CAUSINGASTIR
CAUSINGASTIR
From local producers making world-class
spirits to the talented bartenders shaking
up things in our bars, there’s never been a
better time to mix it up and sip a cocktail…
22
I
n 2009, a small craft distiller in London overturned a
law that had stood since 1751 outlawing the production
of small batches of gin. Thus began a renaissance in
artisanal alcohol, following on from the success of the
craft beer revolution. In fact, The Daily Telegraph reports
that the number of gin distilleries in Britain has doubled
in six years. Because it doesn’t take years in the barrel
to age, gin has become the favoured start-up spirit.
Once the scourge of the drinking classes, gin is now the
favoured tipple for connoisseurs and millennials, keen to
define themselves by niche brands and myriad flavours.
In its heyday, one in four habitable buildings in England
housed (or hid) a gin still. In simple terms, it’s a blend
of neutral grain alcohol and ‘botanicals’ built around the
distinctive flavour of juniper berries. Unlike other spirits,
it doesn’t benefit from ageing, and is rarely drunk neat.
As a result, it’s the base of the greatest proportion of
classic cocktails, from the Martini and Tom Collins to the
Negroni, Gin Rickey, Gimlet, and Singapore Sling.
Although Plymouth has the world’s oldest working
distillery, Plymouth Gin since 1793, this most English of
spirits is now a global phenomenon. Nick Marshall spoke
to some of our top regional producers.
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