GIN TIME by the CQ
GIN TIME by the CQ
We all love gin ( don ’ t we ?) Of course we do ; and have done for many , many years :
• “ I exercise strong self-control . I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast .” ( W . C . Fields )
• “ The gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen ’ s lives , and minds , than all the doctors in the Empire ”. ( Winston Churchill )
• “ I don ’ t know what reception I ’ m at , but for God ’ s sake give me a gin and tonic ”. ( Denis Thatcher )
• “ The only time I ever enjoyed ironing was the day I accidentally got gin in the steam iron ”. ( Phyllis Diller )
• “ There ’ s an old man sitting next to me , making love to his tonic and gin ” ( for those of you with a love of music – from Billy Joel ’ s great song ‘ Piano Man ’).
THE GIN EXPLOSION Gin has experienced something of a craft revolution for a number of decades now . The revival probably started as long ago as the 1970 / 1980 ’ s , then grew through the 1990 ’ s and then into the 2000 ’ s . But it has really been during the last 6 or 7 years that we have seen a real explosion in the world of gin . According to trade figures , sales of gin have exploded during this period of time and have grown more than any other spirit sold in the UK . In 2011 consumers were only buying some £ 630 million worth of gin . In the 12 months to September 2017 this figure had risen to a staggering figure of in excess of £ 1.2 billion . According to statistics we Brits bought more than 47 million bottles of gin in 2017 . This set a new record and amounted to some 7 million more bottles than we bought during the previous 12 months . This is a remarkable trend and , in many ways , a remarkable story .
According to a recent YouGov poll gin is now the most popular spirit in the UK , with 29 % of drinkers voting it as their favourite spirit tipple . The second most popular spirit in 2017 was whisky ( 25 %) and then vodka a close third ( 23 %).
So what is this explosion in gin sales due to ? There are undoubtedly a number of factors that have led to this explosion . However one of the driving factors in our gin explosion has undoubtedly been the emergence and growth of a large number of craft distilleries and the production of countless fine artisan gins . Very often the producers of these wonderful gins are small concerns ( micro distillers if you like ). They have made , and continue to make , a huge impact and have introduced us to a multitude of new and exciting gins . The old and well established producers are still there , producing fine bottles of gin , too . As a result gin , today , is an exciting world for both those new to gin and to the old faithful who can now try something new .
WHAT IS AND WHY GIN ? As everyone will know gin is a liquor or spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . The complete story of how gin is crafted from beginning to end is complex . Gin production is a true craft . It is impossible to do justice to the hard work , care , creativity and enthusiasm that goes into gin production today in this article . There are , as a fact , many different methods of producing gin . I , therefore , apologise now to any gin maker , who may read this article , if I am about to over simplify or understate their work . I am probably about to do both ; but here we go . Essentially you produce or distil your base neutral spirit ( effectively the same neutral spirit as vodka ) and then distil it , or re distil it , with botanicals . What is a botanical ? A plant or something obtained from a plant is the simple description I guess . Whilst , in botanical terms , gin is centred on the juniper berry it is often the mixture of the remaining botanicals in the recipe that gives gin its distinct taste and aroma . As such , all gins are different , having their own unique taste and their own unique qualities .
There is a world of choice when it comes to the aromatic material and botanicals that go into the various mixes that produce the gins we all buy and love today . So , whilst gin is predominantly juniper based , our innovative gin distillers are now offering a range of gins infused with a variety of different botanicals . Many of these are locally sourced botanicals from the plant world in and around the area where the gin is crafted . Without these , and without the plant world , we wouldn ’ t be purchasing the many varied and wonderful gins that we have at our disposal today .
In addition gin is a very versatile spirit . It works well with tonic ( perhaps its traditional partner ), it works well in all manner of different cocktails and can work well on its own ( with a few nice big lumps of ice in it !). It is perhaps this , gin ’ s versatility , together with the huge array of different gins available ( each with their own unique botanical mix ) that has now made gin the attraction it is to us consumers in the UK . One gin differs from the next . We can taste an array of different flavours in each glass we drink . We get different aromas on the nose . We are opened up to a world of different sensual experiences , varying from one glass to the next .
Finally , before we depart this part of the story , lets just deal with ‘ classic ’ gin and ‘ contemporary ’ gin . Many of you may have heard these terms banded around . What is the difference ? Classic gins are , effectively , juniper dominated and have heavy juniper notes . Their distillation will include a number of other botanicals , but juniper dominates ( they remain subservient , in a way , to the juniper ). On the other hand , contemporary gins , whilst maintaining juniper as a primary flavour , have a whole range of other flavours that come out from the use of other botanicals . These can either compliment or even overwhelm the juniper . So if you want a juniper based gin , you should go for a classic gin ( e . g . like Tanqueray ). If you want a wide mix or cocktail of tastes , then go contemporary ( e . g . like Hendricks with its rose and cucumber ). Just to confuse the picture even more you may also have come across flavoured gins . These are gins infused with extra flavours including fruits and herbs . So we can also find things like rhubarb and ginger gin , pineapple gin , pink grapefruit gin , quince gin , cherry gin , and lemon drizzle gin – the list goes on !
SOME FINE GINS TO TRY AND WHERE TO FIND THEM With countless gins now available , the question is what do you try and where do you go to try them ? Throughout 2018 it is hoped that we will be able to give you a few pointers in both directions . So keep a look out for ‘ Gin Time ’ throughout the year . For January , though , you could do worse than start your gin journey at one of the two ‘ Contessa ’ bars on the Wirral . One is situated in the Hillbark Hotel in Frankby , the other in the Leverhulme Hotel in Port Sunlight . They both have a comprehensive selection of classic , contemporary and flavoured gins . If you want to venture further afield , there is a third ‘ Contessa ’ bar at the Haigh Hall Hotel near Wigan . From all three of these bars , a few suggestions for you to try : wirrallife . com 33