Summer is drawing to a close, and the kids are going back to school soon, so I hope you’ve all enjoyed an amazing August. Mine was pleasantly peaceful with a couple of weeks in Portugal and just a wee bit of work which you can read more about below.

Booze News

Has it been a slow news month or have I simply not been paying attention? Answers on a postcard please. In the meantime, let’s crack on…!

New Gin Alerts

Just a couple of new gins have caught my eye this month: Oddbox Cucumber & Apple Gin made by Penrhos Spirits, and Hernö’s new stripped-back gin created using only two botanicals: juniper and coriander seeds. Described as a “manifest against buzzword gin products”, Hernö Botanical Flavoured Gin is, apparently, short for Hernö Brilliant Official True Artistic Natural Innovative Complex Finest Legacy Aromatic Vibrant Original Ultra Rare Epic Delicate Gin! I really hope it will be available in the UK as it sounds right up my street.

My Month in Gin

It’s been a pretty quiet month so the only highlight (other than rolling around in juniper bushes on the Portuguese coast!) was judging the IWSC Design Awards 2023 with Anne Jones, Partner & Drinks Expert at Waitrose and James Fleming, Creative Director at Gigantic Creative.

Initially we walked around two huge tables laden with bottles and gift boxes to identify anything that caught our eye, before studying each entrant in closer detail and whittling our long list down to one winner, and a selection of highly commended, in each category. Congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted, and especially to the Redesign/Rebrand winner Barra Atlantic Gin, the Contemporary winner Isle of Harris Gin and Penrhos Spirits who won the Eco-friendly category with their recycled aluminium bottle.

Welcome to My Collection

Thank you to Penrhos Spirits for their new limited-edition gin made in collaboration with Oddbox and using 200g of wonky cucumbers and apples in each bottle. Thanks also to Warner’s, who invited me to take part in their terrific Tongue Twister Taste Challenge. You can check out my attempt here and, if you’re tempted to take part too, buy your kit here using discount code GINA20 at the checkout for a cheeky 20% off!

Finally, I can’t wait to mix up an Aztec Negroni using this terrific kit including Ilegal Mezcal and Cocchi Vermouth di Torino.

I also couldn’t resist picking up a couple more gin pins from eBay and also a bottle of Lisboa Gin at Duty Free on my way home from Portugal!

Catching Up and Looking Forward

If you’ve ever wondered what six million bottles look like or what it takes to make them, have a read of my article about glass manufacturer Encirc and their 360 approach to sustainability which was published earlier this month. As for September – with Negroni Week, Bee’s Knees Week, National Hospitality Day and a couple of articles to write – it looks like it’s going to be nose to the grindstone for me! 🍸🛎🛎