W FOOD & DRINK
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IN THE GIN GARDEN
BY DAVID GREEN, THE RED FOX
Gin continues to be one of the world’s fastest growing
spirits; in fact last year alone, British drinkers consumed
the equivalent of 1.12 billion G&T’s. There has never
been a better time for new ways to enjoy the spirit, from
exploring new brands to trying new garnishes and tonics;
there are literally 000’s of options available to you.
BOTANIST – SCOTLAND PINKSTER – ENGLAND
An exciting and unusual gin from
my favourite whisky distillery
‘Bruichladdich’. The Botanist contains
no fewer than 31 botanicals, of which
22 a re native to Islay itself. A floral
gin with a lovely minty freshness
at the end. Personally I love this
served with plenty of ice, Fever Tree
elderflower tonic and a sprig of
rosemary. Pinkster is a British Gin with a lot of character
and a lot of raspberries. First launched in July
2013, 5 botanicals are used to create this gin
before its hand-steeped in fresh raspberries.
This is a gin that has a raspberry twist rather
than being a raspberry gin and the berries are
actually quite subtle on the nose, while juniper
stands its ground with a hint of pepper. Try
this with tonic, a raspberry and a sprig of
fresh mint.
MALFY – ITALY MANCHESTER THREE RIVERS –
ENGLAND
Made in Turin using lemons grown
in Sicily and on the Amalfi coast, as
well as botanicals including juniper,
coriander, angelica and cassia bark.
The result is a refreshing gin with
a strong lemon sherbet mouth feel.
Try this with some fresh thyme
and a Fever Tree tonic, for more of
a herbal style, whilst keeping the
Mediterranean feel.
BRECON GIN – WALES
Another gin from a whisky producer
- this one from Penderyn Distillery.
Using botanicals from the four corners
of the world and bottled using mineral
water from the Beacons National Park
from where the gin takes its name.
There is a richness in flavour and a
citrus hit that balances out the spices,
I get hints of spicy cinnamon, which
creates an interesting gin, that I believe
lends itself to a simple serve of tonic
and lime.
26 wirrallife.com
When we opened The Red Fox in 2014, we had 10 gins on the bar,
today we are super proud of our growing collection, which now
features over 130 bottles. Following the success of our recent beer
festival, we decided it was time to celebrate our gin collection.
Over the weekend of 1st & 2nd July we will have a marquee
rammed with gin, the BBQ will be fired up and we will have live
music and lawn games. No tickets are needed and admission is
free. Here is a guide to some of our current favourites gins:
Manchester’s first ever city centre Gin
Distillery; launched in 2016 - this is a well-
balanced Premium Gin that is handcrafted
in small batches. I would describe this very
much as a modern gin, it’s well-balanced
with a combination of 11 botanicals with a
particularly smooth mouth-feel and a unique
sweetness derived from vanilla, cinnamon,
almond and oats. Serve with tonic, lots of ice
and two fresh cherries for a lovely summery
drink.
THE RED FOX GIN
I can’t finish without a mention of our own
gin, which we have made exclusively for us.
We came up with a recipe, which created a
floral led English gin featuring a special tea
infusion and a hint of heather provides a
wonderfully smooth finish. We recommend
a simple serve of lots of ice, Fever Tree tonic
and a slice of lemon.