A ‘HAT-TRICK’ OF ‘HAT-TRICKS’
BY THE CQ
Apparently the first official day of spring was on 20th March 2018.
Blink and you might have missed it! But as we head through April,
and into May, lets hope we start to see some sunshine. Perhaps even
the barbecue may come out of hibernation!
MARSHMALLOW GIN
This is a very unique gin, unlike
anything I have ever tasted before.
Described in some quarters as
‘wonderfully decadent’, this is a
dry gin, but has a delicate, but not
overpowering, sweetness to it. As
with the dry gin it contains juniper,
coriander seed and angelica root.
Added to the mix here are lemon
peel, liquorice root, nutmeg, orris root
and last, but not least, marshmallow
root (and yes, marshmallow is a
plant). The more savoury tones of the
juniper balance wonderfully with the
sweetness of the marshmallow root.
Sounds unusual; but tastes great!
It was drunk with a cocktail stick
of raspberry, blackberry and, yes, a
marshmallow (this time not the plant
variety)!
With such thoughts in mind, and as the domestic cricket season is
getting underway (and the domestic football season is drawing to a
close), there is perhaps no better time to talk about hat-tricks than
the present. So lets have a look at a ‘hat-trick’ of ‘hat-tricks’ from the
world of gin and wine.
A GIN HAT TRICK
In the January edition of Wirral Life Magazine some of you may
remember the article ‘Gin Time’. In the article I expressed the hope
that, throughout 2018, we would be able to give you a few tips on
new or exciting gins to try, and where you might find them. Only a
matter of months later there is something new, and there is something
special, to report in this direction.
Our ‘Gin Hat-trick’ is a very local affair and, as the title suggests,
involves three new and exciting gins. They are all produced by
‘The Ginsmiths of Liverpool’, based in the heart of Liverpool on
Bridgewater Street in the Baltic triangle. Some of you may well have
heard about the ‘H1780 Tap & Still’ on Bridgewater Street. It is a
working brewery and distillery, with an on site bar, tasting room and
eatery. Our three gins (artisan gins in the true sense of the word) are
all distilled on this site.
MERCHANT NAVY GIN
As you would expect for a navy
strength gin, it is powerful. It weighs in
at 51% ABV. But this is sublime. Again
we have juniper, coriander seed and
angelica root; but into the mix here we
have four other botanicals – Mexican
vanilla, Australian pepperberry, yuzu
peel and orange peel. It is a wonderfully
complex gin that offers up an array of
different sensations on both the nose
and on the pallet. Predominantly think
citrus fruit, pepper and vanilla notes.
Awesome gin!
All three of our gins were recently tasted neat, and then with the
customary tonic, at a Wirral Life sponsored event at the ‘H1780 Tap
& Still’. Each of our three gins come in a very distinctive, and smart,
white bottle. They are available to buy from a number of sources,
including from Whitmore and White on the Wirral, and also from
‘H1780 Tap & Still’ itself (which you can also visit for a tour of the
distillery).
DRY GIN
This is, I suppose, the entry level
gin for the team. But what a way to
enter! It is, in terms of botanicals,
the most complex of the three
gins on offer (11 in total). It starts
with the usual suspects – juniper,
coriander seed and angelica root.
Added into the mix are almond,
lemon peel, linden leaf, liquorice
root, orange peel, orris root, pink
peppercorn and the wonderfully
named sea holly. Sweet and
pungent on the nose, with lovely
citrus notes. On the palate, along
with the juniper notes you would
expect to find, you also get citrus
combined with a hint of sweetness
and liquorice.
A PINK HAT TRICK
As with any wine it can be a little bit hit and miss as to whether you
manage to stumble across, or pick up, a decent rosé wine. There is
undoubtedly, mixed in with the not so good, a good selection of pinks
to choose from these days. And whilst we often associate white and red
wine with food, some do not necessarily put rosé in the same category. It
is often drunk on its own or as an aperitif. There is nothing wrong with
this, but rosé, or pink, wines can be wonderful food wines too. They go
particularly well with fish (particularly barbequed fish), with shrimp or
prawn, with salad, with a bit of pasta, with charcuterie or a nice bit of
grilled, roasted or barbequed pork or chicken (but to name a few).
So here is my hat-trick of fabulous pinks for you to try over the coming
months.
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