Gin Tasting
Yesterday the wine school I attend irregularly but enthusiastically had a gin tasting. The instructor initially explained how gin, based on the juniper berry, originated in the Netherlands in the sixteenth century as ginever and came to the UK with William of Orange where it became so fashionable that its prohibition provoked riots.
In the Victorian age we had gin palaces and it continued its popularity in the cocktail age with the Tom Collins and dry martini.
It has recently had a renaissance with many artisan gins. It is produced in two ways but always with the juniper berry.
The first method is London Dry, which must include juniper and other botanicals in the distillation, or the second way is to add the ingredients after the distillation. It is produced all over the world.
We tasted 6 gins.
The first was a nod to previous times, Haymans old Tom Gin. The tom cat was often the sign that gin is served here and the gin had a sweet flavour.
Plymouth Gin has been produced for so long in that city that a Protected Geographical Indication was awarded by the EU.
Seven Sisters gin, a local Sussex artisan brew blended with grape pressed from the Rathfinny estate with gin to produce a different flavour altogether.
Gin Mare is produced near Barcelona and proved a popular one in the group. It was more herbal and served with a Mediterranean tonic of Fevertree, a company whose share price has risen exponentially (needless to say Bob Tickler bought these years ago), and was delicious.
The Botanist produced on the Ilse of Islay, with 32 botanicals, was also well received but the St George Terroir, a Californian gin that retails at £43, less so.
We had a smaller group of 7, two being blonde lively young ladies who clearly enjoyed their gin. From their confident manner and professional glamour I should have guessed they were air hostesses. Needless to say we had to have photos which will finish up somewhere on Facebook.
Normally the mood in the room changes after 4 drinks but a jolly one was quickly set by the good time girls who later disappeared into the night for some “munch”.
I learned more about gin and will certainly buy the Mare though my preferred libation remains Hendricks with a twist of cucumber served withe elderflower Fevertree tonic.
