Cocktails with… Butler’s Gin

With what is perhaps the beginning of a renaissance in artisanal gin distilling in the UK, it is exciting to speak to someone who is not only doing their own distilling, but also coming to the industry from a wholly different angle.

Such was the case when I first spoke to Ross Butler of Butler’s Gin. Ross started out by wanting to create a product that reflected his character and, as a part of this, he wanted to start off debt-free, purchasing raw materials only when an order came in. When I spoke to him, Ross spoke of the trade-off between time and money and how he had decided to invest time in his product rather than borrowing money. It seems to have paid dividends, as Butler’s Gin is now due to launch in the USA and the EU next month. Given that he only sold his first bottle of gin on 22nd February 2013, this is remarkable.

Butler’s Gin is made in Hackney and takes a London Dry Gin, which is made to Ross’  specification and recipe, which he then infuses with various botanicals kept in muslin bags, a bit like over-sized tea bags. The infused botanicals include lemongrass and cardamom.

On its own

Nose: A dry, berry juniper with liquorice root, allspice, ginger/cardamom and lemongrass.

Taste: A measured, classic start of juniper and coriander, followed by some sweeter, spiced notes such as ginger, cassia and cardamon. This is all rounded off with a long finish of lemongrass.

Gin & Tonic

A clean gin and tonic with juniper, plenty of spice from the cardamom and citrus from the lemongrass. My tonic recommendation would be Fevertree and maybe Schweppes; however I would steer clear of eFentimand or Waitrose own-brand as they are too citrusy.

Martini

All of the crisp juniper and citrus that you would expect from a Martini, but with the added character of cardamom, spice and then the dry grape character of the vermouth. Full of flavour and pretty classic, if you are talking about the Martinis of the ‘30s and ‘40s rather than the ultra dry drinks of the ‘50s and ‘60s, but that’s just how I like it.

Negroni

The bold flavours of this gin work well in a Negroni; it’s exceptionally flavourful, with some dark chocolate spice coming through, along with a finish of cardamom and citrus.

Announcing The Craft Distillers’ Alliance Gin Awards

The Craft Distillers’ Alliance is proud to announce the UK’s first ever Craft Gin awards, in collaboration with David T. Smith of the website www.summerfruitcup.com. David has spent a fair amount of time working with Craft Gin in the USA alongside the American Distilling Institute and will shortly be releasing a book on the subject, The Craft of Gin written with America’s Gin Reviewer Aaron J. Knoll.

The UK currently boasts over 20 craft distilleries that produce gin, with another 6 scheduled to be operational by the end of 2013. The Craft Distilling Alliance Gin Competition is a chance to celebrate this new wave of independent distillers and to promote the production of Craft Gin. As such, there is no fee for producers to enter this inaugural event.

A judging panel of industry professionals with a penchant for gin is being assembled and the competition will take place in central London on Monday 24th June.

The competition is currently only open to Craft Gins produced in the UK. For more information, please contact David T. Smith at david@summerfruitcup.com.

Waitrose Fiery Alcoholic Ginger Beer

A new year starts and the alcoholic ginger beer trend continues; most of the major supermarkets (Aldi, Tesco, Sainsburys and Morrisons) have already released their own-brand versions, so Waitrose is a little late to the party with their offering: “Waitrose Fiery Alcoholic Ginger Beer”.

The label has a small parrot at the top and, beneath the bird, the contents is described as being made “with Jamaican Ginger, Sicilian Lemon and a hint of Chilli”. I know some readers are rather against the use of Capsicum in ginger beers, feeling that it is a cheap substitute for real ginger, but it is worth noting that (non-alcoholic) Breckland Orchard uses chilli in addition to heaps of real ginger root and so, on its own, the inclusion of this shouldn’t put you off. As with most alcoholic ginger beers, the Waitrose version comes in at 4.0%ABV.

The Taste

Colour: A deep, slightly cloudy, golden brown.
Fizz: Medium fizz, quickly dissipating.
Nose: Minimal, with just a hint of citrus and ginger.

Taste Chilled: Some sweetness and ginger upfront, followed by lemon citrus notes, which also add a touch of dry sourness. Towards the end, this fades into a clean flavour, somewhat akin to that of soda water; this is followed by a glowing ginger warmth on the finish.

Taste with Ice: This wasn’t so great with ice, as the extra dilution makes the drink a bit watery. Far better to enjoy this simply chilled.

In conclusion if you want a dryer, less sweet, less cloying ginger beer which still has a fiery kick this is the one for you. Good to see a ginger beer with a point of difference in an ever-competitive market.

Waitrose Fiery Alcoholic Ginger Beer is available for around £2 for 500ml from Waitrose.

Wemyss Whisky

Today, I want to write about two whiskies that I tried a little while back from Wemyss Malts. They are part of their range of blended whiskies, which they’ve named to represent the predominant flavours in each: Spice King, Peat Chimney, and The Hive; the idea behind such names is that the customer knows what they’re getting, thus making the bottles that little bit more accessible. I both like and admire this “straight-talking” approach.

Behind those straight-forward names (and those rather attractive labels), however, the flavours are anything but simple or boring. The casks of whiskies used in each blend are hand-picked, ensuring both that each contributory spirit adds something to each of the blend’s profiles, and that it complements the particular character in question. Here are my thoughts on the 8 Year Old “Spicy” and “Peaty” whiskies.

Spice King 8 Years Old (40%ABV)
Nose: Dark spice and fruit notes, reminiscent of Pedro Ximenez sherry and raisins, trailing off towards a sweet, heavy smokiness that’s infused with dark brown sugar.
Taste: A surprisingly savoury start – all the more so, given the rich sweetness of the nose – is followed by unreserved, genuine wood notes that are accompanied by a glowing warmth of the kind that you’d associate with warm spice; I was also reminded of the comforting warmth of good mulled wine. The finish is slightly sweeter and more like the nose, being predominantly of raisin, with just a little, sweet cinnamon and orange.

Peat Chimney 8 Years Old (40%ABV)
Nose: Light, soft, organic peatiness, along with notes of straw and sweet, sappy syrup. This nose is sweet and earthy, rather than charred!
Taste: Wow!* Dry initially, followed by a flash of sweetness that’s backed up by organic peatiness. This slowly develops, gaining the warmth of chili and a complex, rapidly changing array of organic flavours, including apple and rolled oats. The sweet peatiness returns on the finish.

In Conclusion
I think both of these are wonderful whiskies, each isolating and presenting a well-known character of whisky, and doing it with such complexity and balance (almost “graceful”, if a whisky could be called that) that I was left both impressed and sorry that my miniature bottles were, very quickly, empty. Although it was a close contest, I think I narrowly preferred the comforting, warm Spice King.

- Mrs. B.

* The actual first word in my tasting notes.

Summer Fruit Cup Needs Your Help! – One/Two Mins of your time tops!

Hey I’ve got a little research project going on that is due the end of February and I need to assess public opinion on gin.It doesn’t matter is you no absolutely nothing about gin nor if you even drink it I just need to get some thought from the public on it.HERE IS THE LINK: Click here to take surveyThere are on 8 questions (7 of which are multiple choice and the last two are just age/gender) Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Dave

Master of Malt Update – New Origin Gins, Old Tom, Cask Gin and 7 Dials Gin

Yesterday, we looked at Master of Malt’s Cream Gin, which easily deserved its own article, and I mentioned that it would be my penultimate post on the products of Master of Malt for the year. This here is the final one, which will be a bit of a round-robin.

We kick off with Origin Gin, an innovative project launched in July at the Juniper Society’s 2nd Birthday that has been touted by many gin pundits as one of the most exciting gin launches of the year.

Each of the following gins are made in small batches using juniper berries sourced from very specific geographic regions, thereby highlighting the difference that different sources of juniper can make to a gin. They are sold as single-botanical gins (or juniper distillates), but are delivered with a separate small bottle of distillate of other botanicals, which you are free to add (or not), as you choose. I tasted each both on their own and with the additional distillate.

A Map Showing the Sources of the Origin Junipers

Origin Istog, Kosovo

i) Juniper
Nose: A light nose of green juniper.
Taste: A real juiciness upfront, followed by pine, a little heat and then a dry finish with a hint of anise.

ii) Mixed with other Botanicals
Nose: Deeper notes of pine, plus coriander, too.
Taste: Juniper, then some salt and pepper, followed by coriander, citrus, anise and a hint of cardamom.

On this occasion, I think that the mixed version is more to my taste than the juniper distillate on its own.

Origin Klanac, Croatia

i) Juniper
Nose: Rich, green leaves and pine needles, with a hint of citrus and vanilla.
Taste: Very smooth and clean. The juniper is there, but in a much lighter form, with a little warmth at the end, as well as some vanilla and spice. The finish is long and spicy.

ii) Mixed with other Botanicals
Nose: Vanilla and nutmeg.
Taste: Very warm and spicy; the additional botanicals make an amazing difference and it’s interesting how they bring out some of the more subtle spice and vanilla notes in the original distillate. A good illustration of the Origin project.
Origin Skopje, Macedonia

i) Juniper
Nose: Slightly sweet, with green leaves and a few, light floral notes.
Taste: Fruity, with green pine mixed in, too, and a very slight floral note. Very succulent, for a single-botanical gin.

ii) Mixed with other Botanicals
Nose: Pine mainly, along with some more savoury notes.
Taste: Quite succulent (juicy – almost in the way a steak is!), with a little saltiness and then juniper interwoven with the cardamon and other spice notes – good potential for use in a toddy.

Moving swiftly on, we take a look at:

Seven Dials Gin

This product made to the specification of the London Gin Club / The Star at Night, who we visited here.

Nose: Pine, with coriander and a slight floral hint.
Taste: Zesty to start, with a good dose of spicy cardamom then some coriander and juniper. This is quite an intense gin with a lot going on, but, at the same time, is easy to drink. Pleasantly, this brings something new to the table, which is becoming increasingly difficult.

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Finally, here are some Master of Malt gins that I have been remiss with the tardiness of my reviews:

Master of Malt Old Tom Gin
Building upon their [Bathtub Gin], Master of Malt have gone down the sugar-sweetened route (a more than acceptable choice in my opinion).

Nose: Cinnamon, warming spice and some inviting sweetness and coriander.
Taste: Quite pungent botanically, with dry, piney juniper upfront. Then there’s notable notes of spicy, slightly soapy coriander, some warmth and some sweetness that are followed by the Christmas spices of cinnamon and nutmeg and then more sweetness. It’s very warming from the alcohol, but doesn’t burn. It has a medium-length finish of cilantro.

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Master of Malt Cask Aged Gin
Carrying on the stirling work of the like of Haymans 1850 and Citadelle Reserve, Master of Malt also released a cask-aged gin, marrying the two aspects of gin and wood rather well. This method of flavouring gin also has growing popularity in the US. Of course, it is worth noting that Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin (the best selling gin in the US) is rested in wood before bottling.

Nose: Very pleasant: some spicy elements that remind me of cinnamon swirls are accompanied by both a little sweetness and some dry juniper and citrus.
Taste: Soft to start, with an initial sweetness that’s followed by an oaky vanilla note that reminds me a lot of whiskey. This is very, very flavourful, with some darker woody notes in the middle. The finish is very dry, with a hint of black liquorice, some warmth from the alcohol and a touch of spice.

So that wraps up a year of creations by Master of Malt – who knows what 2013 will bring?

Apocalypse Cocktails with Agwa de Bolivia – drinks for the End of the Mayan Calender.

The 21st of December is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. But is also marks the end of the current period of the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar, or the Mayan Calendar, hailed by some as the End of the World.*

Thinking about this, I set about creating some Apocalypse-themed cocktails. By a stroke of luck, the makers of Agwa de Bolvia, a coca leaf liqueur, are also interested in this theme and sent me a bottle to use in these cocktails.

Agwa de Bolivia is produced in Amsterdam, although its main ingredient, Coca leaves, are from Bolivia, where they are picked above 2,000 feet in the Andes. The leaves are macerated and the distilled to create a coca distillate. The distillate is then mixed with 36 other botanicals such as: Chinese green tea, African Mint, Amazonian Guarana, Argentinean black mountain tea, ginseng, lavender and cucumber.

As the Mayan people chewed coca leaves for their medicinal and cultural properties, Agwa seemed like a fitting ingredient to use in my themed cocktails.
The Cocktails

1) The End of The World as We Know It
[20ml Amazonia Club Cachaca, 20ml Agwa de Bolivia, 20ml Orange Juice, 60ml Hot Water]
Dash of Bitters – Mix the first three ingredients in a heatproof-glass, top up with hot water and add the bitters, before sprinkling with paprika.

A warming drink with a pinch of spice from the paprika (for extra fire, use chilli powder). The Cachaca provides a good base and the Agwa de Bolivia adds some herbal notes and gives the drink a dry, chocolate-like finish. If you want a bit more power in your drink, you could use lemon juice instead of orange, but the orange does have a pleasant, wintery warmth. The bitters brings the drink together and adds a little extra pow.

The spice and temperature of this drink give the drink a good, solid warmth that stays with you, but without burning.

2) And I Feel Fine
[5ml Chilli/Pepper Vodka (10ml for extra fire), 20ml Agwa de Bolivia, 90ml Champagne]

Sweet and herbal to start, followed by the dry fruitiness of the Champagne and the touch of fire from the chilli vodka on the finish. (For another variation of this drink, why not substitute the chilli vodka for chilli-choc vodka (see cocktail #8 below)).

3) Fire & Brimstone
[40ml Darnley’s View Spiced Gin, 20ml Antica Formula, 10ml Campari, 10ml Cinnamon Liqueur] Shake, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with flamed orange peel.

This is a rather spicy cocktail, with hints of ginger and cumin (from the gin) to start, followed by the sweetness and warm, winter spice of the cinnamon liqueur and then the deep, bitter herbal notes of the Red Vermouth (Antica Formula). The bitterness of the Campari, combined with some anise and a little dark chocolate or coconut, then makes its presence felt. Overall, this is a spicy, bitter-sweet drink. The flamed orange peel is great theatre, but also pulls the drink together with the scent of warm citrus.

4) Revelation
[25ml Mezcal, 10ml Red Vermouth (Antica Formula), 15ml Agwa de Bolivia, 5ml Cardamom Distillate (or a crushed cardamom pod) - Shake and strain]

Smoky and musky, but with some sweetness, this drink has got an exotic hint of mystery, helped by the rather intriguing glassware. The vermouth adds some bitter, herbal notes which complement the sweeter, herbal nature of the Agwa. The cardamom adds a lively burst of spiciness.

5) 211212
[50ml Darnley’s View Spiced Gin, 10ml Agwa de Bolivia, Tonic/Ginger Ale]

Initially spicy, (cumin) with some sweeter herbal notes, followed by a distinct fruitiness. The touch of sweetness from the ginger ale gives it a nice lift and in the midst of all of these flavours, there’s something slightly reminiscent of golden rum, which was a nice surprise.

6) Going by the Book
[50ml Smoked Whisky (Talisker), 2 Dashes of Orange Bitters (Reagan’s)]
Add ingredients to a glass rinsed with Agwa de Bolivia.

A lovely, smoky nose is accompanied by powerful smoked wood notes on the taste, followed by some savouriness. The finish is peaty, mixed with dry chocolate and hint of creaminess, as well as some sweet and dry herbal notes from the Agwa. The orange bitters add some extra spice and warmth to the middle of the drink.

7) The King Left Behind
[20ml Cognac, 20ml Agwa de Bolivia, 20ml King’s Ginger - SHAKE]

A smooth, rich and spicy cocktail with plenty of warmth and dominant flavours of fiery ginger and a rich creaminess. The herbs, including the anise in the Agwa, work well with the ginger. Very smooth and slightly sweet, but altogether rather delicious.

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BONUS

8) Chilli-Choc Vodka
Although not used in any of the above cocktails, chilli vodka is easy and relatively quick to make at home. You will need:

A bottle of vodka (700ml)
2 Chilli Peppers (Green or Red, depending on desired heat)
4tsp of Powdered Cocoa (e.g. Bournville)

Empty the vodka into a jug.
Add the cocoa to the empty bottle.
Slit the chilli peppers down the middle and add to the bottle.
Refill the bottle with the vodka. N.B. You may have a little vodka (25ml-50ml) left over – use this to make yourself a little drink.
Make sure the lid of the bottle is firmly attached and shake vigorously.
Leave in a warm place, shaking every half hour or so.

After three hours, have a little taste and, if you are happy with the flavour, strain out the cocoa and chillies with a coffee filter or fine sieve.

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*In fact, many scholars dispute this and previous advocates of a great event taking place on 21st December 2012 have now changed their minds and it’s just expected to be, in the word of Wings, “Another Day”.

Christmas Cocktails with Blue Nun Gold – Sparkling Wine

I am rather an enthusiast for drinks writing and, as such, my scrawlings are not limited to SummerFruitCup.com; another website that I scribe for is the Institute for Alcoholic Experimentation and one of the most popular articles there is on J2O’s Glitterberry. What with this and the likes of Marmite bringing out a gold-coloured Christmas variety, it is clear that the British public loves a bit of glitter. So, when I came across the new Blue Nun Gold, I thought that it would be great to write about and experiment with.

Blue Nun goes well beyond “a bit of glitter”; this sparkling Riesling white wine, bottled at 11%ABV, contains 22 carat gold leaf.

When the bottle arrived, it caught the eye of some family and friends and, therefore, the cocktails were not just tasted by me, but by a panel of eager volunteers.

Onto the taste…

#1) On its own
Nose: Dry grape notes.
Taste: Quite dry, not too sweet, clean and crisp. This isn’t too fizzy – I’d say a medium-high level of fizz – with some tannin and bitterness there, too. There are also lots of fruity notes of apples and grapes; so much so that one panel member said that it reminded them of a dry cider.

Blue Nun Gold

#2) Golden Afternoon
[15ml Verte Absinthe, 80ml Blue Nun]
A variation on Ernest Hemmingways’ “Death in the Afternoon” from the book “So Red The Nose”. Anise at the forefront, with some fruity, vanilla notes, too. This was sweeter than the wine on its own and more pudding-like. It was well-liked by the panel and considered very easy to drink.

Golden Afternoon with Blue Nun Gold

#3) Golden Classic
[Soak a sugar cube in orange bitters, Add a dash of Cherry liqueur,Top up with Blue Nun Sparkling Gold]
Sweet, jammy berry flavours, with some dryness towards the finish. Overall, this was well-balanced and very tasty.

Golden Classic with Blue Nun Gold

#4) King’s Gold
[20ml The King’s Ginger, 80ml Blue Nun]
Great – dry, with just the right level of sweetness and spice. Warming and yet still very much in a celebratory theme, this is perfect for the festive season.

King’s Goldwith Blue Nun Gold & King’s Ginger

#5) Golden Gun
[1 sugar lump, 3–4 drops of orange bitters, Juice of ¼ of a lemon, About a measure of gin
Blue Nun Gold]
This cocktail is a variation on the French ‘75 (named after the military field gun) made with Jodhpur Gin. This version had fine flavours and was quite dry. It was also one drink where the gold leaf worked particularly well; it was a hit with many of the panel, including Mumsy, who doesn’t usually like gin!

Golden Gun with Blue Nun Gold & Jodhpur Gin

#6) Millionaire’s Gold
[Add 20ml of Creme de Cassis (I used Beveland Brand) Top up with Blue Nun Gold]
This is a classic drink in which the Blue Nun works really well; none of the ingredients overpower any of the others, clean and crisp with a slight touch of tart berry sweetness from the Cassis. Simple, but lovely.

This is a variation on the Kir Royale evoking memories of the “Millionaire’s Cocktails” that I made for New Year’s Eve 2010. One individual seemed to take issue with this term, however.

Millionaire’s Gold with Blue Nun Gold

In Conclusion

Blue Nun Gold is a fun and affordable way to add sparkle to your Christmas drinks; it is easy to drink, accessible and mixes well with a variety of other ingredients. My favourite drink was either the Golden Afternoon or the King’s Gold.

Blue Nun Gold is available for around £9.59 fo 750ml from drinksdirect.co.uk

Christmas Cocktails with… Grand Marnier

For the festive period of 2012, Grand Marnier, the French orange liqueur, have released a special Paris Edition of their bottle. This follows in a long line of other special, Limited Edition bottles that they have released annually since 2003.

The very first Limited Edition bottle produced by the brand was actually for Grand Marnier’s centenary in 1927*. These bottles, shown below, were hand-painted. Interestingly, it bears a striking resemblance to the new 2012 version.

Grand Marnier was first produced in 1880 and it is a blend of Cognac and bitter orange, as well as sugar and some other ingredients. It is then aged in French Oak casks before being bottled at 40%ABV.

The Taste

Grand Marnier on its own
Colour: Rich amber-gold.
Nose: Candied orange peel, reminiscent of Seville orange or marmalade, a little vanilla and a touch of spice. Very genuine notes.
Taste: Smooth, with a good balance of sweetness and spirit warmth. Unlike many liqueurs, the quality of the underlying alcohol really comes through. There’s also a long finish of sweet and lightly spiced orange peel. Full of flavour; excellent.

In a coffee
Lovely; the orange really comes through and the sweetness of the liqueur mixed with the bitterness of the Espresso gives the drink the impression of orange-flavoured dark chocolate. Very indulgent, but not in a rich and creamy way, I think this will appeal as an after-dinner treat for those who like to avoid sickly, creamy drinks in favour of velvety, intense flavours.

Christmas Cocktails

#1) Santa’s Sidecar
[40ml Cognac,10ml Grand Marnier, 10ml Lemon Juice, 1tsp Mincemeat - SHAKE]

A rich and flavourful cocktail, with warmth from the Cognac, sweetness from the liqueurs and tartness from the lemon juice. The use of Grand Marnier (over many other orange liqueurs) adds a rich orange flavour and the mincemeat adds more fruitiness and a good dose of spice. All in all, this makes this a very festive Sidecar.

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#2) Merry Margarita
[30ml Tequila, 30ml Cranberry Juice, 10ml Lime Juice, 10ml Grand Marnier, Dash of Heather Graham’s Christmas Bitters (or failing that, Angostura) - SHAKE]

A very similar flavour profile to a normal Margarita, with all of the smoky, sour and sweet elements of a traditional Margarita, but perhaps a little dryer, because of the cranberry. The bitters add a touch of spice, which give the drink that extra Christmassy feel.

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#3) Snow Lady
[30ml Sacred Christmas Pudding Gin**, 20ml Grand Marnier, 10ml Orange Juice, 5ml Lemon Juice - SHAKE]

Light mincemeat notes on the nose. To taste, this has a very smooth texture, with the sweetness of the mincemeat to start, followed by the rich, orange notes of the Grand Marnier; fresh notes of orange juice bridge the two. Refreshing, yet Christmassy and a great opening cocktail for guests of a Winter Soireé.

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#4) Christmas Cosmo (A Winterised Cosmopolitan)
[30ml Stolichnaya Citros, 15ml Grand Marnier, 20ml Cranberry Juice, 10ml Cinnamon Liqueur, 10ml Lime Juice - SHAKE. Garnish the glass with a splash of lemon juice and some edible gold stars.]

The Cosmopolitan is typically a tart, clean and invigorating drink. This slight twist on the classic cocktail, with its richer, fuller orange flavours from the Grand Marnier and the extra spice of the cinnamon schnapps/liqueur warms and rounds the drink off well. This is very much a winter reflection of the classic 1980s cocktail, and very tasty, too.

#5) Frosty Bishop
[30ml Mincemeat-infused Scotch, 10ml Orange Juice, 10ml Red Vermouth, 10ml Grand Marnier, - SHAKE - Dust the glass with Icing Sugar.]

The sugar on the glass not only adds a blizzard-like look, but also adds a touch of soft sweetness on your lips before you drink. This is a lovely mixture of orange, cinnamon and the flavours of Christmas; the Scotch adds a woody warmth and the orange juice is balanced out by the Grand Marnier and the bitter-sweet herbal notes of the vermouth. This reminds me of a Christingle and is warming and comforting.

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#6) WhiteSnow
[40ml Grand Marnier, 10ml Cranberry Juice, 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters - SHAKE]

This is a variation on one of the few cocktails that use an orange liqueur as a primary ingredient. The substitution was simple: use cranberry instead of lemon juice. The result is a rich, orange flavour with its sweetness and warmth balanced out by the dry cranberry and brought together by the spice of the bitters. Simple, but smashing.

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In Conclusion

I’d never really previously experimented with Grand Marnier and, when mixing it in Christmas cocktails, the orange with a hint of warm, spice flavours seems like a natural fit for the season.

The Grand Marnier in a hot Espresso is simple, but very effective; the Winterised Cosmopolitan is a minor tweak, but one that works very well; but I think that the best combination of flavours by far was Grand Marnier and mincemeat in the Snow Lady and the Frosty Bishop.

The limited edition Paris bottle is available at Harvey Nichols  and Whisky specialist shops , prices start from £25.99.

* The distillery that created Grand Marnier was founded by Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle in Neauphe-le-Château in 1827, but Grand Marnier was created in 1880.
** If you can’t get Sacred’s Christmas Pudding Gin, you can easily whip up some mincemeat-infused gin of your own (see below).
**The mincemeat-infused Scotch is also easy and quick to make: put 50ml of whisky in a glass with 1tsp of mincemeat and leave for 30 minutes. Strain before use.

 

Whisky King – A Whisky Mac with King’s Ginger

On Wednesday, I received my first Met Office warning of ice for the year and, when I went outside to get some lunch, felt the noticeable increase in chill in the air. Ah, the time of hipflasks and toddies is now thoroughly upon us! It’s definitely my favourite time of year.

Needless to say, DTS always enjoys putting together different seasonal drinks and today he took up the challenge of looking at my favourite season. The cocktail he put together featured two products that we’ve been enjoying recently: a new (to me) Scotch Blend called Kuchh Nai and The King’s Ginger, a ginger liqueur that DTS has taken to adding to his hipflask.*

The cocktail came to me as a complete surprise, so I had no idea what was in it, but here’s what I thought.
Nose: Malty and ever so slightly hoppy, with hints of dense, cakey gingerbread.
Taste: Very smooth, indeed. There’s an initial burst of woodiness that’s followed by a powerful hit of ginger and herbs, accompanied by an intense shot of sweetness. The sweetness subsides, fading into a bready ginger note and that of the creamy chocolate filling you might get sandwiched between two biscuits or in a chocolate Nutrigrain bar. The finish is different again: long, lingering and dry, with hints of lemon, but mainly white wood.
I have to say, I rather liked the juxtaposition of that intense, chocolately-ginger sweetness and the long, dry finish, which made the drink seem almost playful. Altogether, this was a deliciously warming cocktail, making it a perfect tipple for the newly cooler evenings.

- Mrs. B.

* DBS, when it comes to hipflasks is a creature of habit, in the summer it is always Tuaca (a vanilla-herbal liqueur) and in the winter, Calvados. However he has taken a shine to adding a nip of King’s Ginger to his Calvados (about 10-20%) and now declares this the “ultimate in winter flaskmanship”. Indeed.