The Schwarzwald (Black Forest) is a mountain range of approximately 11,100 km² in south-western Germany, named for its dense fir, spruce, and pine cover. The region's granite and gneiss bedrock produces soft, low-mineral aquifer water; its diverse undergrowth supplies juniper, blackthorn, elderflower, gentian, and a range of resinous conifer materials.
Schwarzwald gin emerged as a distinct category from approximately 2008 onward, when Monkey 47 was founded in Lossburg. Subsequent regional producers include Boar (Bad Peterstal-Griesbach), Schladerer (Staufen), and Wild Brennerei (Stetten am Heuchelberg). Tannenblut is distilled in the same forest, but as a closed 3,000-bottle collector edition rather than continuous production.