CAMERON DOUGLAS

Clever producers, the best of ingredients and superb pure base spirits are all fuelling the current popularity of cocktails. Cocktails have never been more popular than they are right now. What is fuelling this upward trend is a mix, pun intended, of new and inspired producers using a range of locally sourced botanicals and fantastically pure base spirits for infusion. Elemental Distillers in Marlborough, for example, use the flower of gorse plants to add a layer of complexity and depth to their core product, Roots ‘London Dry’ style gin. The all-important botanical in any quality gin is juniper; for Elemental’s flagship dry style, these are hand harvested in northern Macedonia. Whey spirit, sourced through the local dairy industry, is typically 96 per cent pure, providing the allimportant base from which to re-distil something special. This can make all the difference in the world for a cocktail.

If you’re wondering how to choose your next Kiwi spirit for some home cocktail experiments, then keep an eye out for the results of the annual Spirit Awards. Remember, too, that the best cocktails are made with two and up to five ingredients.