Pothecary British Blended Gin

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Most of us have done it; criticised a product, declared we could do better and dreamed of making it big.  Few of us have the guts and wherewithal to give it a go, fewer still the talent to make it a success.  But two friends from Dorset have done just that and set the gin world alight.  In a true rags-to-riches tail, Lukasz Dwornik and Martin Jennings have, in little more than 18 months, gone from bemoaning the average gins on offer in their local pub to producing one of the most critically acclaimed British gins on the market.

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Small but Mighty; making gin at Half Hitch

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“Micro-Distillery”: the clue really is in the name but, nevertheless, I was surprised by quite how small Half Hitch‘s premises in Camden are.  From the exterior one can enjoy tantalising glimpses of the distillery in action.  Step inside and the first thing you are likely to notice is quite how small the distillery is; the room is barely large enough to swing the proverbial cat and is totally dominated by its beautiful copper still.  What’s left of the room is taken up by the considerably smaller vacuum still, a tasting bar and a lot of gin!  It just goes to show what you can achieve when you put your mind to it.

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Boxing Clever! A review of gin subscription services

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For an up-to-date review of current gin subscription services please click here (June 2017).

With Waitrose recently announcing that gin now accounts for one in three bottles of spirits sold in their stores there’s no questioning that the gin revolution has been fully embraced by the masses. But with most premium gins costing between £30 and £50 per litre finding your favourites can be an expensive business. And with more distilleries opening every month, keeping up with the new gins coming to market can be a time-consuming business. Events such as Junipalooza and Gin Festival are a good opportunity to try a lot of gins in a little time but what if you prefer a more leisurely approach in the comfort of your own home?

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Respect Your Elders

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Rejoice, it’s elderflower season! Or it would be at least if it ever stopped raining.  For the one time you don’t want to be picking elderflowers is when they are wet.  But, assuming you can find a dry day or two, make sure you get out and pick some fragrant elderflower (ideally just as the buds are beginning to open) because it complements many gins wonderfully.  You can make a cordial or gin (as below) but make sure you get working as quickly as possible as the elderflowers will start to turn brown within just a few hours of picking.

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World Gin Day at Junipalooza 2016

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Many people would raise their eyebrows at the notion of drinking gin before midday, and many more would raise objections to drinking neat gin at 11am. But not the ginthusiasts who descended upon Wapping early this morning and formed a long snaking queue to gain entry to Junipalooza at Tobacco Docks. And if they needed an excuse they were conveniently given one in the guise of World Gin Day.

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