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TIMELESS
FINNIES THE JEWELLER
GINS TO SEEK OUT
There are currently at least two new gins being launched every week, and that’s just in the UK. But too much choice can be as bad as too little, so here’s a quick, very personal guide to a few to watch out for. Some are only available from specialist sellers like Gerry’s Wines or the Master of Malt.
PICKERING'S GIN
Edinburgh is becoming a hub of the craft distillery scene. One of the most interesting is Pickering’s Gin, made in a small distillery that was once dog kennels at the former Vet School campus, now the Summerhall arts centre. Its label-making machine is seen in action, below.
KIRSTY'S GIN
A genuine ‘field to glass’ spirit, defining the artisan approach, with grain for the 100% grain spirit grown on the farmland surrounding the distillery on the scenic Arbikie estate in Angus, Scotland.
LUSSA GIN
Also in Scotland, the islands have been getting in on the gin act in a big way. Lussa Gin from the Ardlussa Estate on Jura is a floaty, floral gin made with botanicals that are locally foraged on the island.
HEPPLE GIN
From the wilds of Northumberland, Hepple Gin, a collaboration between chef Valentine Warner and drinks guru Nick Strangeway, is a watchmaker’s gin for the purist.
KINOBIGIN
Japanese distillers make whisky to rival Scotch and a new Japanese gin, Ki No Bi (the Beauty of the Seasons), made with Japanese botanicals like yuzu and green tea, is an impressive first release from the Kyoto Distillery founded by Marcin Miller.
NO. 3 LONDON DRY GIN
Produced by Berry Bros & Rudd, this is a classic, beautifully- made and stylishly-packaged gin with a juniper punch that diehard gin fans love. London is now also home to The East London Liquor Company and the City of London Distillery (COLD), which produce excellent gins and liqueurs.
VIDDA TORR GIN
Our European neighbours have only recently acquired a taste for gin but now distil with brio. Vidda Torr Gin from Norway is a new star on the scene – a breath of fresh Nordic mountain air.
“THE IDEA THAT YOU CAN BUY THE GIN FOR YOUR G AND T FROM A DISTILLERY
UP THE ROAD, MADE FROM INGREDIENTS THAT GROW LOCALLY, IS ALMOST MAGICAL IN OUR INCREASINGLY MECHANISED, FACTORY-FARMED FOOD WORLD”
But perhaps the most important reason why gin has captivated new audiences and now seems on an unstoppable roll is the total revolution in consumer habits. Modern consumers actively seek out drinks that have heritage, authentic flavour and local provenance. Gin ticks all those boxes. It’s a particularly British drink, whose chequered history is closely linked to key moments of our history such as its introduction as Dutch genever when William of Orange acceded to the British throne in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Unlike vodka, it’s a spirit of flavour with a huge range of taste combinations. And the idea that you can buy the gin for your G and T from a distillery up the road, made from ingredients that grow locally, is almost magical in our increasingly mechanised, factory-farmed food world.
But, but, but: whether all this gin activity is sustainable is another matter. There’s always the danger of ever more ludicrous claims that cause consumer backlash. Recently I’ve been told, via enthusiastic press releases, about a gin made with dragon’s eye fruit to increase male potency, a gin made with Cornish clotted cream, a gin that uses ants as its signature botanical and – the one that really grabbed my attention for its unlikeliness – Collagin, an anti-ageing, collagen-infused brew that prevents wrinkles. As you drink it, presumably. If only.
Gin: A Toast to the Most Aromatic of Spirits by Geraldine Coates is published by Carlton.
gintime.com
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