Martin Miller's Gin & Academy Espresso

One of the incredible perks of doing what I do, is being invited along to Gin brand launches, tasting sessions, and takeovers... so when the South-West rep for Martin Miller's got in touch and invited me

along to just such an event, (with an astounding 24 hours notice - cheers Jake)...how could I refuse.  

Now, I know Martin Miller's Gin well enough...but as per the vast majority of you, in all likeliness, I was only really familiar with one product from their collection - Martin Millers Original. 

Despite popular belief, I have not in fact tasted every gin available - though it seems to be almost expected when in conversation with those outside the industry - so I am always thrilled to be offered the opportunity to sample those which are new to me, most notably in this case - Martin Miller's Westbourne Strength, which had been on my 'must try' list for quite some time. 

An informative product and tasting session started a fantastic afternoon at Doctor Inks Curiosities in sunny Exeter (sunny is perhaps an understatement.... so the refreshing, arrival 'signature serve' G&T was very welcome indeed). Ten botanicals and the industries worse kept secret eleventh ingredient (just a heads up....its cucumber....) make up the original Martin Miller's recipe. The brainchild of eccentric man-about-town - Martin Miller - to fill a gap in the premium spirits market, this English distilled spirit combines classic botanicals sourced from around the world, and blended at source with pure Icelandic water, resulting in a distinctive and yet curiously classic spirit, befitting of the role it was created to fill. 

A detailed history of the Gin and its background  can be found at www.martinmillersgin.com if you would like to know a little more.

At this point I'm making the executive decision to give you lovelies an entirely separate blog post to rave about the Martin Miller's Gins....because, lets face it, we all know I love to waffle on, and at this rate this post is going to turn into a novel! So, stay tuned for a M.M post, in which I will run through their product range and my thoughts and tasting notes. 

Back to the matter at hand - last Wednesday! 

So with the history lesson complete and the entire Martin Miller's range sampled, we were invited to sample a range of cocktails created specifically for this event, showcasing not only the versatility of Martin Miller's, but additionally, a revamped and creative usage of coffee within gin-based cocktails...cue Steve Young of Academy Espresso (www.academyespressobar.co.uk).

Coffee has thus-far been somewhat relegated to the classic 'espresso martini' so far as bar-tending is concerned, but times are a'changing my good friends! Steve has been working his creative magic, fusing coffee and cocktails...with great success might I add! My taste buds can attest to this fact, and are in fact, still tingling! 

First up was a delightfully refreshing 'Millers Mizuwari', combining Martin Miller's Westbourne Strength Gin with Welsh (I'm assured that this makes all the difference...) sparkling water and Steve's very own coffee tincture. Overall I found this fresh, clean, and far more flavourful than I was expecting as I am usually fairly averse to sparkling water/soda based cocktails. 

Next up was a personal favourite ... the 'Cucumber Cosmo'. For this orgasmic concoction, Steve had infused Cointreau with coffee, combined this with Martin Miller's original gin, cranberry juice, lime and cucumber bitters... and created a veritable masterpiece! 

For the final two cocktails of the day, the incredible staff at Doctor Inks had whipped up their own mind-blowing creations featuring Martin Miller's Gin, including the 'Smith and Miller' (pictured below) which blew me away with its fresh, green salad flavours and sweet elderflower notes, perfectly balanced with the Martin Miller's original gin. Also featured was a gin, lime and tropical liqueur blend which was a crowd favourite once the doors opened to the general public later in the afternoon.

With Martin Miller's rep - Jake - & Steve Young (Academy Espresso) at the helm behind the Doctor Inks bar, assisted by head bartender - Benjamin - and bar manager - Sophie - a Martin Miller's takeover was in full swing for the evening, which made for a very enjoyable way to round off the day before the long drive back home (minus a KFC pit-stop due to their ludicrously restrictive opening hours). Thanks again to Martin Millers, Academy Espresso and Doctor Inks Curiosities, for a fantastic afternoon.

Slingsby Gin

Immediately eye catching, due to its striking blue blue bottle, somewhat reminiscent of medicinal bottles of ages past, Slingsby Gin rocks an impressive 24 botanicals, beautifully combined to create a complex and flavoursome spirit.

Named after the English Soldier - William Slingsby- who noted as the discoverer of the first spa water well in Harrogate, Slingsby Gin aims to represent Harrogate and its heritage. Whilst I cannot vouch for the claims of the 'restorative' properties of the Harrogate water used to cut this spirit, it certainly makes for a valid excuse for knocking one or two of these back....no?

Harking back to the whopping 24 botanicals crammed into Slingsby Gin, featuring green tea, grapefruit, rosehip, nettles, rhubarb and three types of thyme...amongst others, this spirit offers up a complex yet beautifully blended flavour which almost seems to change on each different taste making this beautifully adaptable to a multitude of garnishes and pairings. For me, the grapefruit citrus and herbal notes lead with a well rounded sweetness which does not overwhelm to distraction, while juniper maintains its classic flavour.
I would most certainly, personally, pair this with a premium Indian tonic and garnish with grapefruit to really make those citrus favours pop....but each to their own of course.

For me, this is a great Gin and one I will most certainly be drinking again!

In Partnership with The Paddocks Bar

Brooklyn Gin

With every man and their dog (and their dogs, uncles, neighbours girlfriend) now knocking out the next experimental botanical blend (I'm talking ants, lobsters.... you name it, its going into gin...) it's somewhat refreshing to find a good, solid, 'classic' Gin. Personal preference lies, for me, in a purist mindset when it comes to botanicals in my gin and I'm a big fan of juniper and citrus dominance on the flavour palette ... not to say I am not a fan of anything else...simply that this is where my overall preference lies. 

As a longstanding gin fan, I was dragged up (back in the day when little else was widely on offer) on the likes of Bombay, Tanqueray and (god forbid) Gordon's (which I have somewhat outgrown but nevertheless an integral part of my gin journey)... and as such, tend to lean in classic directions, unlike the newbie ginsters who have only ever known gin with half a herb garden and the kitchen sink thrown in. 

Brooklyn Gin is a small batch gin and product of the Brooklyn Distilling Company, New York. Made using hand-cracked juniper berries and fresh citrus peels (a hefty 5 different varieties) rather than dried, along with lavender, angelica, coriander and orris root. Brooklyn offers up a clean, beautifully balanced gin with (as you would expect) juniper and citrus leads on the palette and a pleasant peppery spice to finish. Over ice, floral notes seep in.

Excellent for a refreshing and classic G&T with a wedge of lime.  

In partnership with The Paddocks Bar

Audemus Spirits at Doctor Inks, Exeter, with Enotria & Coe

When an email dropped into my inbox from distribution company - Enotria and Coe - inviting me to attend a masterclass and bar-tending session for a Spirits company with an intriguing gin, I was yet to sample, in their inventory.... how could I refuse!

Cue 'Audemus Spirits'.... the brainchild of Australian born Miko, who founded the company in France in 2013 after working as a cognac distiller for many years. Having concocted the original recipe for Audemus' flagship spirit, Pink Pepper Gin, Miko set out to make a name for the company alone, until fate (read: soup) brought Miko and British Cognac resident - Ian - together in 2014, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now, i'm a sucker for a good backstory on a gin.... so many these days are churned out with little more than the financial remuneration in mind. In stark comparison, Pink Pepper is quite literally the 'little gin who could'. With humble beginnings in Cognac, France...being traded for soup by its hungry creator, it is still a reflection of its homespun nature, created in small batches, with each batch dedicated to a meaningful person from the Audemus Spirits story. Ian is very much the 'man on the ground', and it was my absolute pleasure to meet with him last Wednesday and sit down for a one on one chat about the origins of this intriguing spirit (mainly because i was unforgivably late and missed the group chat...but lets not focus on that shall we). Listening to tales of his determination in getting Pink Pepper picked up by its stockists, from loitering in office receptions, to high teas at Liberty's of London....Ian has gone to every length to ensure this spirit began to receive the recognition it very much deserves.

So lets start at the beginning, with the spirit which started it all. Pink Pepper Gin.
Distilled in a bespoke, low pressure, glass vacuum still, Pink Pepper is constructed of 9 botanicals, 3 of which remain a closely guarded secret.
Pepper is prominent to taste, with juniper not far behind. Over ice, this gin takes on a distinct sweetness thanks to the honey, vanilla and tonka bean... for me it starts to err slightly too much on the sweeter side of things for me at this point so if you are like me then leave the ice out of the glass. I did not try this Gin with tonic at the time, although Ian recommended the Aromatic tonic from Fever Tree mixers, which I am sure would be great pairing, however, with the spicy notes of this Gin, it feels extremely adaptable and could be pulled in several directions to fit your flavour preferences. All round I was extremely impressed and I will definitely be trying this one again with some different pairings to get a much broader feel for it.

Next up is Pink Peppers elderly relative - Old Ma's.
A limited edition batch, Old Ma's is basically Pink Pepper Gin which has rested in a vintage Port barrel for 22 months (this has increased with each batch - batch 1 taking just 5 months), taking on the beautiful port and oak flavours to create a stunning spirit which can be enjoyed straight, on ice or in a cocktail. An absolute delight for someone like myself who is a fan of both gin and port....I cannot recommend this highly enough, and as I mentioned, it's limited edition so snap up a bottle asap!

Covert Liqueur is the next spirit in Audemus' repertoire, so named to reflect the ingredients - Cognac (CO) and the green (Vert) fig leaves. These are combined with honey to create a sweet liqueur which I hate to say it, but is just not for me due to the fact that I, for the most part, like my spirits like my humour .... dry and bitter.
I can, however, appreciate the flavour combinations in this creation and if you have a sweeter tooth than myself, I would hasten to recommend giving this a go!

Umami was the last of Audemus' spirits I sampled although I believe they do have one or two more. I've saved this one till last as it is so vastly different to anything I have tried before that it's taken a little pondering as to how I can succinctly translate this on paper (so to speak) .... and have come up blank. It is, without a doubt, one of those spirits you need to try for yourself...and I highly recommend you do. Somewhat a 'Marmite' product, it swiftly divided the room when we sampled this on Wednesday and I would imagine that is a fair reflection of its general reaction. Personally I liked it....savoury, salty with citrus notes ..... Umami is a spirit unlike any other and is used primarily in cocktails to add a new dimension to existing flavours. Produced using capers and Umami-rich ingredients, this is quite simply...one of a kind. 

A huge thank you to JP of Enotria and Coe, the talented bar staff at Doctor Inks Curiosities who, during the second half of the afternoon (bartenders session) created an exceptional selection of cocktails using the above spirits which I was lucky enough to sample....and of course, a massive thank you to Ian Spink of Audemus Spirits.

Bombay Sapphire Distillery, Laverstoke Mill, Hampshire

When your mother is turning 60, and is largely responsible for your introduction to, and love of Gin....there is but one logical destination for a birthday drink .... the home of Bombay Sapphire at Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire.

Having now announced my Mothers age online, I will now be working from an undisclosed location for my own protection once she see's this....but in the meantime, I thought I'd share a bit about my second trip to this beautiful distillery.

Having visited last in November last year, I was so blown away by the visual and informative aspects of this tour, that I knew I had to bring the mother dearest along to see it for herself. Based in the heart of rural Hampshire at a re-purposed paper mill, Bombay have, since 2010, called this beautiful venue home, using a revolutionary 'vapour infusion' method of distillation which makes Bombay Sapphire so distinctly unique. 

Walking from the entrance lobby into the main courtyard, the stunning combination of classic and modern architecture is, for want of a better word, breathtaking. The original buildings stand side by side with Bombay's iconic botanical glasshouses which curve gracefully into the river test, and play host to the 10 botanicals in their natural state. 

Having marvelled at the glasshouses and taken a walk through both, along with a beautiful display room covering the history of Bombay and gin itself, next up was a trip to the Botanical Dry Room to explore a range of 22 botanicals, by scent, to determine individual flavour preferences using an 'aroma map'... which enables visitors to then make an educated decision when it came to selecting a Bombay Cocktail at the end of the tour. Unsurprisingly my preferences lent heavily on the side of citrus and spice, with a nod to juniper. However, my eventual decision on cocktail was purely based on visual appeal rather than an informed choice...somewhat rebellious I grant you, but having already completed the tour and sampled (and thoroughly enjoyed) my recommended cocktail, it was time to venture into pastures new. 

Aroma map complete, it was time for a guided tour of the Dakin still house, the smaller of the two working still houses at Laverstoke. To Bombay's enormous credit, their tour guides are extremely knowledgeable and clearly passionate about both the company and the rich history behind the product. Learn about the origins of the gin itself, the vapour infusion process and the family behind this groundbreaking method. 

Chit chat and sampling (yep, you heard, and straight off the still too!) done, head to the Mill Bar for a complementary cocktail using your aroma map as a guide (or entirely futile endeavour, if you wish to be rebellious) and choosing from their 10 alcoholic, and 2 non alcoholic - for those of you who are clearly more responsible drivers than myself (before I get a barrage of messages... its a single measure people! I'm not a complete idiot, nor indeed, wildly irresponsible) cocktails. 

Needless to say, Mother dearest loved every minute of this tour and I highly recommend it to all. So whatever the occasion (does there really need to be one) head over and book tickets here....you wont be disappointed (unless you really don't like gin, in which case it's probably not for you....but there's no accounting for taste I guess). 

Cheers

Cruxland Gin

Instantly visually intriguing with its stumpy bottle shape and embossed leather details over the screw cap, Cruxland Gin immediately piqued my interest. This was not a gin I was familiar with, but boasting a Kalahari truffle infusion and a South African heritage, I was certainly curious, and keen to give it a try.

Distilled in small batches in Paarl, South Africa, Cruxland compiles 9 botanicals including rooibos, honeybush, and those Kalahari truffles, to make up its complex flavour palette which was created to reflect its South African origins.
On the nose, the gin certainly delivers, and offers up a striking aroma... coriander, juniper, and a beautiful sweetness from that honeybush. To taste, Cruxland packs a hefty aniseed punch and a hearty spice finish. Paired with tonic, I'd have to say Cruxland starts to drift away from the distinctive 'gin' flavour I personally favour, but is undoubtedly a change of pace from the inherently 'British' classic gins, saturating the spirits market (no complaints from me, but for those seeking something a little different...), and certainly worth trying.
Pair with a premium Indian tonic, a slice of lemon and a few juniper berries to inject a little of the classic tastes back into this spirit whilst complimenting its existing botanicals.  

In partnership with The Paddocks Bar, Blandford Forum

Whitley Neill Quince Gin & The London Essence Co Tonic Water

Those of you who read my blog/Insta feed, will know that every month, I am sent sample gins and tonics from ilovegin.com (head over to their website to find out more about this awesome company and how you too can have gin delivered to your door - because, who wouldn't want that?!). This months delivery included Elephant Gin, Whitley Neill's Quince Gin and two mixers from The London Essence Co. First up, i'm pairing TLEC Classic London Tonic Water, with a flavour from Whitley Neill which I actually have neither tried, nor indeed heard of! 

I'll be completely honest, I had to google what a quince actually was...(its a fruit similar in appearance to the common pear, and the rumoured 'forbidden fruit' from the garden of Eden...apparently)! 

Whitley Neill have featured on my blog previously as i'm already a huge fan of their original gin (check out my review here). I have also tried their Rhubarb & Ginger, and Raspberry Gins (neither of which appear on this blog, but do so on my Instagram) So I was open to this exciting new flavour in their line, however, I was also cautious as I am not a fan of sweet, sickly gins at all (Gordons Pink, I'm looking at you!) 

On the nose, my fears were readily confirmed as I got a waft of sweet fruit immediately - apples and pears are prominent. On the palate the fruit flavours are again dominant, as expected, sweet peaches and pear flavours lead, with a mild citrus undertone. 

Pouring this gin, the main thing I noticed was the thick. viscous, almost syrupy quality to it, this translates in the mouthfeel of the gin. I poured over ice and paired with a classic London Tonic Water and garnished (upon recommendation from ilovegin.com) with a sprig of mint. I do have to say that for the lovers of sweeter gins, this one may best served simply on the rocks and sipped. 

Mixed with tonic, I was pleasantly surprised at how drinkable it became for my own personal tastes. This is not to say that it required diluting, as I said, it may actually be best as a sipping gin should your tastes be for the sweeter beverages....but for someone like me, tonic is the way forward. The London Essence company have a beautiful range of premium mixers and sodas, distilled with fine fruits and botanicals. I have two to try from their range but in this instance, went for their Classic London Tonic Water (which, on its own is a stunning tonic...classic, yet with a twist) which paired beautifully with the flavours in the gin. Ilovegin.com had recommended either a slice of cucumber or a sprig of mint, I went with the latter (mainly because that's what I had to hand without making a quick trip to Tesco) but also because I felt the mint would cut through the sweetness of the quince. 

Overall the resulting beverage was surprisingly refreshing, if somewhat on the sweet side. 

In partnership with www.ilovegin.com

Bulldog Gin

With a name as quintessentially British as this, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's origins followed suit, however, Bulldog Gin is the brainchild of American based investment banker, Anshuman Vohra.

Quadruple distilled, and bottled in England, Bulldog is a relative newcomer in the UK gin marketplace, having only been available via local retailers since 2015, despite its New York launch back in 2007. 

Using 12 botanicals from 8 countries, Bulldog claims to be a 'modern alternative to some of the more traditional, juniper heavy brands on the marketplace', and pulls no punches in their marketing, creating a (fairly well deserved) 'arrogance' to the product. Botanicals such as natural poppy, lavender, dragon eye, lotus leaves and citrus, combine to create a complex, somewhat 'quirky' and yet surprisingly well-balanced flavour profile which is exceptionally enjoyable in a classic G&T, and ideally suited to a vast array of cocktails alike. 

On the nose, Bulldog gives citrus, floral and juniper notes, whilst the palate, despite the plethora of Asian botanicals, blends beautifully for a well rounded, 'traditional' taste with a difference. Overall this gin is an absolute beauty which I have now purchased personally (a ringing endorsement if ever there was) 

Bulldog themselves recommend a garnish of lemon to accompany its pairing with a premium Indian tonic... and I would hasten to agree, however, for a warmer alternative I highly recommend a cinnamon stick and a star anise to accompany the classic tonic....bringing the spicier flavours to the forefront and offering up a delicious warmth.

In partnership The Paddocks Bar, Blandford Forum

Newton House Gin

Being the Instagram addict that I am, I am usually very swiftly aware of new and upcoming gins. Newton House was no exception and piqued my interest as soon as I saw them appear, not yet a year ago. Having then looked into their botanicals and taste notes, they were promptly added to my 'must try' list and remained there until about a month back when, having heard of their win at the World Gin Awards, I decided it was definitely not only time to sample, but stock this London Dry at The Paddocks Bar, for whom I source, stock and review their swiftly expanding Gin selection.

I met with their distiller, Tristan, here at The Paddocks and chatted over the development and story behind this fairly local gin. Located just down the road in Yeovil, Newton House is resident of its namesake property in beautiful Newton Somerville. Distilled in small batches, it is a London dry with a delightful selection of botanicals inspired by the gardens of Newton House itself, including orange peel, mint, peaches and blueberries to name but a few. A delightful citrus burst to taste with mint and floral flavours to accompany, and a warming, peppery finish... this gin is beautiful served with a high quality Indian Tonic, a good wedge of lime and three bruised mint leaves. I have to say, this gin has shot straight into my current favourites list and looks set to stay! Crisp, clean and ridiculously drinkable....give this one a try immediately!

In partnership with The Paddocks Bar, Blandford Forum.