September was a super busy month (which is one of the reasons I’m not publishing this until October!) but it was also a hell of a lot of fun! And there was also some interesting booze news and some tempting new releases to check out so please do keep reading…

Booze News

It’s yet another month of mixed news for gin lovers… Sadly, Ireland’s Listoke Distillery announced their closure on Instagram citing “Covid, a management buyout, cost of living crisis, global inflation, tourism shut down and insane shipping costs” as some of the challenges they’ve faced while also emphasising some of the things they achieved over their 8 years such as supporting their local community, fundraising for charity and winning international awards.

Meanwhile the IWSR reported that sales of flavoured gins are now declining more than twice as fast as those of traditional gins, while Sipsmith Master Distiller Jared Brown admitted that the brand lost its way focusing on flavoured gin but is now returning to “true north” with its latest release (see below!).

Finally, and excitingly, Ford’s Gin have announced a new brand home within the Thames Distillers site (where the gin is produced under contract) demonstrating a great example of how to celebrate third-party distilling. Better yet, the bar also includes a corner to honour Thames’ master distiller Charles Maxwell and all of the other gins he has made!

New Gin Alerts

Three new gins caught my eye this month. Following the publication of A Most Noble Water by Sipsmith Master Distiller Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller, the distillery has released Origin 1639 Gin inspired by the recipe that sparked modern gin. Created using new-make spirit alongside raspberries and strawberries prior to resting in oak barrels, Origin 1639 is described as a blend of classic juniper and vibrant citrus with a spicy backbone. 

Next up is Fortnum’s x Salcombe Gin Special Edition Cask Aged Release 2024; a limited-edition release which has been matured in American oak casks – previously home to Niepoort’s Moscatel do Douro – for over four years and is said to deliver sweet apricot and almond alongside a rich, nutty complexity reminiscent of Christmas cake.

And last but not least is the 4th edition of Procera Red Dot – the 2023 Vintage – which is made using juniper sourced from the Kenyan highland region of Narok for the first time, and also features an additional botanical in the form of Poivre Sauvage; a rare and fragrant pepper not dissimilar to Sichuan Pepper that imparts an additional level of spice and depth to the gin.

My Month in Gin

September saw me judging for two prestigious competitions; the IWSC 2024 Design Awards and Global Spirits’ Luxury and Autumn Masters. Both were great days with some very well deserving winners; hit the links above to see the full details of who won what.

There was a huge amount of fun to be had, kicking off with the launch of the Gothic Bar’s new cocktail menu. Developed by bar manager Jack Porter, the Voyages Extraordinaires menu features three drinks made with Camus Cognac and is inspired by the novels of Jules Verne which were published 160 years ago, at the same time that the Camus family began their journey into the world of cognac. Personally I loved the exceptionally well balanced spice of the long and refreshing Journey to the Centre of the Earth, but I was also was very impressed by the complexity and subtlety of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. And who can resist the smoke-filled bubble that accompanies Five Weeks In A Balloon?! If you want to give it a try, The Camus Voyages Extraordinaires menu is available until the end of November, and the food is well worth trying too!

After that I popped to the launch of Gordon Ramsay’s new wine at his stunning Bread Street Kitchen & Bar in Stratford where we enjoyed delicious food paired with the new soft yet dry Pinot Grigio. The wine went down very easily indeed and, if you fancy giving it a go, it is a bit of a bargain at only £8.50 at Tesco!

I was also invited to attend a sustainable spirits and wine tasting at Berry Bros. & Rudd’s new Spirits Shop in the heart of swanky St James’. Although I was pretty familiar with most of the exhibitors at the Future of Food Festival event, I was blown away both by Botivo’s White Negroni and the entire Mijenta Tequila range, as well as the stunning surroundings and super knowledgeable staff. And with almost 1,000 products ranging in price from £30 to £90,000 there really is something for everyone too!

After that I dashed around the corner to attend a truly once-in-a-lifetime dinner in the stunning surroundings of The Stafford’s historic 400-year old wine cellar! Hosted by Adam von Gootkin and Renee Lemieux of Highclere Castle Gin, the incredible menu was paired with equally excellent cocktails curated by The American Bar’s Director of Mixology, Salvatore Megna, and Bar Director, Benoit Provost. Although everything was exquisite, my favourite was the divine vine tomato consommé accompanied by an incredible “Eternity” featuring Highclere Castle Gin, zalotti blossom, white pepper, fino sherry and grapefruit bitters (though the roast garlic crumpet, Oscietra Caviar and lemon crème fraîche came a close second!).

And that was far from all! I also had the pleasure of accompanying Sara Jane Eichler of Negroni Club on a little trip to Saffron Walden where we ate ourselves silly at Chaters before (and after!) attending an Art of Aperitivo event at the new(ish) Vault Distillery tucked next door.

The sustainably minded distillery produces a selection of spirits – including English vermouths made from English wine, amaro, vodka and gin – and the experience offers an extensive tasting of their core range alongside delicious snacks and nibbles. In addition to that, we also learnt all about their production techniques and were treated to a peek behind the scenes to see the distillation and maceration in action as well as a cocktail and even a bottle to take home! I really couldn’t recommend the whole day out more highly.

It’s such a joy to not only judge at a drinks competitions but to also be invited to the subsequent celebrations, so I couldn’t resist attending the International Spirits Challenge Annual Awards Dinner in the splendid surroundings of One Great George Street, London. In addition to a delicious three course meal and tasting of the 2024 winning spirits, it was also wonderful to celebrate the successes of old friends and new, and especially Hernö Gin who took home Gin Producer of the Year 2024!

Last but not least, I saw out the month by attended the launch of Electric Spirit Co’s new Kegroni at Hackney’s Rasputin’s. The super sustainable 20 litre Kegroni keg connects to a standard beer line and serves a perfectly balanced – and chilled – Negroni created with Achroous Gin, Bitter Fusetti and Valentian Vermouth.

Welcome to My Collection

I’ve received lots of treats from my travels this month including a wonderful Camus Cognac goody bar containing a Paris In The Twentieth Century cocktail created by the Gothic Bar, a couple of bottles of Gordon Ramsay’s new Pinot Grigio and a couple of Vault Aperitivo collaborations: Vault x Dorian Amaro and Vault x Idyll Cherry Americano. I’ve also been delighted to receive a sample of Procera Red Dot 2023 Vintage, two bottles of Wrecking Coast‘s new look London Dry and Clotted Cream Gins and, all the way from down under, a beautiful bottle of Chemistry Gin!

Catching Up and Looking Forward

October looks like it should be a little quieter than September but I’ll still be doing a fair bit of judging alongside (finally!) studying for my WSET Level 2 in Spirits with the wonderful The Mixing Class. And if you’re looking for something to do in the big smoke don’t forget to check out London Cocktail Week 2024 which will be taking place from 3rd to 13th October. Hope you have a great month and see you next time!🍸🛎🛎