RAISE A GLASS
GIN seems to have taken over the world. About three years ago I was pretty smug because I invented a gin theme in January and called it Ginuary. I’d like to think I was the first, but maybe not, as now “ginuary” is a thing.
But for you, my lovely people, that’s a good thing, as yours truly is able to give you some gintastic ideas for the months ahead.
Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin
(£35.45, thewhiskyexchange.com, below) was released just a few weeks ago and it has a thumbsup in my household. The gin is created in Rampur Distillery in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Seven of its 11 botanicals were chosen to represent several regions of India, and they include coriander, vetiver, orange peel and even Darjeeling green tea leaves. The aroma is complex, but juniper shines through, giving a traditional backbone to this interesting gin.
I was interested to read that Wiltshire’s Single Estate Ramsbury Gin (£31.95, 31dover.com, pictured left) is created within a mini eco-system. The heat used to distil is generated by a biomass boiler fed by trees from
Ramsbury’s forest. Waste water is filtered through a reed bed which creates a wildlife habitat; and Ramsbury’s livestock are fed bi-products.
Sip and know you’re doing the earth a favour.
The gin is distilled with nine botanicals, including fresh quince. It is an elegant, smooth gin, and those quince notes are harmonious within a fresh, citrus nose and then taste moreish with spice and the ever-present juniper.
Over in Asda, Extra Special Triple Distilled Premium Gin (£16) is at the heart of the retailer’s gin liqueurs, of which I may have partaken one or two sips over Christmas.
The gin came third in a Which? blind-tasting of gins under £20 so you don’t really need me to add
anything. But I will. It is fresh, crisp and as precise as a crystal cut glass.
Finally, The Infusionist Passion Fruit Gin Liqueur (£9.99, 50cl, Aldi, below, right) is a lush affair and the aromas are an indulgent fruit bomb of tropical fruit.
It’s such a wow on the nose, you can easily forget to sip it. But not for long. Take that sip and the richness of the fruit is offset by a slash of acidity and the strength of the alcohol.
It really doesn’t need tonic, just pour over a couple of chunks of ice. If you’re feeling fizztastic add it to a glass of prosecco.
I’ll feature a couple more gins for Ginuary before the month is out.
ALSO IN MY GLASS… Ooooh, the weather has turned hasn’t it! I warmed up with a glass of red the other night and a simple beef stew with lots of mash. My wine was
Tesco Finest Saint-Chinian (£7.50, 13.5% abv), a rugged, characterful and flavoursome French wine. It’s a blend of syrah, grenache, mourvèdre and carignan grapes and has been partly aged in oak for six months. The grapes, the region and the oak combine to deliver a robust red with the signature earthy and herbal notes of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
■ Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.