It’s only a couple of weeks since I wrote my last gin monthly so it truly does feel like time is flying as we race towards the end of the summer. It’s been a good one for me (even if I am also really looking forward to sending the kids back to school!) as I hope it has been for you; here’s what my August looked like…
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I so nearly wrote my July Gin Monthly on time, but then I went on holiday and now it’s mid-August already. Oops! I guess we better see what I can still remember…
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With Junipalooza and World Gin Day bang in the middle of the month June was always going to be busy, but I’m not sure I was prepared for quite so much fun. From canal boats to saunas there’s certainly plenty to catch up on again!
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Wow! I think May might have been my busiest and best month in gin ever. And I’m not even talking about #GinADayMay. I’m talking about visiting not one, not two, but three distilleries, The Gin Archive, Gin Live London and attending my very first Gin Guild dinner and installation! If you want to hear all about it, and see all the pics, read on…
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I thought I’d kept the diary pretty clear with the kids off school for the Easter holidays but somehow April still turned out to be pretty busy with plenty of writing, a little judging, a couple of launches and a couple of distillery visits. Read on to hear all about them, plus the usual booze news and new gin alerts!
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March was, quite frankly, mental. With one panel to host, three articles to write and seven or eight days of judging, I was already struggling to keep on top of it all before covid finally got me after two whole years. In fact, given one of my articles was a few days late and this gin monthly is even later, it is quite apparent I didn’t entirely keep on top of everything! Anyway, better later than never as they say. Here’s what I can still remember from that whirlwind of a month…
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The original and the biggest gin-themed social media challenge is back for its fourth year running! Always intended to be a bit of fun, it’s also an opportunity to support and promote the drinks industry in what continues to be a challenging time. For many producers still struggling with the impact of Brexit and Covid, increased energy costs present another challenge for them and yet another reason for us to rally round.
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I’ve got to be honest, I don’t know where February has gone and I’m not really sure what I’ve done either. But there’s a fair bit of booze news and new releases to catch up with, so continue reading to find out what you might have missed out on.
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Some of the gins featured below were kindly gifted. Article contains affiliate links.
2021 was another odd year for just about everything and the gin category was no exception. While less gin may have been sold in 2021 than 2020, last year also saw the opening of 110 new gin distilleries (bringing the total number in the UK up to an incredible 820, according to the Office for National Statistics). To truly understand what all this means check out Olivier Ward’s insightful article What happened to gin last year? on Spirits Beacon. What I’ll say, is that there was definitely plenty to get excited about in 2021, and plenty of reasons to feel positive about gin’s future. So, without further ado, here are my top ten gins of 2021; technically not all were new to the market in 2021 (though most of them were) but they were all new to me and all stood out for different reasons.
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It’s been a long old month and I haven’t even been attempting Dry January (although I have been enjoying a little of Lyre’s non-alcoholic Coffee Originale, which I discovered at the Spirits Masters Low & No Masters 2022)! If you’ve stayed sober, hats off to you. Meanwhile, I’ve been quietly busy with lots of writing and a little bit of judging. To find out more, read on…
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Gin A Ding Ding 