Spiritual Guide | Issue Seven

WELCOME TO THE

SPIRITUAL GUIDE A guide for spiritual enlightenment by the pious team at Glengarry.

Join us monthly as we explore everything spirit related.

Welcome to the seventh edition of our journey into the spiritual world.

This issue, we discover the origins of International Wine and Spirits winner, Scapegrace, and the secret to their navy strength Scapegrace Gold, we dive into the rich history of the Lillet, an aperitif which will get you ready in time for summer and we reveal what you need to look for when searching for quality tequila to give it a second chance, it’s not just a hangover shot! We’ll also get you caught up on the latest month’s Spiritual Guide on 95bFM’s Drive where Tonci joined the team again to share his knowledge of tequila.

Our congregation meets monthly as we heighten our senses and understanding of the spirits surrounding us, we hope you’ll continue to join.

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SCAPEGRACE GOLD

Their premium gin is the Scapegrace Gold.

This recently won the highest possible accolade in the industry: It’s been named best London Dry Gin in the world 2018 at the prestigious International Wine and Spirits Competition in London. It beat out over 600 other gins to take out the Supreme trophy this year. Quite the feat to be the world’s best London Dry, when they’re based on the exact opposite side of the world to London! Veteran

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I’m sure most of you are familiar by now with

IWSC judge Steve Beal said Scapegrace Gold

the story of New Zealand’s own Scapegrace

was “staggeringly good”. “Making gin this good

Gin. Dan and Mark who didn’t know each

is not easy or accidental, we salute the

other, until Dan married Mark’s sister, and then

blender… A magnificent gin”. It has also won

they did. They spent a year sitting in bars and

Gold at the 2016 and 2017 San Francisco

lounges discussing how they always wanted to

Wines and Spirits competition.

make their own gin. Throw in a 19th century whisky still found in a long abandoned shed and this is how two brothers-in-law and Richard (a part time musician), got in to a lot of debt and created a gin that has won Gold on both sides of the pond (The big pond, not our one). Originally named Rogue Society, that plan was scuppered when they went international, and found out an American brewery already owned the rights to the Rogue name. Scapegrace was then born, an obscure 18th century word for a rogue, free-spirit and

The Gold is distilled in small batches of just

libertine. The beautiful bottle itself is a modern

500 bottles with 12 botanicals; lemon, orange,

take on the original Genever bottles from 200

coriander, cardamom, cloves, juniper berries,

years ago.

nutmeg, angelica root, liquorice root, orris, cinnamon, and cassia bark. What distinguishes Scapegrace Gold from the classic is the lucky 13th botanical, tangerine. It is also a navy strength gin compared to the classic at a mere 42.2%. The term navy strength also dates back to the 18th century, when Royal Navy regulation stipulated that gin must be on board every vessel. At the time gin was used as a panacea for many aliments, often mixed with lime cordial to combat scurvy, or quinine water to avoid malaria. Unsurprisingly much of the gin supplied was watered down by unscrupulous merchants. Being stored in the hold near the cannons, some clever officers worked out that if gin spilt on the gunpowder and it smoked or failed to light, it was diluted gin. If the gunpowder still lit, then it was at least 114 proof (57% ABV). So buy a bottle of Scapegrace Gold, some gunpowder, and enjoy. On second thoughts, just get the gin.

- R.M

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LILLET

In one of my last articles I touched on the

famous for its wine world over, this decision

subject of Tonic Water made with Quinine for

to use wine as the base to this aperitif

its health properties and extoled the wisdom of

ensured familiarity and pedigree for the brand.

the British officers who led us on the path to Gin and Tonic goodness. You can guess what

Early advertising campaigns that struck a

the French did? Added Quinine to wine of

chord with the French helped in making the

course! the popularity of tonic wines quickly

brand famous, one of the first posters

grew. Tonic wines, or aromatised wines as

released in 1896 paved the way for striking

they are classed as by law, is a fortified wine

and era appropriate imagery. A contract to be

that has been flavoured with herbs, spices, fruit

served on transatlantic ocean liners followed,

and other natural flavourings. One of the first to

leading to the introduction of Lillet to New

expand on the idea of tonic wines were the

York’s high society. Many of the famous

brothers, Paul and Raymond Lillet.

cocktail bars around the world were quick to create signature serves most of which are still served to this day.

A lengthy process, Lillet is created by firstly selecting the wines from the cellars with the desired quality. Sweet and bitter oranges from Turkey and Spain and Quinine from South America are selected to go through their slow cold maceration in alcohol, after the key ingredients are drawn off they are mixed with

In 1887, seeing a need to really develop a

the wines and aged for several months in oak

distinctive brand to conquer the flooded market

barrels allowing the liqueur to mellow and the

of tonic wines they created Kina Lillet which was

unique taste to mature. The exception here is

the first aperitif to come from a specific geographic location – Bordeaux. Already

the Lillet Rosé, bottled directly to maintain 4

freshness.

Today see’s Lillet keeping up with modern taste, having redeveloped Kina Lillet to become Lillet Blanc using less quinine to be a fresher, fruitier and less bitter version. The closest product to the original style would be the Cocchi Americano if interested. With five offerings in their range the focus for New Zealand is on the Blanc and Rosè with pop up bars introducing Lillet to the public to become the new Summer drink! Better yet, pick up a bottle yourself and hit the beach (responsibly) and serve over ice with your favourite Tonic.

My current sunshine serve? A splash of Lillet Blanc and Vista’s zero sugar lemon sparkling water.

- A.S

Try out these Lillet cocktails at home;

Lillet Blanc – Reverse Vesper 

5cl of Lillet Blanc



2cl of Vodka



1cl of Gin

 Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake until chilled. Strain off the ice and pour into the glass. Decorate with a slice of lemon peel.

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Lillet Rosé - Royal 4cl of Lillet Rosé 1cl of fresh grapefruit juice 1cl of sugar syrup + 1 egg white 8cl of Champagne Place all the ingredients except the champagne in a cocktail shaker full of ice.

Shake vigorously for 8 to 10 seconds. Pour into the glass using a cocktail strainer. Add 8cl of Champagne. Squeeze a wedge of grapefruit to release the flavour then place it in the glass.

- A.S

DON'T JUDGE TEQUILA BY ITS PAST

Tequila, for many people, has long had a bad rep for inciting cranking hangovers following unruly nights of shots, salt and lemon (if anyone ever, and I mean EVER asks if you’re interested in a “Tequila Hardman Shot” say NO!). But this hazy view of Mexico’s spiritual offering to the world does little to represent the true efforts and passion that goes into producing the top-quality tequila.

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These are often the cheapest variety of tequila

The first hurdle Tequila faces in its quest for

available on your local’s shelves and the

quality recognition is the difference between a

quality matches the price point. Often the

100% de Agave Tequila and its poorer cousin,

‘Gold’ examples are simply coloured using

the Mixto Tequila. They may boast the same

caramel forsaking the need for oak barrel

surname and be related through their shared

ageing.

ties to the Agave plant but the quality and character of each are very much individual!

100% de Agave on the other hand is exactly that, produced solely with the use of Blue Weber Agave and has no other additives. Any bottle of Tequila produced in this fashion must The Agave plant, a succulent well suited to the

be labelled with “100% agave” and seeing this

Mexican desert environs, grows over 8-12

is the first indication of quality. Beyond this are

years before reaching ripe maturity. A spiny

names detailing the length of maturation the

bulb, removed of leaves by the Jimador using

Tequila has received in oak casks. Considering

an extremely sharp bladed pole called a coa, is

the blistering heat at which Mexico bakes in all

slowly baked in large ovens before being

year round the speed of maturation in cask is

crushed in order to extract the sweet Agave

much more rapid than experienced in other

Nectar. Fermented, then distilled in Pot Stills a

climes around the globe, with the angel’s share

Mescal is produced, Tequila is in simple terms

(evaporation) hitting 10% per year compared

a Mescal produced with only one variety of this

with the 1-2% seen for Scotland’s Whiskies.

Agave Plant, namely the Blue Weber Agave.

A Mixto Tequila requires the sugar source for fermentation to be at a minimum 51% Agave, with the remaining 49% sugarcane or similar.

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Blanco (or sometimes Plata) is Spanish for White (or Silver in the case of Plata) and indicates the colour of the Tequila. These are often unaged but could spend up to 60 days inside a cask. During this time the whisky will take on a tinged appearance, hinting at a slightly tarnished silver. The nose and palate are often filled with fresh Agave characters,

Anejo, meaning “Aged”, has spent a minimum

Jalapeno brine, citrus and a grassy

of 1 year in an oak cask and up to 3 years

herbaceous tone.

total. This form of Tequila starts to show the poise and balance seen amongst the world’s finest Brandies, Whiskies and Rums. The oak ageing has provided a mellow bed for the palate to rest upon, with more defined vanilla and oak spice than its rested relation with baked fruits, caramel and fresh pear.

Reposado quite literally translated to “rested” indicates a Tequila which has been homed in oak casks for between 1 month and 1 year.

The colour is often bright copper and foretells a shift away from fresh agave characters to a Tequila that hints at vanilla, butter and dried

So, if you are willing to look past those

fruits.

repressed memories that “Tequila” brings flooding back to the surface and give a few quality offerings a go you may just be surprised with the stunningly balanced and smooth liquid whether used for sipping or mixing your favourite cocktail. Start with only products that state “100% de Agave” and you’ve made your first step towards discovering a quality option!

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- T.J

LIVE ON 96bFM | TEQUILA

This month’s Spiritual Guide on 95bFM’s Drive Show with Jonny and Big Hungry was all about Tequila, click on the link below to listen along as they blind taste a Mixto Tequila versus a 100% Agave Tequila, followed by the quality offerings of the Herradura Plata and Anejo. Next month’s Spiritual Guide will be featuring some of our favourite liqueurs and the stories and flavours behind them! Cheers! - T.J

LISTEN HERE

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EVENTS AND TASTINGS

SCAPEGRACE GIN | REMUERA INSTORE TASTING Rogue Society have generously changed their name to Scapegrace. Which is a more obscure, but arguably classier name for a rogue; so take that, American beer. But what should not get lost in all of this: Scapegrace?

It’s the same brilliantly beautiful gin. End of story. This is an in-store tasting at Glengarry

WHEN: Saturday 20th October

Remuera so pop on down to the store and try

WHERE: Remuera Rd,

some Scapegrace Gin from 2-5pm.

400 Remuera Rd Remuera TIME: 2:00pm-5:00pm

BOOK NOW ONLINE

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WHEADON'S GIN | PARNELL INSTORE TASTING There is a great deal of Guernsey in Wheadon’s Gin. The Wheadon family have been involved in the production and distribution of fine alcohol on Guernsey for over a hundred years and it is this heritage, combined with our island’s maritime environment, that is the inspiration behind Wheadon’s Gin. Produced in traditional copper stills in the atmospheric

WHEN: Thursday 25th October

cellar lounge of the Bella Luce Hotel in St

WHERE: Parnell 164,

Martins, proprietor Luke Wheadon uses rock

Parnell Rd Parnell

samphire foraged from the nearby cliffs and

TIME: 4:00pm-6:00pm

other carefully sourced botanicals to create perfectly balanced artisanal gins in very small batches.

BOOK NOW ONLINE

WESTMERE MALT CLUB Come along to Westmere's first Malt Club!

Hosted by one of our own whisky lovers, Tonci Jakicevich will take you through a range of styles and flavours. For those of you who are new to whisky, wanting to try something new or just love a good whisky, this is the event for you. Seats are very limited so make sure you book your place early.

WHEN: Saturday 27th October

BOOK NOW ONLINE

WHERE: Glengarry Westmere, 164 Garnet Rd Westmere TIME: 7:00pm

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THE SEARCH FOR EL DORADO The long search for El Dorado is over! Join us in the Victoria Park Wine Room as we explore the Liquid Gold of Guyana, featuring rums ranging from 3 years of age up to the elder statesman 21 Year Old.

BOOK NOW ONLINE WHEN: Thursday 8th November WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, 118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7:00pm

TAKAPUNA GIN CLUB One might almost be forgiven for thinking that the 17th Century tulip mania has resurfaced in an infatuation with gin, such is the burgeoning range of mainstream and more boutique options available to Glengarry regulars.

Fortunately nobody is having to mortgage their property to get in on this craze, but with such a huge selection to choose from the task of selecting what to sip on a sunny Sunday

WHEN: Thursday 29th November

afternoon isn't quite as straightforward (or

WHERE: Glengarry Takapuna,

boring!) as it once was. With the goal of easing

Cnr Hurstmere & Killarney Takapuna

these tough decisions in mind, and the

TIME: 7:00pm

requests of dozens of aficionados ringing in our ears, we are hosting a tasting night focused entirely on Gin, with a selection of fine options being opened to be explained, discussed and

BOOK NOW ONLINE

enjoyed. Book quickly as the gin craze is showing no signs of abating and places will fill quickly!

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MALT AND CHAMPANE TASTINGS

Glengarry Head Honcho Jak Jakicevich and GM Liz Wheadon both have their fixation. Jak is a committed fan of Single Malt whiskies, while Liz is a champagne fiend from way back.

They are teaming up to take their respective obsessions on the road, perhaps in an attempt to justify them to the rest of NZ, or maybe they

QUEENSTOWN

just want to share some gems they know about with those of you who don’t. Anyhow, there they both are, out on the road, taking it to the

CHRISTCHURCH

streets. Each of them will be flourishing the attributes of six of their favourites. Is it a duel?

TAURANGA

A face-off? We don’t know. Will it be entertaining and enlightening? Absolutely.

WELLINGTON

VIEW ALL TASTINGS

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL SPIRIT TASTINGS

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That's it for this month's Spiritual Guide.

Issue Eight will be coming your way next month with more guidance through the spiritual world.

Cheers,

Glengarry Wines 118 Wellesley St West, Auckland Free Phone: 0800 733 505 Email: sales@glengarry.co.nz Website: www.glengarrywines.co.nz

WINE |

BEER & CIDER

| SPIRITS |

TASTINGS |

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