DAVID T. SMITH
With modern gins come new possibilities
Our contributing editor asks, what’s your gin ‘guilty pleasure’?
I was recently participating in a talk on the potential implications of the most recent update to the EU gin regulations. While readers will undoubtedly be glad that this potentially dry topic is not the subject of today’s column, it did strike me that the degree of freedom awarded to producers is much greater than it could be – something that I think should be applauded!
Unconventional gin botanicals have long caused a raise of the purist’s eyebrow (I remember a time when grapefruit was about as “crazy” as it got), but now the international gin scene is host to a cornucopia of flora (and sometimes even fauna!).
Currently in vogue as a botanical is turmeric: the yellow-orange root, relation of ginger root, and general stainer of clothes with a reputation as a superfood. It features in the new Bombay Sapphire Sunset, alongside white cardamom and mandarin peel. The winner of the 2021 World’s Best Flavoured Gin was also a turmeric one: Statrand & Co.’s Hamburg and Zanzibar Turmeric No1 Gin. Both are superb spirits with tremendous potential for use in cocktails and mixed drinks. I do wonder if they would have been appreciated 10 years ago as they certainly are today; their success demonstrates the extent to which the world of gin continues to embrace individuality and exploration.
Adnam’s has just released Jardín Mexicano Gin. Inspired by a trip that head distiller John McCarthy made to Mexico, its botanical recipe features avocado leaf, lime, chipotle and coriander. The gin has a delightful texture and a fresh, vegetal brightness with a hint of smoke. I’d love to see more gin profiles inspired by cuisine.
Innovation is not limited to production, but also to the drinking of the spirit itself. Gone are the days of newspaper columns dedicated to authors’ pious declarations that lemon in a Gin & Tonic is the one true way. To celebrate innovation in gin serves, I recently asked some gin fans to describe those that they considered their “guilty pleasures”.
The first person that I spoke to was a fan of neat gin with a beer chaser (rather like a Boilermaker or a Dog’s Nose). This is actually quite a traditional, wellestablished drink that dates back to at least the 19th century. With this drink’s combination of bold botanical spirit and crisp, refreshing beer, however, it is notably easy to over-imbibe with these – caution is recommended!
Another gin fan extolled the virtues of a drink consisting of equal parts citrus-focused gin and Frangelico (a hazelnut liqueur); the ingredients are shaken over ice and then served as a chilled shot. As a drink, this is both fun and flavoursome, and the unique combination of ingredients makes the drink distinctly reminiscent of lemon shortbread. Well worth a try.
Others that I asked preferred to personalise their gin drinks with unusual garnishes, such as gummy bears in a Gin & Tonic or a mini (‘funsize’) Mars bar in a Negroni. The gummy bears are tricky to eat, but quite tasty when you finally manage it, and the Mars bar is a surprisingly good complement to a Negroni; the chocolate chills down and the creaminess of the caramel and nougat work exceptionally well with the cocktail’s characteristic bitterness (remarkably, it was not too sweet).
When it comes to drinking gin, there really are no rules. Well, maybe one: enjoy yourself!
As for me, I’m a fan of a wonderfully slovenly Gimlet: I shake the ingredients with ice, remove the top of the shaker, then simply tip the contents – ice and all – into a glass and enjoy. In the USA, I have it on relatively good authority that this is known as a “dirty dump”. Personally, I don’t think that the term will catch on! Much like the “Martini-on-the-Rocks”, this type of Gimlet is larger and can be savoured for longer. An additional splash of sparkling water adds a pleasant liveliness.
All of these ideas, while controversial, are also rather tasty and – what’s more – fun! When it comes to drinking gin, there really are no rules. Well, maybe one: enjoy yourself! Responsibly, of course. Now, where did I put my shaker?