Not only have I been celebrating five years of blogging this month, but there’s also been World Gin Day – which coincided with National Rosé Day – and World Martini Day to toast. And, as if that wasn’t enough, I’ve also had the honour of judging about 260 gins for the International Wine & Spirits Competition Awards 2021! Read on to find out what happens behind the scenes and who won some of the top medals.
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Wowsers, that was one hell of a month! Between #GinADayMay, indoor hospitality reopening and plenty of exciting new gin releases, it really has been a busy one. Here’s my round-up of what I can remember!
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What a month! The sun has shone and pub gardens have reopened! The industry still has a long way to go, but finally there is light at the end of tunnel. And that light got a little brighter for me today as I not only had my first haircut in well over a year, but I also got my first covid-19 vaccine! There’s been plenty else going on this month too, mind, so without further ado….
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I can’t claim a second lockdown birthday was top of my wish list, but luckily there have been other highs this month. And with British Summer Time here, social restrictions slowly easing and the (partial) reopening of hospitality just a couple of weeks away, things are starting to look up.
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Finally, the days are getting longer and warmer, spring is on its way, and we might even have a roadmap out of lockdown! There’s still a long slog ahead of us, especially for those in the hospitality industry, but at least there’s a little light at the end of the tunnel. As for February, it might have been a short month but there’s been plenty going on, not least my five-year anniversary of Gin A Ding Dinging! Thank you to everyone who has supported and helped me so far on this journey; with any luck there’s even more to come over the months and years ahead.
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There’s no denying that January in lockdown was pretty grim but we made it, so give yourselves a well-deserved pat on the back. And, if you endured dry January too, give yourself a round of applause and a stiff drink! I had good intentions of having a drier January this year but, between home schooling and judging the World Gin Awards Final, that was pretty short-lived indeed.
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So it’s been yet another month of ups and downs ending in more tiers than ever, but nevertheless I hope you’ve managed to have a peaceful and happy Christmas. If you’ve been, understandably, burying your head in the sand lately, read on for some booze news you may have missed.
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With countless new releases, more gin judging and my debut in Gin Magazine it’s been a pretty good month for me. So here’s a little recap on what I’ve been up to, and some booze news and new gin alerts you may have missed, as we hurtle head first into the festive season!
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I could have sworn I’ve hardly left the house recently (the last few months have really caught up with me lately) but the joy of writing this column is remembering the fun I have had as well as some of the more positive booze news and interesting new gin releases. As we head into yet more lockdowns do try to keep your chin up and your gin in moderation!
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I don’t know about you, but for me September flew by. On the plus side, the kids went back to school. On the flip side more events were cancelled – including Junipalooza and Think Gin – Craft Distilling Expo’s Gin of the Year judging was postponed and, after an all too brief respite, the hospitality industry found itself on its knees again. Despite much criticism, and an official Public Health England report showing that only 2.8% of traceable transmissions happened in hospitality, the Government has enforced a 10pm curfew which has already directly resulted in the closure of Soho stalwart Milk & Honey.
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