GIN WITH A COLOURFUL TWIST
Spirit available in a variety of hues,
Think gin is always clear and colourfree? Think again. With a clutch of new colourful offerings at the LCBO this summer, your next gin and tonic just might come with a rosy glow, a tinge of blue or even a shocking streak of yellow.
While the juniper-flavoured spirit isn’t available in every paint chip colour just yet, some iconoclastic distillers are breaking with established tradition and producing tinted gin. Some opt to add a splash of colour for a distinct visual identity; others are simply choosing not to subject their gin to any kind of clarification process after the maceration stage, when botanicals are steeped in neutral grain spirit.
Rendle’s Original Gin $39.30 for 750 mL What gives this spicy, citrusy and warm gin its pink tint? Like the Colonel’s proprietary recipe of herbs and spices, it’s a trade secret. But the signature, all-natural process was revived by professional tea taster and buyer Chris Rendle, who discovered a recipe among his father’s notes from his time with the Indian Army in the Second World War. Seems Captain Frank Edgcumbe-Rendle developed a technique that would help him easily identify his gin next to spirits owned by the other men in his regiment and, as an added bonus, tell him if it had been pilfered and watered down.
The London Gin No. 1 $45.45 for 750 mL There are a few blue gins out there, since it’s not entirely uncommon to finish gin with a post-distillation infusion utilizing blue iris or other flowers, an addition that gives the spirit a little floral complexity and a dash of colour. London No. 1 apparently gets its light turquoise hue from gardenia flowers (and an alkaline stabilizer that helps keep the colour alive). Along with the bergamot and other botanicals, the gardenia helps soften up the strong, peppery flavour of this dry and elegant gin.
Ungava Premium Gin $34.95 for 750 mL By far the most surprising colour on the wheel, intensely herbal and aromatic Ungava gin comes in bright yellow, a colour that is nothing if not divisive. Distiller Charles Crawford says that the shock of yellow is im- parted from the wild rosehips, juniper, cloudberries and crowberries foraged by his team in the Canadian tundra. Faced with the option of clarifying his gin, he decided that the unusual colour was a distinguishing feature that would help it stand out. And it certainly does that.
Dillon’s Gin 22 Unfiltered $39.95 for 750 mL Although clear in the bottle, Dillon’s Gin 22 turns cloudy once it slips into a cold, dry martini. Why? Dillon’s opted to skip the standard final filtration process that removes the essential oils from the 22 botanicals used to flavour this local product. No filter means the botanicals — notably lav- ender, lemon verbena and hibiscus — are more pronounced, something that’s made the product extremely popular with Toronto bartenders.
Hayman’s Sloe Gin $25.95 for 700 mL Strictly speaking, sloe gin is neither new, nor belonging in the “gin” category, since it’s actually a gin-based liqueur, made with sloes, a relative of the plum that grows prolifically in England and Europe on the blackthorn bush. That said, sloe gin is finally gaining a following in Canada, where cocktail enthusiasts are discovering the pleasure of the sloe gin fizz and other cocktails made with this British, often homemade, staple.
Sloe Gin Fizz
1 oz (30 mL) sloe gin 1 oz (30 mL) London Dry gin 3/4 oz (20 mL) fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon superfine (or fast-dissolving) sugar 1 cup (250 mL) ice 2 oz (60 mL) soda water Lemon twist garnish
In a shaker, combine gins, lemon juice, sugar and 1/2 cup of ice. Shake well for 60 seconds.
Fill tall 10-oz glass with remaining 1/2 cup of ice. Strain shaken cocktail into glass and top with soda water. Garnish with lemon twist.
The most surprising colour on the wheel is bright yellow in aromatic Ungava, a colour that is nothing if not divisive