There’s always a must-have toy at Christmas that everyone is desperate to get their mitts on. This year, however, that item is a toy for adults, not children, and comes in the shape of a simple Christmas bauble. A bauble … filled with gin!
Gin-lovers rejoice! The Spirit Show, the UK’s first consumer show for the premium spirits market, is taking place in London next month, offering the perfect opportunity to pick up ideas and gifts for Christmas and New Year. Ticket holders will be able to take advantage of unlimited tastings of over 200 of the world’s finest rum, vodka, whisky and, of course, gin. In addition to this, everyone who attends will receive a limited-edition Spirit Show tasting glass, a meal voucher redeemable at the Street Food Village and a free download of the showguide and tasting notes app.
Recent years have seen the craft gin market grow exponentially. And the truth is that while some new gins are exceptional, many are not. And while many new gins embrace an ever expanding list of increasingly unusual botanicals, some work and some don’t. Some gins taste distinctive but many don’t. That doesn’t necessarily make them a bad gin of course, but without seeing the bottle some gins are just not that easy to identify, particularly when mixed with tonic water. It was this that Dale and Vicky McQueen wanted to address when they launched McQueen Gin. From the very beginning they were determined to create something different and distinctive. McQueen Gin was never going to conform.
I have a bit of a soft spot for Pothecary Gin; it was the first gin I formally reviewed, it comes from Dorset where my husband and I married, and its signature colour is my favourite too. It’s also a damn fine gin with a fascinating story behind it; a winning combination in my opinion. So you can imagine my delight when Pothecary collaborated with another local business, who produce another one of my favourite vices, and then asked me to review it!
It must be easy, when you create an award-winning, best-selling spirit, to rest on your laurels; to take it easy, sit back and let the money roll in. This, I would suggest, is an alien concept to Alex and Jane Nicol, founders and co-owners of The Spencerfield Spirit Company. Prior to setting up Spencerfield Spirits, Alex Nicol, a keen whisky aficionado, held executive directorships at Glenmorangie and Beefeater Gin (amongst others). Now a close-knit, family-run business, the story of Spencerfield Spirits, and their passion for continuous innovation, dates back to the mid-1700s.
As the nights draw in and the temperatures begin to drop, the promise of picking sloes from the hedgerows to transform into a deep mid-winter treat can set the spirits soaring. The first thing you’ll have to do, though, is find a Blackthorn tree – and if you’re not confident, please do some research. You really don’t want to end up with Deadly Nightshade gin by mistake! I picked mine in deepest, darkest Dorset with all the family, kids and dogs in tow (there’s nothing quite like a bit of child labour after all!), but if you can’t find them in the wild you should be able to pick them up at a market or even online.
Since publication Sovereign Sprits has rebranded as Clipstone Park.
Gin liqueurs don’t always get the attention they deserve in this juniper-crazy market. Given the number of new gins coming to the market every week, perhaps it isn’t surprising that gin liqueurs can get overlooked, but they offer something just as special as their more alcoholic counterparts. A good fruit liqueur drunk neat makes a wonderful warming winter tipple, or can be lengthened into a refreshing summer spritzer, added to a G&T, a cocktail or a glass of prosecco. The possibilities are endless.
It’s always good when a friend casually mentions that their brother-in-law makes gin. It’s even better when you find out that they don’t just play with primitive homemade gin but make real, proper award-winning gin! This is how I was introduced to Hawthorn’s London Dry Gin, but the real story is even more of a family affair.
Remember Mabel? The marvellous 100-year-old we all took to our hearts when we read how she swore the secret to long life was drinking six gin-and-tonics a day. She declared: “I have two at lunchtime, one at tea-time with a biscuit, and then three more during the evening while I do my knitting. I swear the gin keeps me young!” She even calculated that, as it took her a week to get through a bottle, she had consumed 4,264 bottles since she started drinking! I am the bearer of bad news. I am mourning Mabel. Mabel is no more. For she never was.
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I know it’s only October, but if you’ve got kids (as I do) they’re probably already writing their Christmas lists and what better way to get through the nagging than planning a few festive treats for yourself and your gin-loving friends? But why wait until the big day when you can start celebrating on December 1st with one of these amazing advent calendars!
Gin A Ding Ding 