SPIRIT Magazine - The Gin Issue

SPIRIT

the gin issue a distilled history / local scene / recipes + more

 HISTORY A Distilled History of... Gin Jun i p e r a n d V i c e in’s decadent existence began with a juniper berry. It was first made in Holland for medicinal purposes, and the ailing Dutch flavoured the rough concoction with juniper berries to make it less painful on the palate. The resulting flavour was so distinct that the name ‘Gin’ (derived from the French genièvre, the Dutch jenever, and the Italian ginepro) is a pure evolution of the word ‘juniper’.

In its early days gin was very affordable, which gave it a lot of bad press in England through the 18th century. Poets and politicians alike married it to misery, poverty, and vice. Despite this, it was so popular that when the government raised the price of spirits with the 1736 ‘Gin Act’ there were riots in the streets.

Tonic entered the mix in the Empire years, when people suffering from malaria were prescribed with quinine. They started chasing it with gin to mask its awful taste: a marriage that has since proved to be one of the happiest in history.

Gin emerged as international darling of the cocktail world after the First World War. People mixed G&TS during the roaring twenties, threw back Martinis through depression and war, and swirled Singapore Slings in the 50s: until this once-lowly spirit

“A perfect Martini should be made by filling a glass with gin and then waving it in the general direction of Italy.”W.H. Fields

secured its place at the centrepiece of the drinks cabinet. Today more cocktails have a gin base than any other, and so we feel it richly deserves the focus of this issue. Come on in, says SPIRIT. And don’t forget the ice.

An ad from gin’s colourful past

I n This Issue...

Out and About - 3 Feature: Brecon Gin - 4 Infusions - 6 In The Mix- 7 Pull-out Recipes - back cover

S PIRIT is bought to you by....

Helen Brown

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Emily Burt

Tom Carter

Jack Wetherill

Words by Emily Burt.

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out and about



drinks in the ‘Diff Spir i t h i t s t h e C a r d i f f B a r scene for some gin j o i n t s w i t h a t w i s t b l u e collins’ at b a r occo

hayma n ’ s s l o e g i n a t t h e cosy c l u b

This nifty little twist on the classic Tom Collins is made with Bombay Sapphire, blueberries, and fresh basil. With Barocco running a 2-4-1 Happy hour from 5-7pm each evening you can’t really argue with it.

This blush gin is so much softer than your standard clear spirit, with a warm, fruity taste.

The Cosy Club on Hills Street serves this over a generous pile of ice with a bottle of tonic on the side and a hunk of lime. Perfect for a cold winter night.

b e hind the bar a t The Potted Pig For a gin collection that’ll have you running for lemons look no further than The Potted Pig. You’ll never want for choice in this particular joint, which stocks an incredible 33 varieties of gin, each finished with a unique, accompanying garnish.

Located on High Street in central Cardiff, The

Potted Pig’s unrivalled gin menu has grown into something of an obsession for the restaurant since its opening in 2011. Without intentionally advertising or pursuing the idea, The Potted Pig has made a name for itself as a gin hotspot, and their beautifully stocked bar is a unique selling point for the establishment.

For those seeking a gin cocktail with a difference,

Spirit reccomends their Gin Mare G&T. This is a unique Catalonian gin distilled with basil, rosemary and olives, which The Potted Pig serves with fresh cherry tomatoes and basil leaves on the side. The taste of Italy in a tumbler - might as well make it a double.

the potted pig stocks a huge number of gins, including brecon gin.

Words by Helen Brown

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” Rick Blaine

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Spirit Magazine

Local Spirit

Brecon Gin Nestled between the contours of the Brecon Beacons, Penderyn Distillery produces a range of award-winning spirits. We spoke to them about Welsh Spirit and Their Brecon Gin,

B

right autumnal light glints off the golden insignia on the front of the Penderyn Distillery. A seam of gold hewn from the

Welsh landscape. It’s the perfect summation of this award-winning

manufacturer from an unassuming town in the rolling hills of the Brecon Beacons.

“Our logo? It symbolises Welsh gold, and Welsh gold is quite

rare!” explains Carys James, our guide for the day. “It represen our whisky which is also considered quite rare” she says, “we call it our gold liquid.”

Indeed, Penderyn’s spirits are exceptional in every sense.

Despite the distillery’s recent expansion, it remains a small enterprise, producing just 79 casks a day. But despite its yearly

production figures being less than the daily numbers put up by some premium brands, Penderyn prove that a little spirit goes a long way.

A decade ago Penderyn became the first whisky (wysgi) to be manufactured in Wales for over a

century. It’s the company’s flagship spirit, and remains the only whisky currently produced in the countr But for the past seven years they’ve also been crafting the award-winning Brecon Gin. The distillery sold its first bottle of Brecon Gin in 2007. Brimming with flavours of citrus, fruits and flor notes, the Special Reserve leaves a glorious clean and crisp finish. But don’t just take our word for it.

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local spirit

nts

ry.

ral

Words by Tom Carter. Left image courtesy of Penderyn Distillery

e

In 2011 it won gold at the International Wine

it using water from the underground streams

& Spirits competition, also scooping up best in the premium botanicals class.

Two years ago Penderyn added a second

that flow beneath the distillery. It’s the same source that supplies the Brecon Carreg brand and guarantees purity. The gin is then

product to the range. Brecon Botanicals launched to almost instantaneous success,

immediately bottled.

So what’s the best way to enjoy a Brecon

picking up several awards throughout 2013. The Botanicals Gin is spicier than

Gin? Carys says, “We always say our spirits are better neat so we advise people to try

the Special Reserve, drawing on oriental flavours. Earlier this year it claimed both

them that way first.” We have to agree, it’s a great way to drink a fantastic spirit.

a gold award and the Gin Trophy at the International Spirit Competition.

In our increasingly consumerist society, this independent distillery and their Welsh

Spanish Gold Interestingly, Carys tells us that the

spirit are just the tonic. Penderyn stays true to its roots and the love it puts into its products is evident in every bottle. With a range of

Botanicals Gin was developed with the

award-winning spirits, those gold seams are

Spanish market in mind, and that Spain’s yearning for gin has led to good export figures for the distillery.

not just ornamental logos; they are stitched into the fabric of the company itself.

It’s a revelation made all the more

g



Ma k i n g B r e c o n G i n

peculiar when you consider the company’s marketing strategy, as Penderyn spend very little money on advertising outside of

Raw materials Raw spirit (92% abv) is added

Wales. “With it being a premium brand we don’t want to advertise it too much” Carys

blend of botanicals.

Wait it out Mixture ferments for 3-4 days

explains. “We want to keep it exclusive.”

They rely instead on the strength of their spirits and word of mouth to carry the message further afield, preferring to divert funds to strengthen their current products.

Penderyn is a company that is tremendously proud of its Welsh heritage.

Spirited Approach Local pride is mirrored in the company’s gin production, which uses the pure waters of the Brecon Beacons to reduce its spirit.

Penderyn add their own Welsh spirit to a raw gin (specially manufactured for the company by a distillery in Birmingham) before reducing

to the company’s unique

before being strained through a hessian-like bag.

Mix it up The base gin arrives in Wales and is mixed with Penderyn’s own spirit (86-92% abv).

Distill The gin is reduced with pure Brecon water and is then immediately bottled.

Inspired by Penderyn, we had a go at making our own gin infusions. Take a look overleaf.

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 your

spirit

home infusions Bor e d w i t h t h e s t a n d a r d B e efeater? Don’t be d i s p i r i t e d : G i n i s m a d e f or flavouring.

Juniper

Orange Rind

Cinnamon

G

A d d icted to base Juniper is the key to a good infusion, and you can find Bart Juniper berries for £1.79 in the spices section of Waitrose.

Add a small handful of the berries to 500cl of basic supermarket vodka.

Decant the spirit and berries into an airtight bottle and leave to stand in a cool, dry place for 48 hours.

other ingredients. Much of this is down to personal taste, but here are a few suggestions. Fruits are perfect for gin apple, cucumber and elderflower are beautifully clean flavours if you feel like trying a twist on a classic summer Pimms.

Add your flavours of choice to the mix and leave to infuse for another 24 hours.

As your ingredients infuse Spice it up they will stain the vodka.: Don’t shy away from infused spirits do not spices and herbs: stay clear! they compliment gin garnishes perfectly.

F r u ity Fresh Cinnamon sticks, cloves When the juniper has infused you can introduce and orange rind make a

wonderfully warming gin, perfect for Christmas.

Bay leaves, thyme, or rosemary will suit anyone inclined towards the tangy things in life.

Add your chosen flavours to the base juniper mix and leave for another 24 hours. Strain your gin firstly through a tea strainer to remove all the ingredients and then through a clean cloth.

Decant your infusion back into the bottle, and enjoy at your leisure.

“When a man who is drinking neat gin starts talking about his mother he is past all argument”. C.S.Forester

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Words by Emily Burt

in was made to be mixed, and the good news for do-it-yourself nuts is that it’s surprisingly easy to twist a supermarket vodka into a subtly infused gin. Add a bit of flavour to your evening tipple with these simple steps.

in the mix

Virgin G & T If a weekend of heavy drinking has only left you wanting more, give your liver a rest with a nonalcoholic mocktail

T

oast a pinch of juniper, coriander and anise in a small frying pan until fragrant before mixing with the zest from a lemon and nonalcoholic white wine.

Once the mix has been left to infuse for a few hours at room temperature and strained it is ready to be served.

Load a chilled glass with ice and fill halfway with the nonalcoholic wine. Top up with tonic water and garnish with lemon or lime.

remember...

Words by Jack Wetherill. Champagne bottle photo by Jean Scheijen

The mixture can be kept for up to a month as long as it is kept chilled.



Have you tried?

Each issue, we find some of the best yet unusual mixers to have with our featured spirit. This month: Gin. Champagne For a kickstart to a celebration weekend, champagne can be the fizz you need.

There are plenty of gin and champagne cocktails but we recommend a Millionaire’s Martini - equal parts of champagne and gin, shaken with ice until chilled.

juice Another choice is juice. Mix equal parts of gin and orange juice for a still, smooth drink. Known as the politely named Orange Blossom, this concoction was common back in the American Prohibition period.

buttermilk A creamy friend to your gin is buttermilk. Shake an egg yolk, plenty of gin, buttermilk and a dash of maple syrup with ice before straining into a chilled glass. Sprinkle some nutmeg on top, and you have a Buttermilk Maple Gin Flip.

Spirit opinion T h i s month, we found out h o w people really take t h e ir gin and tonic.

We found that lime was the most popular choice (46%), followed by cucumber (28%) and lemon (26%).

Does this surprise you? Let us know how you take your G&T. Tweet us @Spirit_Mag.

Lime - 46%

cucumber - 28%

“the only time i ever enjoyed ironing was the day i accidentally got gin in the steam iron.” phyllis diller

lemon - 26%

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earl grey martini

Add these to your recipe box Ingr e d i e n t s • • • • • •

50 ml gin 35 ml strong cold Earl Grey 20 ml lemon juice 12.5 ml sugar syrup (sold as gomme syrup) 1/2 free range egg white twist of lemon peel to garnish

E a r l Grey M a rtini

sha k e i t u p •

•

Add the gin, Earl Grey tea, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white into a cocktail shaker and shake well.

Double strain into a Martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

 raspberry gin fizz

Ingr e d i e n t s • • • • •

50 ml gin Raspberries Sugar cubes 30 ml lemon juice 60 ml soda water

R a s pberry G i n Fizz

sha k e i t u p •

• • • •

Place 4 or 5 raspberries in a glass with 3 sugar cubes. Muddle together until the sugar cubes have dissolved.

Add lemon juice and stir.

Add ice to the glass and follow with then gin.

Top off with soda water.

Garnish with additional fresh raspberries.

“I exercise strong self control. I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast.”

W.C. Fields