insideKENT Magazine Issue 93 - December 2019 | Page 89

FOOD+DRINK
GIN-GLE BELLS
DECEMBER IS ALWAYS THE BOOZIEST MONTH OF THE YEAR – AND WITH GOOD REASON!
CHRISTMAS PARTIES, FAMILY GET-TOGETHERS, WORK DOS, CELEBRATING COMPLETING YOUR
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONS…THE LIST JUST GOES ON AND ON.
SO, WHAT WILL BE YOUR TIPPLE OF CHOICE THIS FESTIVE SEASON?
Well, if you are anything like the majority of Brits at the moment, gin will definitely be at the
top of your Christmas list this year. This once relatively plain spirit continues to rocket in
popularity - and with a plethora of flavours, range of botanicals, delicious cocktails and amazing
gin-inspired gifts now available, it’s not very hard to see why.
We’ve rounded up some of the best flavoured gins available to
buy right now, quirky gin gifts and experiences to try, and even
thrown in some festive gin cocktail recipes to make sure you have
a very merry Christmas!
Barentsz Gin | RRP £32.95
www.barentszgin.com Anno | RRP £36.70
www.annodistillers.co.uk Wild Spirits of Kent | RRP £24
www.wildspiritsofkent.co.uk
If you are looking for a smooth gin that you
can drink straight, look no further than
Barentsz. This handcrafted gin is a premium
distilled gin made from the marriage of winter
wheat and golden rye. This unique combination
gives the gin a soft and smooth, pure flavour,
with a long rounded finish. The base spirit is
infused for 25 hours with jasmine from China,
as well as eight other botanicals, which will get
you decking the halls with tonic water this
holiday season. In 2011, Anno opened Kent’s first gin distillery in 200
years. Incorporating Kentish botanicals to provide a
unique flavour of Kent, Anno creates a range of exciting
spirits which are lovingly distilled using traditional
methods, but with a modern scientific twist. Every season, Wild Spirits of Kent gather their bounty
of fruits, berries and even leaves, to turn into delicious
liqueurs and flavoured spirits. All the colour you see
and the flavour you taste is naturally there from the
plants used in the process. Hedgerow and cottage plants
were traditionally preserved for their medicinal
properties to last through winter, by steeping them in
alcohols. Later they were made more palatable and
drunk not only for "medicinal purposes" but also for
pleasure. Wild Spirits of Kent love replicating these old
recipes. Their flavoured gins include: Sloe Gin,
Raspberry & Gin and Damson Gin.
Choose from their flagship multi-award winning
Kent Dry Gin, 602 Gin, B3rry Pink Gin, Sloe Gin,
Orange & Honey Gin, Elderflower & Vodka Gin, or
their seasonal limited edition Cranberry & Gin.
Whatever your choice, it is sure to get your bells gin-
gling this Christmas!
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