I never dreamt of becoming a blogger. I didn’t really know what it meant to be a blogger and I certainly never read any blogs. It all started in the summer of 2014 when I won two tickets to Gin Journey’s London Gin Experience. The following year I won 10 bottles of premium gin from 31 Dover and in 2016 two tickets to Junipalooza. Having dabbled in writing about my neck of the woods, I finally decided to take the plunge and write about gin.
There’s nothing quite like a G&T at the end of a long day, but do you have a favourite place to enjoy yours? For me, it’s in my hammock in the back of my little London garden. But for travel-loving couple Ben and Kate Marston, it’s all about being in the great outdoors, ideally under the stars and beside a glowing campfire. It was this shared love of outdoor pursuits, adventure and gin, alongside experience in tourism and design, that inspired Ben and Kate to create their perfect Campfire Gin and, in so doing, establish Hertfordshire’s first distillery in 2014.
There appears to be no end to the long list of “International Days of This” and “World Days of That”, but they are certainly not all created equal. No one can argue with the aspirations of Random Acts of Kindness Day (17th February), while it’s relatively easy to understand the appeal of Hug Your Cat Day (4th June) or World Nutella Day (5th February). On the other hand, fewer (surely) will get too excited about World Toothache Day (9th February) or World Toilet Day (19th November). But World Gin Day? That’s the real deal! Sensibly scheduled for the second Saturday in June – to avoid any unwise school-night drinking – and now celebrating its tenth year, it couldn’t be in better, or more capable, hands than Emma Stokes AKA Gin Monkey.
Since I visited in late 2016, Bimber have opened the doors of their relatively small North Acton distillery to the public, allowing everyone to get to know this forward-thinking company that, nonetheless, still respects its past. In homage to its Polish heritage, Bimber produce a wide range of vodkas, including a number of fruit-infused versions. However, these are a cut above the homely Polish home-brew from which Bimber gets its name, as their host of awards – including several medals from this year’s inaugural Bartender’s Brand Awards – testify.
From Aber Falls Marmalade Gin to Malfy Con Arancia (featuring blood orange peel) and Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla (made with Seville oranges and orange blossom), citrus is undoubtedly where it’s at at the moment. And One Time Gin’s April subscription box is no exception. I was lucky enough to receive the “dinky” package, including a 350ml bottle of Marmalade Gin alongside a bottle each of Luscombe’s Devon Tonic Water and Grapefruit Water and a bottle of OTG’s “Curaçao-esque” orange and ginger liqueur. And I was not disappointed. Not one bit.
1st April 2018: April Fool’s Day, Easter Sunday and the 100th Anniversary of the RAF; the oldest independent air force in the world and defender of the skies. As part of the celebrations – which will culminate on 10th July with a centenary service in Westminster Abbey, a parade in The Mall and spectacular flypast over Buckingham Palace – Spitfire Heritage Gin have partnered with The Royal Air Forces Association in producing stunning liveried bottles. A percentage of the profits from the sale of the bespoke bottles will also be donated to the RAF Association; a registered charity that provides welfare support to RAF personnel and their immediate families.
Judging gin, as I’ve said before, is a curious thing. And much harder than you might imagine. But what I find particularly peculiar is that, because gin is judged blind, you wind up not knowing which you’ve tried or what you thought of them! And so it was, I found myself hosting a table at the final of the 2018 World Gin Awards and meeting Jane Cannon from Newton House Gin, knowing I’d probably tried her product but, at the same time, knowing nothing about it! Nothing except that it had just been awarded a Gold Medal in the UK London Dry Gin category.
2017 was one hell of a year for gin with figures released today showing Britons bought 51 million bottles of our favourite spirit; an increase of 27% on 2016 figures! Sweeter spirits are proving increasingly popular, with fruit gins dominating sales in 2017 and growth only expected to continue well into 2018. Capitalising on this lucrative market, Aber Falls, North Wales’ first whisky distillery in over 100 years, has launched a range of gin and liqueurs while it waits on its whisky to mature.
That Boutique-y Gin Company celebrated their first birthday in style with canapés and cocktails at Drink, Shop & Do in London’s King Cross earlier this week. It was quite the party and well worth battling through the snow to reach; the cocktail menu alone ran to 12 pages!
Anyone who has even half an eye on the gin industry at the moment will know that small-batch limited edition gins are big news. As are gin subscription services. One Time Gin and Sipsmith’s Sipping Society have lead the way and now Batch Brew, Lancashire’s first gin distillery, are getting in on the act too with their monthly Batch Innovations subscription service.
