November has been a little more peaceful than previous months but there’s still plenty to read about, so what are you waiting for?!

Booze News

Two and half years since they announced their plans, Scapegrace have unveiled their new distillery on the shores of Lake Dunstan. The largest in New Zealand, the 3,000-square metre site comprises the company’s headquarters, warehousing, bottling operations, whisky barrel halls and the distillery, which will be one of only few worldwide to use hydro electricity instead of diesel to power its boiler.

And back in Blighty, I must congratulate Melita Kiely – Editor of The Spirits Business – for deservedly winning IWSC’s 2025 Spirits Communicator of the Year Trophy!

New Gin Alerts

There’s been plenty of festive releases this month including 58 and CO Double Sloe Gin, Ramsbury Figgy Pudding Gin, Biggar Bonfire Gin and Kintyre’s Calvados Cask-Aged Citrus Gin. If you’re looking for something a little bit – or perhaps a lot – different you might also want to take a look at James May’s California Dreamgin’ featuring mushroom and patchouli leaf! And it may not be a new release, but I must spare a mention for Hepple Gin‘s stunning new look too!

My Month in Gin

The month kicked off with The Gin Masters 2024 Second Tasting which took place at the stunning Hovarda Canary Wharf. Somewhat unsurprisingly – but entirely well-deservedly – Hernö Navy Strength Gin took home the Taste Master award, and you can check out all the other results here.

I also had a wonderful time judging the first round of the World Gin Awards 2025 in the stunning surroundings of Norwich’s 13th century Great Hospital. Over the course of three days we each assessed approximately 140 gins on appearance, aroma and all-important flavour. With every category from colour-changing and contemporary to sloe and signature botanical – and gins hailing from Australia and Austria to Taiwan and Vietnam – it was no mean feat, and we discovered some real treasure and (inevitably) a little trash along the way too. With round two and three still to come, the winners won’t be announced until April 2025 so we’re all going to have to be a little bit patient!

Welcome to My Collection

I’ve been lucky enough to receive lots of goodies this month including James May’s new California Dreamgin’, an Ophir Gin goodie box, Scottish Gorgeous Gin and Australia’s Diviners Apparition and Outlier Gins. Thanks also to Tayēr and Everleaf for samples of their Blood Orange + Timur Pepper, and Jasmine + Lily Highball canned cocktails, to Black Lines for a bottle of their dairy-free Oatnog, to Double Dutch for their gezellig goodie bag and, last but not least, to Bellamie for a bottle of their cherry liqueur apéritif.

Catching Up and Looking Forward

I’ve got a little judging to undertake – and a column to be published – before Christmas, and then I suppose it will be time to start thinking about my top ten gins of the year again! Hope you have a great month and see you on the other side!🍸🛎🛎