Innehållsförteckning för Mar/May 2020 från Gin Magazine

So here we are: new year, new decade, new geo-political landscape. Wherever you’re reading this, it shouldn’t have gone unnoticed that some things have changed in the last couple of months. Not least in the UK. That said, a fair few things have remained the same: there’s still a blond mop-top in charge in both Downing Street and the White House, a Swedish teenager is still making herself heard on a Friday for the sake of the planet and gin is still making waves throughout the bars of the world. As this is our awards issue, we have a perfect excuse to celebrate all that is good in gin and to shout about those products, people and places that have wowed us, whether we’re the ginerati or consumers. There’s a…

Scottish gin brand Porter’s has launched in its 11th export market as its products went on sale in America. Working with New York City-based import and distribution partner, Domaine Select Wine and Spirits, the company will bring its Modern Classic and Tropical Old Tom gins to the on-trade and off-trade markets in the US. The brand has already enjoyed international success since its launch in 2016, distributing to territories including China and France. The founders of Porter’s, Ben Iravani, Alex Lawrence and Josh Rennie, began making gin after turning the basement of their bar in Aberdeen into a micro-distillery. They use low-temperature distilling, which they say produces gin with a lighter, fresher flavour. Ben said: “The USA is an important global market that we’ve been working towards for a very…

The maker of Gin 1689 has announced a pink addition to its range - the first pink gin from a Dutch distiller. The Queen Mary Edition is designed to reflect the creation of the world’s first pink gin, made in the 17th century after mixing the spirit with bruised strawberries and raspberries. Alexander Janssens and Patrick van der Peet, founders of the Amsterdam Craft Gin Company, based Gin 1689 on a recipe from the time of King William III and Queen Mary II which was discovered in the British Library archives. Like the original expression, the Queen Mary Edition is a classic gin with botanicals such as dried quince, lemon and orange peel, nutmeg, aniseed and clove. The addition of strawberries and raspberries gives the spirit a rosy hue and…

What I’m about to say probably amounts to heresy in Gin Magazine, but I would like, for a moment, to talk about vodka. Because I think this spirit – which has been pretty unfashionable for almost a decade now – could be set for a comeback in the next couple of years, as consumers overwhelmed by the cacophony of colours, botanicals and flavour profiles in the gin aisle go in search of something quieter, cleaner and more ‘focused’. Vodka came unstuck last time around partly because it didn’t talk about flavour. Brands wittered on about arctic water sources and mystical filtration techniques, but it was all style and no substance. For a while, the category kept us rapt with an increasingly monstrous array of vodka variants: bubblegum, pumpkin pie, popcorn,…

The pioneering cocktail bars of the 1800s – and again in the renaissance of the last 20 to 30 years – were in New York City and San Francisco, while New Orleans created some of the most important recipes, completing the trinity of the world’s original cocktail cities. NYC remains one of the most vibrant, if often overpriced, bar scenes in the world. Thankfully Brooklyn’s renewal the past decade has brought more affordable, high-quality bars, while Manhattan neighbourhoods like the East Village have become drink meccas, lined with notable bars. Hospitality and friendliness don’t exactly reign in NYC, but the bars that master drink and service are the ones worth returning to – and they’re not always the most hyped. While some of our once-favourite NYC bars like Mace have…

New year, new you, new favourite gin – that’s how the saying goes, isn’t it? If, like us, you’re in the market to discover a new gin or two, uncovering the perfect tipple to tickle your taste buds couldn’t be easier thanks to a whole host of recently launched flavoursome, innovative and experimental gins. Here we take a look at some of the latest launches shaking up the industry. MANCHESTER GIN BLACKBERRY INFUSED GIN The sixth and latest release from awardwinning Manchester-based distillers Manchester Gin is bursting with British summer flavours. Infused with blackberry juice, alongside many of the key botanicals which make up Manchester Gin’s signature blend such as locally-foraged dandelion and burdock root, this new jewel-toned gin is guaranteed to quench thirsts. “Our aim was to create a…

Trends come and go in the drinks industry just like many others, but one trend that seems to be in the ascendency and has been for some time is the no and low alcohol sector. Individuals might choose a no or low alcohol option for a multitude of reasons: they might be teetotal, the designated driver, or might simply fancy a non-alcoholic drink between boozy alternatives. Whatever the reason, the days of your only choice being between a cola, orange juice or lemonade and lime look like they may be numbered. Up until now, one of the main problems with non-alcoholic drinks served both at home or in bars and restaurants is that the attention to detail, glassware and garnish does not compare to the love given to alcoholic variations.…

I’m a big gin fan. I’m a big cheese fan. Can you recommend any good combinations? ANNIE, LEADBURN Pairing gin and food can be tricky and I must admit to still being a little skeptical about the benefits, but this was a good excuse to both try a few things out and make the most of the leftover Christmas cheese board! Although neat gin is generally not anyone’s first drink of choice, it can make for a good alternative when others are sipping on a post-dinner whisky or brandy. The right gin served on the rocks can be quite delicious and pairs very nicely with a vintage cheddar. Love it or hate it, Stilton is a classic that no cheese course would really be complete without. It’s perhaps suitable that…

Sponsored by Glencairn Crystal Visitor Attraction of the Year PHILADELPHIA DISTILLING Bluecoat Gin pays homage to Philadelphia’s former status as a “workshop of the world” and to the so-called Bluecoats who took up arms against British rule in America ahead of the Revolutionary War. Philadelphia Distilling has put its own “revolutionary” processes on display for visitors on its distillery tours, which also offer the chance to taste the Bluecoat family of gins. Highly Commended City of Manchester Distillery Gin Experience Brand Innovator of the Year ADNAMS After making a name for itself in beer, East of England brewer Adnams turned its hand to distilling and has since built up a portfolio of brands which push the boundaries. Look to its Rising Sun Gin, made with Japanese matcha tea, its triple-malted…

Sponsored by Glencairn Crystal SPONSORED BY WORLD’S BEST LONDON DRY Best South African Cruxland 43% Tremendously clean and well balanced. Elegant pine with beautiful fragrance. Not overpowering. A great example of a London dry gin. SHORTLISTED Australia Manly Spirits Australian Dry Gin 43% Belgium Filliers Dry Gin 28 Classic 46% Brazil Amázzoni Gin Rio Negro 51% Canada Steinhart Classic Gin 47.5% Croatia Dubrovnik Republic Dalmatian Dry Gin 47% England River Test Distillery London Dry 43% Estonia Junimperium Blended Dry Gin 45% France Saint Amans Gin 40% Germany NORGIN London Dry Gin 43% Gibraltar Campion Gibraltar Gin 48% Iceland Himbrimi Winterbird 40% Ireland Dublin City Gin Premium Irish Dry Gin 42% Italy Borsci Sir Miller Dry Gin 40% Japan The Kyoto Distillery KI NO BI ‘SEI’ 54.5% Netherlands No. 3 Gin…

HEADLINE SPONSOR - GLENCAIRN CRYSTAL World’s Best Design - Sponsored by Rankin Bros. & Sons World’s Best GIN DESIGN Best BOTTLE DESIGN SPONSORED BY Twisted Nose Watercress Dry Gin This twisted bottle has huge standout. It’s distinctive design and colour perfectly represents the gin inside, which is described as having a “watercress twist” and “fresh herbaceous nose”. The structure of this crystal-clear, green vignette glass bottle has been carefully considered with the production and operational challenges in mind. The base stipple is embossed ‘Made in Hampshire’.…

HEADLINE SPONSOR - GLENCAIRN CRYSTAL Design - Sponsored by Rankin Bros. & Sons BEST New Launch Seven Crofts This understated, sophisticated bottle design is beautifully crafted with a lovely vignette of colour. The bottle structure, closure and label work well together and it feels great in the hand. BEST Presentation Salcombe Gin Voyager Series ‘Island Queen’ There is a consistency in the overall branding of the bottle and outer carton with a distinctive nautical flag theme. This is a well made carton constructed using quality materials, pleasing colours and clever detailing. BEST Label Perfume Trees Gin Craft Gin of Hong Kong A very distinctive and elegantly illustrated label design that gives a sense of place and provenance. A quality tactile paperstock has been used to create this complex, all-in-one, front…

The beginning of the year is home to Veganuary, an event that encourages people to try a vegan diet for a month. As part of this, an increasing number of food outlets have been creating vegan-friendly versions of popular dishes, whether that’s a Gregg’s sausage roll or Subway’s “Meatless Meatball Marinara” sub. Given this trend, it is perhaps surprising that a small but growing number of gins have decided to indulge their carnivorous side and release spirits made using animal products. Some of these inclusions are more obvious than others. White sugar, used to sweeten some gin and liqueurs, often uses bone char from cattle bones as a decolourising filter. Red colouring in drinks often comes from the dye carmine or cochineal (also known as e120), which is made from…

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Sponsored by Master of Malt Taster biographies Phoebe Calver After studying English and Journalism at university, Phoebe has turned her hand to writing for the drinks industry. She splits her time between the UK and US as editor of American Whiskey Magazine and Gin Magazine’s sub-editor. David T. Smith David T. Smith is an independent spirits writer and consultant who specialises in gin. He is a chair judge for a number of spirits competitions and has written widely on the subject, incuding The Craft of Gin, Forgotten Spirits and Long Lost Liqueurs and Gin Tonica. He was winner of the 2016 Gin Communicator of the Year award. THE PROCESS • All samples are blind tasted, with ABV and style the only information disclosed.• Samples are tasted individually over a two-week period.•…

In a world that demands fast-paced innovation, it’s crucial to remember that without the solid bedrock of craftsmanship and a due respect for founding principles, everything risks lacking integrity and, ultimately, being merely ephemeral. Induction to the Gin Magazine Hall of Fame is a reflection of an individual’s extraordinary contribution to the gin industry. It is the highest honour we bestow and as such, is bestowed sparingly and with a great deal of consideration. This year we welcome two great protectors of both the product and the brands for which they work. By extension, therefore, they represent all that is best in the industry. SPONSORED BY Inductee No. 4 Desmond Payne Master distiller, Beefeater Like Beefeater, where he has been master distiller for 15 years, Desmond Payne, who was made…

We all know that water is essential to gin making. Without it, there is no spirit. With this in mind, you would think Bombay Sapphire hit the jackpot when it snapped up Laverstoke Mill, its Hampshire home on the banks of the River Test. However, the water which flows through its rural site doesn’t go into its gin. Notwithstanding the effect it would have on the poor old river to take out thousands of litres of water a day, the company wanted to reduce its carbon footprint by transporting the neat spirit closer to its bottling plant in Scotland to be diluted, saving space and weight in its lorries. Instead, it utilises the river to operate a water turbine, which generates a significant amount of power for the site. These…

Source: The Good Scents Company excerpting from Moscian, Gerard in Perfumer and Flavourist (1996) J. Inst. Brew. 116(1), 41–48, 2010 Ibid, “Some combinations did not only show synergistic effects, but also changes in the sensory perception of components in combination.” (A belated) Happy Lunar New Year! 2020 is the Year of the Rat on the Chinese zodiac. But to start off this year’s botanical profiles, we’re going to go back in time. If there was a gin zodiac, 1999 would have surely been the Year of the Cucumber. That was the year that both Martin Miller’s Gin and Hendrick’s Gin made their debuts. These mainstays on the international gin scene have paved the way for the explosion of contemporary gins with their playful use of vegetables. Both gins add cucumber…

Inspired by the famous Frank and Nancy Sinatra song Somethin’ Stupid, the 10th cocktail on the current American Bar menu is a cocktail duet. Called the I Love You, the serve mirrors the relationship between gin and one of the best bars in the world – historic, playful and fully designed to remove your inhibitions. To step through the Art Deco-inspired American Bar at The Savoy, like Sinatra did so many times, is to step through a room of liquid history. Opened in 1893, it is said to be the longest-standing cocktail bar in the world. It is certainly one of the most awarded, most recently winning World’s Best Bar in two prestigious competitions: Tales of the Cocktail, Spirited Awards in 2018 and World’s 50 Best Bars in 2017. Traditionally,…

One of the most prominent signs that gin was finally taking off in travel retail was the muchpublicised opening of the first airport gin microdistillery in 2016, The Nicholas Culpeper at London Gatwick’s North Terminal. Now it is the turn of the cruise ship world, which is set to boast its own floating distillery when P&O Cruises’ new 5,200-passenger Iona, the largest in the company’s history, embarks on its maiden voyage in May this year. The Devon-based Salcombe Distillery is set to install a working distillery on the ship, which will produce an exclusive gin to be served in the vessel’s onboard bars, restaurants and duty-free stores. More specific details about the gin and the technical challenges of operating a floating distillery have yet to be released, but it has…