The Gin To My Tonic Club October 2021
Meet-the-Makers Virtually on Saturday 30th October 6.00pm-8.10pm
This month we are back with one our usual format Virtual Gin Tastings! We are delighted to be welcoming the creators, makers and champions of Fisher’s Gin, Horse Guards Gin, Pothecary Gin & William Kerr’s Borders Gin. Plus, we’ve included a sample of our latest release ‘Peach & Pineapple’ for you to enjoy at a time that suits you.
We’ll be taking you on a gin-venture from Suffolk to Scotland with this month’s guest features, and embracing some unique fruity pairings, all chosen to excite and inspire you.
As always, The Gin To My Tonic are here to champion the hard graft, imagination and diversity of some of the best distillers in the UK and this month’s line up is a fabulous representation of this.
We can’t wait to see you all once again and raise a gin from afar…
Love and Best Wishes,
Em and Paul – Co-Founders, Best Friends & Fellow Gin Enthusiasts
ON THE NIGHT - MIX WITH THE BEST
Fishers Gin – Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and a garnish of Orange or Lemon & Rosemary
Horse Guards Raspberry & Cranberry – Fever-Tree Naturally Light Tonic and a garnish of Raspberry
Pothecary Organic Original Blend Gin – Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and a garnish of Lemon, Orange or Pink Grapefruit
William Kerr’s Border Gin – Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and a garnish of Orange
The Gin To My Tonic Peach & Pineapple – Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic and a garnish of Pineapple (or Peach)
These are recommendations of The Gin To My Tonic and Fever-Tree.
The Spirit of The Coast - Fishers Gin
In 2016 the first batch of Gin was produced, Fishers Original. The Founder, Andrew Heald, had a childhood spent surrounded by the shingle beaches, natural salt marshes and wild meadows of Aldeburgh. Drawing inspiration from the stunning surroundings Andrew set about capturing the very distinctive character and coastal experience to create a gin that has true provenance.
To create Fishers, they forage wild herbs and local coastal botanicals all within a stone’s throw from their seaside distillery. Botanicals include juniper, rock samphire, bog myrtle, spignel, wood aven, fennel, fennel seeds, coriander, cardamom pods, angelica root, orris root, caraway seeds, orange peel and lemon peel.
The essence of the English coast is beautifully captured in both design and taste, its herbaceous and subtly salty on the nose. The herbaceous character continues on the palate with robust savoury notes shining brightly. Juniper remains at the fore but is well balanced, there are sparks of citrus and spice which lead to long lasting finish that is creamy and very smooth. A true taste of the Suffolk coast the rock samphire adding a sea breeze charm.
ANDREW SAYS
Fishers Original, as it suggests, is the first recipe we used back in 2015 when we were distilling at Adnams. It was developed by me and my friend James Firth who is a gardener and botanist. We set out to create a gin that championed English flavours and herbs while still remaining true to the gin category. The recipe remains unchanged, and for me, Fishers Original represents the union between unusual English botanicals and traditional Eastern and Mediterranean flavours.
– Andrew Heald, Fishers Gin Founder
Can you tell us about your distilling process?
Fishers Original Gin is distilled in small batches using the London Dry method at our Distillery on the beach in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Fishers is a London Dry Gin with a difference. All the botanicals go into our still to be steeped in our base spirit over night.
Only then does the final distillation in our hand-built Copper Pot take place. This process enables us to use the one-shot method at the end of the distillation, meaning we take only the best, or the ‘Heart’ cut of the distillate.
All of which combines to produce the most distinctive, flavoursome, full-bodied and aromatic coastal gin possible.
What is your perfect serve?
We recommend having your G&T in the style of our ‘Distillery Serve’.
-Enamel mug straight from the freezer
-One large ice cube
-Double serving of Fishers ‘Original’ Gin
-Indian tonic
-A slice of dehydrated orange
Horse Guards Raspberry & Cranberry Pink Gin - A perfect combination
Quintessentially British, Horse Guards takes inspiration from Britain’s Horse Guards formed by King Charles II back in 1661, as well as iconic characters from the regiment over the years.
The range features signature Horse Guards London Dry and also Horse Guards Pink which infuses the original recipe with Raspberries & Cranberries.
With so many berry gins on the market it can be difficult to make an impact, but the cranberry pairing really is a stroke of genius in this instance. The cranberry adds interest to the raspberry, with both berries contrasting beautifully with each other but also against the flavourful London Dry base. Juniper is certainly at the core, citrus amplifies the flavours and helps smooth the finish, whilst the raspberry & cranberry seduce across all senses (it smells divine) and lingers long after.
What was the inspiration behind Horse Guards?
HEROES, OF THE HORSE GUARDS
“The gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the empire.” – Winston Churchill.
The Horse Guards, part of the Household Cavalry, were originally formed in 1661 by King Charles II to provide him with the highest standard of personal protection. Steeped in history, the regiment has attracted an array of intrepid and extraordinary characters throughout its lifetime, especially during the Age of Elegance.
It’s their taste for adventure that’s inspired us and we, in turn, want to inspire you. We’ve shared just a few of our heroes’ stories on the following pages, and you can find out more about their endeavours at the Household Cavalry Museum itself.
What is your favourite Pink Gin Cocktail Recipe?
Our Pink Gin and Prosecco cocktail!
50ml Horse Guards Pink Gin
25ml lemon juice
12ml sugar syrup
Add all the ingredients together and top up with your favourite prosecco. Add ice and a fresh raspberry to garnish if desired.
Cheers!
Pothecary Gin - handcrafted, organic and created with passion
Pothecary Gin was created with a passion for organic, handcrafted, artisan produce. After many months of research, and tasting, Founder Martin Jennings elected to use the less common process of distilling each botanical separately, and then blending them together before dilution, which yields incomparable, high quality aromas and flavours, creating an exciting gin that’s both well- balanced and refreshingly individual.
For this tasty juniper-based treat, there are just 5 botanicals; Juniper, Lemon peels, Tilia flowers, Lavender flowers and Black Mulberries. To describe it’s a pleasantly soft style of gin, with a little oiliness and the aromatic notes of lavender and citrus … A very sippable texture and a bold yet balanced flavour profile, and a lovely lingering finish. .
Celebrating William Kerr with Kerr's Gin from The Border Distillery
William Kerr is one of Scotland’s most renowned plant hunters whose tireless work contributed 238 new plants to the UK.
Borders Gin celebrates William Kerr’s great achievements and his contribution to botany. It pays tribute to the wealth of fascinating botanicals from near and far, some of which are at the heart of this fine spirit.
Created at the Border Distillery in Hawick they use their own original spirit. This 43% ABV gin explores the art of distillation using their specially commissioned Carter Head still, to capture the essence of a delicate balance of botanicals from near and far. The gin has bright notes of juniper and citrus on the nose. The palate is warm and flavourful, and the finish is enlivened with a hint of liquorice.
What is different about your gin?
William Kerr was born in Hawick in 1779 and became one of the 19th century’s most accomplished botanists. With his passion for plants, Kerr would likely have approved of our Carterhead Still, which gently steams our botanicals in the spirit vapours, rather than boiling them like most other gin stills. This captures more of the subtle aromas and complex flavours.
Every drop of Kerr’s Gin is made from Scottish Borders barley, with every grain grown within 30 miles of the distillery. Our long-term partnerships with local farmers give us complete control over the creation of our spirit, from barley to bottle. Kerr’s is the only Scottish Gin made with malted barley spirit in a Carterhead Still, and we believe you can taste the difference.
What is your favourite cocktail recipe?
Berries and spice and all things nice. Kerr’s Gin has bright juniper and citrus notes on the nose, and these pair brilliantly with berries and ginger. Give this recipe a try.
50ml Kerr’s Gin
25ml lime juice
25ml raspberry syrup
Two dots of Angostura Bitters
Ginger Ale
Say hello to lucky No.7… The Gin To My Tonic Peach & Pineapple
A WORLD FIRST
The latest addition to our ‘Festival Collection’ Gin Range is a luscious and exotic blend, combining the floral taste of Peach with the exotic delights of Pineapple.
Juniper, Orange Zest, Orange Flower & Madagascan Vanilla play support to the headline acts.
On the nose juicy peach is seductive, giving early signals of what’s to come. Peach bursts forth on the palate, accompanied by a burst of citrus and a tang of of pineapple on the finish. This isn’t sickly sweet by any means, and there’s still a dry element thanks to the juniper, angelic and orris that help keep this sympathetically gin at 40% ABV (rather than venturing into liqueur territory).
As a Gin & Tonic we recommend either a Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic and a garnish of Peach, or Fever-Tree Mediterrean Tonic and a garnish of Pineapple.
Go floral and fabulous, or tropical and tantalising, the choice of yours!
The perfect Bellini Recipe
Ingredients
25ml of Peach & Pineapple Gin
25ml of Chambord
25ml of Peach Puree
Prosecco or Champagne
1. Add the Peach & Pineapple Gin, Chambord & Peach Puree to a cocktail mixer.
2. Add Ice and shake until condensation forms on the outside of the tin.
3. Strain into a Champagne Flute and top up with your choice of Fizz.
4. Garnish with a Peach slice and Raspberry
MERRY GINMAS
Have you ordered your Ginny Advent Calendar?
The Gin To My Tonic 12-Days of Gin-Mas Calendar is flying out the door faster than Santa delivering Christmas presents on Christmas morning.
Starting from 13th December – 24th December, each window is filled with all new 50ml gin miniatures for 2021. The exact gins are a highly guarded secret (for now!) to capture the magic of Christmas, however you’ll discover everything from juniper-forward classics, 57+ ABV Navy Strength, Fruity, Sloe & Festive to take you on a festive gin-venture.
As always we’ll be sharing perfect serves and cocktail recipes over on social media on the relevant day to help ensure you get the most out of each of the gins featured.
Pre-Order Now for November delivery!
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FEVER TREE
Fever-Tree began in 2003 with a meeting of minds and one simple premise: if three quarters of your G&T is the tonic, wouldn’t you want it to be the best?
It became apparent that Charles and Tim had both come to the same conclusion – namely that the growing prevalence and popularity of premium spirits had not been matched by what was on offer in the tonic category.
From the very beginning, Charles and Tim approached their business in a different way – there would be no compromise at Fever-Tree. Flavour and quality were of the utmost importance. This mindset led them on an 18-month adventure from the archives of the British Library to facing the wrong end of a Kalashnikov in the Democratic Republic of Congo and concluded with the launch of our Premium Indian Tonic Water in 2005, with the belief we still operate by today.. If 3/4 of your drink is a mixer, mix with the best. As well as quality, Charles and Tim wanted to put the choice back into the category.
The whole company has been built on innovation. Constantly developing new mixers, new flavours, new ideas, thus creating, an array of flavours to pair with the myriad of premium Gins, Vodkas, Whisky’s and Vermouths.
SAVE THE DATE
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