels available on the Chilean market.