I cannot believe it’s December tomorrow, and am slightly in denial about how fast Christmas is approaching, but I guess that definitely means it’s time to take a quick look back at what went on in November. Enjoy!

Booze News

In excellent booze news, the European Court of Justice has declared that alcohol-free drinks cannot be called gin – even if labelled as ‘non-alcoholic’ – reinforcing EU law, which states that gin must be made with a minimum ABV of 37.5%. I’ll raise a glass of the good stuff to that!

Elsewhere, it has been reported that Scotland’s Eden Mill Distillery has been saved from administration. I don’t think many knew that Eden Mill was in any difficulty (I certainly didn’t) but I suppose it’s not that surprising given the scale of their new multi-million-pound distillery and visitor centre and the slowdown in the whisky sector.

New Gin Alerts

A handful of new releases have caught my eye this month. I can’t say I’m particularly familiar with the names behind this gin, but I was interested to spot that spirits platform Diistil has partnered with Nyx Hotel Holborn to create a custom gin that is said to capture London’s nightlife. Quite how, or what that tastes like, I’m really not sure… Similarly unexpected is Bodleian Gin which apparently evokes the scholarly atmosphere of Oxford’s oldest library, but it is made in collaboration with Sky Wave Gin which bodes well. And finally, Scotland’s Crossbill Distilling have released a Seasonal Gin featuring local juniper, rosehips, brambles and chanterelle mushrooms which also sounds rather intriguing.

My Month in Gin

If you know me you’ll know how much I love visiting a distillery, so it was a huge pleasure to head to Penderyn in Swansea for Cygnet’s “Symphony of the Senses”. The immersive experience cleverly combines Cygnet Gin founder Katherine Jenkins’ love of classical music with a comprehensive tasting of the full Cygnet range, including their spicy and citrusy Welsh Dry Gin and juniper-forward Cygnet 22 which also features manuka honey, bee pollen and chamomile flowers among its botanicals. However the undoubted highlight for me was Cygnet 77, a super premium product which is created by resting Cygnet 22 with additional manuka honey in Welsh whisky barrels for 55 weeks. At £129 a bottle Cygnet 77 is probably out of most people’s price range so this tasting is a great opportunity to give it a try as well as getting to know the full range and getting a sneak peak behind the scenes of the distillery!

I was also delighted to attend the launch dinner of Indian whisky brand Paul John’s Christmas Edition 2025 at Colonel Saab. The oldest whisky Paul John has ever released, the 2025 edition definitely stood out among the six Christmas editions we were lucky enough to try. Matured in ex-bourbon casks for five years then finished in rare sherry cream casks, the 2025 edition is a wonderful rich whisky with a tropical sweetness, notes of stone fruit and a lovely long, creamy finish that is perfect for sipping during the festive season. If you fancy a bottle you better act fast though; there are only 420 bottles available in the UK.

Welcome to My Collection

I’ve received some fun and flavoursome tipples this month including one of Penrhos’ 250 bottles of Wonky Pear and Chilli Gin made using rescued fruit and fiery jalapeños, and Gun Dog’s Chuckleberry Gin Liqueur which was award 3 stars at the Great Taste awards by (amongst others) yours truly! Thanks also to Smiling Wolf for a selection of their non-alcoholic RTD cocktails and to Double Dutch for a massive stash of their delicious Pink Grapefruit Soda. Another big thank you to Cygnet for this stunning bottle of Cygnet 22 which is even engraved with my name! And I was also delighted to win a bottle of Inshriach Loch Insh Gin and a bottle of Kinrara Gin in Inshriach’s charity raffle in support of Fire and Peace Recovery.

Catching Up and Looking Forward

Next month is all about one thing and one thing only, but before the countdown to Christmas begins in full force why not catch up with my latest piece for Ambassador Cruise Line featuring the best British beverages from Cornish gin to Scotch single malt and Irish Whiskey, or my latest column for Drinksbiz all about advent calendars and how much I miss Ginvent! 🍸🛎🛎