In a world where gin is often associated with polished global brands and predictable botanicals, Puscalupi Gin stands apart — rooted not only in craftsmanship but in storytelling, memory, and place.
At the heart of this creation is Ștefan Bărbulescu, a visionary who turned a childhood aversion into a deeply personal mission: to craft a gin that reflects the nuanced identity of Romania.
Inspired by a forgotten local hero, guided by taste and instinct, and brought to life through years of research, Puscalupi is more than a drink — it’s an invitation to explore culture through flavor.
As one of the pioneers of Romanian craft gin, Ștefan is not just distilling botanicals; he’s distilling legacy, landscape, and layered emotion.
This interview captures his journey — from the dusty library discovery that gave the brand its name, to the tasting table where iconic brands were unknowingly outshined by his own creation.
Whether in a Negroni or served neat, Puscalupi invites us to rethink what gin can be when it’s made with soul, not formula.
1. A Botanical Philosophy
Is there a guiding principle or creative belief behind Puscalupi? What fuels your passion for crafting gin?
The story of Puscalupi Single Shot Dry Gin starts around 2014. Back then I only thought of gin as the piney drink that my parents drank shortly after the fall of the communist regime. I was horrified by the smell and bitterness of this childhood memory, haha. But then, we were invited to a wedding with some English flavour and I thought to myself that I should follow suit and have a nice gin and tonic in the garden – and yes, I was delighted.
Somehow, I postponed the immediate thought that I should think about creating my own gin but then, at the end of 2019 it was pretty clear that I was facing a now or never situation.
The almost three years of research and development, or as I like it to call “trial and error with a little bit of guidance” were great. The years that followed the actual launch of were also, and still are a hell of a journey.
The best catalyst for me is the feeling that I get when I see Puscalupi Single Shot Dry Gin in a bar, complementing a selection of good spirits. Just last night I got pretty emotional when seeing it in a nice picture of Omelett Brasov. It looked like it belonged there, near iconic brands. It gets even better when you think that our resources are the same as a thousand others. It’s a nice overwhelming feeling.
2. The Puscalupi Origin Story
How did the idea for Puscalupi come to life? What inspired you to launch a Romanian craft gin brand in a sea of international names?
When we started the process described above, we had to work in parallel on recipe and brand. As I wanted to obtain the most local of the gins that I could, I needed a nice local hero to tell the story – and I was sure I found the best one when scrolling through the books at the local library of Brasov right before the pandemic restrictions. Puscalupi was everything I needed – a local hidden gem, an under-credited and underrecognized man that helped the famous botanist Julius Roemer to build the most complex botanical atlas from Tara Barsei, by leading him through paths he only knew.
3. Romania in Every Sip
What elements of Romanian terroir, culture, or personality are infused into Puscalupi?
I am only at the third question and already feeling that I am giving spoiler by spoiler with every answer. Haha.
But maybe there is more – as I already mentioned, I did my best in order to reflect local flavours in what was going to become Puscalupi Single Shot Dry Gin – a gin with origins in the easternmost part of the West, or in the most westernmost part of the East. I tried to mix and combine elements of the two major Empires that influenced the local culture and flavour – The Ottoman and the Austro – Hungarian Empires. Both design and recipe wise.
4. Sourcing and Storytelling
How do you select and source your botanicals? Are there native ingredients or unique combinations that define your signature?
Puscalupi is made using 18 botanicals, 7 of which are sourced locally and the rest of them bought from all over the World via a historical trader based in the UK.
As I mentioned earlier you can find linden or rosehip among allspice and bay leaves. Of course, the main ingredient being juniper – ours coming from Italy.
5. Puscalupi For Curious Travelers
If someone is visiting Romania for the first time, what tasting experience would you invite them to try? What could they discover about Romanian culture through this tasting?
I would really encourage them to begin by tasting Puscalupi Single Shot Dry Gin neat. It is the best way to start understanding why a global spread product always deserves to be served in the most local way.
It is thrilling to see how for example, a genuine Englishman gets surprised by the intensity of flavours of what he thought he already knew everything about.
6. Mixology and Identity
Puscalupi is part of our cocktail workshops with Ginoteca. What is your favorite cocktail that includes gin?
One of the main features that I chased when developing the recipe was versatility. I wanted to create a product that could never be drunk in a wrong way or combination and although I had not much time left for mixing it and at the time, I focused on the Gin & Tonic, at this moment I can say by far that Negroni is my favourite.
7. A Moment that Stayed with You
Is there a tasting event, encounter, or story from a customer that really left an impression on you?
Luckily for me, there are many. Unluckily for the same person I spent much to less time on reflecting and remembering them.
But yes, maybe I should mention that before making the final decision regarding the recipe, I invited 5 of my friends to a blind tasting – there were 5 gins, 4 of them made by me and one iconic brand. They were told that all 5 of them were made by me.
Although the actual tasting was a fiasco, because we are talking about the restrictions during 2021 and we were all much too happy to see one other and spend time in the garden, at the same table and nobody couldn’t care less about the objectives that I wanted to focus on, they all drank in a completely random succession. At one moment, one of my friends, after tasting one of the gins, just threw it on the ground saying it is not to his taste – only to later find out that it was the iconic brand.
I think that was the moment which gave me the most confidence that I was already pursuing something great.
8. Your Ideal Pairing
What local dishes, flavors, or restaurant experiences would you pair with a Puscalupi gin and tonic?
Most of the restaurants that serve our gin are doing it in a most unique way.
I really think that there is no wrong way to have it and moreover, even if it would, who are we to judge a personal preference?
9. The Craft Spirit Scene
How do you see Romania’s artisanal spirits landscape evolving, and what role does Puscalupi play in that journey?
We are among the pioneers of gin producers in Romania and I like to think that every other gin that intends to come to life, at least briefly takes a look at Puscalupi Single Shot Dry Gin and wants to be better. Competition is good.
10. Souvenir or Symbol?
What makes Puscalupi a meaningful gift or travel souvenir in your view?
I like to think that I pay the same attention in producing every bottle of it as the one everyone pays when choosing a gift for their beloved ones, so there is a good chance of a perfect sync.
11. Vision for the Future
What’s next for Puscalupi? Are you working on new blends, partnerships, or cultural experiences?
New blends, of “flavours” is not really our thing but maybe it will become – who are we to swim upstream?
On the other hand, we are completely open to partnerships with brands that share the same values.
12. Final Pour
If someone experiences Puscalupi for the first time, what would you want them to feel or remember most?
Although I am pretty sure that the most powerful memory will be the olfactive one, I have to admit that I do have a nice time imagining how people from all around the world are pronouncing Puscalupi.
At the end of our conversation, one thing is clear: Puscalupi isn’t just a gin — it’s a cultural experience bottled with intention. It speaks to those who care about place, memory, and authenticity. It’s a tribute to local ingredients, historical threads, and bold choices made quietly, over years of persistence.
Whether you encounter it in a cocktail workshop with Ginoteca, in the hands of an enthusiastic bartender, or as a gift that carries the scent of the Carpathians, Puscalupi offers more than flavor — it offers connection. And behind it all, Ștefan’s quiet confidence and reflective humor remind us that craft spirits, like all meaningful things, start not just with skill, but with vision.
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