Wowser’s, what a time it’s been! As well as the month-long celebration of gin known as #GinADayMay, I’ve also undertaken a mammoth amount of judging and been to some truly amazing experiences and brilliant bars. I’m not sure how I managed to fit it all in but I’m mighty glad I did!

Booze News

With everything else going on I’ll willingly admit I haven’t kept a close eye on the booze news this month, but I did spot that Ireland’s Ballyvolane House Spirits Company is sadly winding down. While the founders Justin Green and Antony Jackson are hopeful that the Bertha’s Revenge brand will continue under new stewardship, it will no long be produced on site at Ballyvolane House and nor will Anthony and Justin be at the helm.

New Gin Alerts

A few new releases have caught my eye this month: Plymouth Gin has announced a new honey flavoured gin featuring golden honey and vanilla notes, alongside a juniper and citrus finish, while Penrhos has released a limited edition Wonky Strawberry Gin which uses 100g of “wonky” strawberries that didn’t quite make the shop shelf in every bottle.

However the bottle that has really caught my eye, and I’ve been lucky enough to receive, is Renais’ Grand Cru Cask-Aged Gin. Matured for over a year in a single Grand Cru Chablis cask it is soft and gentle on the palate with smooth vanilla and delicate oak spices but still retains a ginny character and works wonderfully in a Gin Old Fashioned.

My Month in Gin

It has been a hell of a busy month! Alongside #GinADayMay, I’ve undertaken a huge amount of drinks’ judging with 2 days at Great Taste, 5 days at IWSC and one at the Tonic and Mixer Masters. If I’ve calculated correctly (and I probably haven’t!) that adds up to over 450 samples (of which there were approximately 88 low-and-no products, 178 gins, 61 RTDs, 100+ loose teas and 28 tonics and mixers)! And I edited another 200 tasting notes this month too. No wonder I’ve been so tired!

May kicked off with a wonderful Whitebox rooftop cocktail party where we got to enjoy all of their stunning range of drinks as well as meet some of the team, catch up with some industry pals and pick up some merch too including some super cute pins!

I also had a wonderful afternoon (and evening) with the team from Diageo when I attended their Gordon’s and Tanqueray Gin Experience. We kicked off at Mortimer House with a wonderful introduction to the history of both brands from Senior Archivist Jo McKerchar followed by an eye-opening tasting led by Master Distiller Terry Fraser in which I realised how much more juniper forward Gordon’s is compared to Tanqueray. Next we were treated to a lovely little tour with Gin Journey’s Kate Meehan who took us to Mr Foggs Hat Tavern, Bantof’s speakeasy lounge and Archive & Myth where we got to make our perfect G&T.

After all that I had the immense pleasure of joining Terry, Jo, Kate and Archive & Myth’s Jack Sotti for martinis at The Connaught. Made using Tanqueray No. 10 and a blend of dry vermouths, tailored to your taste with a selection of aromatic bitters and garnishes, poured from height as it’s spritzed with lemon zest, and served in style from The Connaught Bar Martini Trolley; it is an incredible and immersive experience that is hard to beat (even if you’re not lucky enough to share it with the gin’s Master Distiller and a bunch of industry of legends)!

From one top bar to another at the top of the world, I recently ventured up to the 60th floor of 22 Bishopsgate (after judging for IWSC on the 7th floor) to visit the new Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay, and it did not disappoint!

I simply had to kick off the evening with a Lucky Negroni – which involves rolling 3 dice to determine your selection of gin, bitters and vermouth – and was presented with a delicious concoction featuring Bombay Sapphire, Martini Bitter, Martini Rubino and chilli. We also couldn’t resist sampling some snacks and indulging in another cocktail each as we gazed down on London from above. I went for the crystal clear Okinawa Margarita which really hit the spot, but all the drinks were great. And, as if the drinks aren’t enough, you can be sure to find a lucky cat and a remarkable view at every turn too. Even in the loos!

Welcome to My Collection

It’s been a really good month for goodies! I’ve been very grateful to receive Withers Victorious Cherry Bakewell Dry Gin, a Tanqueray London Dry Gin goody bag, Sule Skerry Gin from Orkney Gin Company, a bottle and refill pouch of Jim & Tonic Citrus & Hops Gin, Renais Grand Cru Cask-Aged Gin and a bottle of the pretty Belgravia in Bloom x Bathtub Gin collaboration.

I also received a bottle of Jin Jin – an amazing non-alcoholic enzymatic concentrate made using 35 fermented natural ingredients – and couldn’t resist buying myself a bottle of the limited edition Botivo x Ottolenghi collab. Thanks also to Ocho Plata Tequila and Three Cents Pink Grapefruit Soda for their Paloma Month hamper, to El Rayo for their Tequila Tonic cans and to Sacred for a bottle of their terrific Triple Sec.

Catching Up and Looking Forward

If you haven’t already had a read, why not check out my latest Drinksbiz column which is all about absinthe? As for next month, June isn’t looking much quieter than May with more writing and judging as well as World Gin Day, Martini Day and the inaugural BCB London at Tobacco Dock. But first, some downtime! 🍸🛎🛎