Our gin connoisseur speaks...

In 1714 ‘Gin’ it made it into the Oxford dictionary.

multinational beverage company, Diageo. During the 7 years I worked for them, I saw the gin market explode from literally a handful of brands, to the 100s we can buy today. It is hard to believe how quickly things changed. Gin itself has evolved beyond recognition. I watched with amusement when marketing experts, on an episode of The Apprentice, stated coloured gin was an absolute non-starter, it would never catch on. Magellan Gin is blue, naturally coloured with iris flowers. Some years ago, the distillers decided to omit the colour and sales dropped dramatically. Unsurprisingly it was reintroduced quickly. You can now buy Yellow, Pink, Green, Violet and, even colour changing Gin. Some, gimmicky but others, delectable. I am a sucker for a delicately coloured Gin in a beautiful glass bottle.

At the end of the day, for me, Juniper should always be the dominant flavour with supporting botanicals like Coriander, Angelica Liquorice, Orris root, and Citrus just behind and then, a hint of the more unique or unusual additions. Hendricks and Millers have got this right, as have Brockmans (berry), Tanqueray Rangpur (lime), Malfy Rosa (grapefruit), and Opihr (spice). Sacred Spirits also have a range of spotlight gins. They are also superb. The Cardamom variant, my particular favourite. One, that in my opinion has got it wrong, is Hoxton. Its heavy coconut and vanilla profile has more in common with a bottle of Malibu. This is, I must emphasize, just my opinion. It is very drinkable as a stand-alone spirit, but the juniper is hard to find. It does not have the expected aroma or flavour of a Gin. Many of the fruity pink Gins have also gone down this route, almost evolving from the alcopops of the 90s. They have their place, but they are not for me. Tanqueray No Ten will always be in my top 3 ‘real’ Gins. The vibrant green Art Deco bottle is simply stunning. It would look right at home in an episode of Agatha Christie’s Poirot. It makes the absolute best Martinis. Distilled 4 times with a Juniper lead, Coriander, Liquorice, earthy Angelica, Citrus, and Chamomile. So much going on; all in perfect harmony. Multiaward-winning No.3 London Gin is up there too. A beautifully designed turquoise bottle, with the iconic key, smooth enough to drink on its own. Finally, the one that challenged the law and paved the way for all the craft/micro-distilleries we have now, Sipsmith. Like Tanqueray Ten and No.3 London Gin, it is another multi-awardwinning, classic Gin, with its almost unique ‘One Shot’ distillation method. Dominant, dry Juniper closely followed by bold citrus, then spice. What more could you wish for? fresh eye Gin www.sipsmith.com

This current Gin craze shows no signs of slowing and in 2019 sales were predicted to increase by 37% by the start of this year. I think we will see Gins with more unusual flavour profiles arriving from faraway lands, and, maybe some of the less popular or Gimmicky Gins disappearing altogether as distilleries decide which to keep and which to cull. I can’t wait to see what surprises this year will bring.

Gin note: You may be an eager gin and tonic drinker, but do you know your gin facts?

From the origin of the spirit to its most famous imbibers, there’s much to know about this beguiling beverage.