Cocktails with… Martin Millers Gin – 40%ABV

Today, I am reviewing a gin that many readers may already be familiar with, but that I have not yet put pen to paper to formally review. Martin Miller’s Gin was first launched back in 1999 and was created to answer the question, “Just suppose money was no object, what would it take for us to make the perfect gin?”.

This was a question asked by Martin Miller to his friends on a summer evening in Notting Hill in 1998. The resultant gin, bottled at 40% ABV, is made from neutral grain spirit and a selection of 10 botanicals:

Juniper
Coriander
Angelica
Lemon & Orange*
Orris
Cassia
Lime
Nutmeg
Cinnamon

*It is worth noting that the orange and lemon are distilled separately.

After distillation, the distillate is shipped to Iceland to be bottled with Icelandic water, used because of its minimal impurities. A natural cucumber essence is also added, which helps to give the gin a silky mouthfeel and a delicious, crisp freshness.

On its own
Nose: Bright lime and coriander upfront, followed by spice and a touch of floral notes in the middle. Towards the end, you get lovely dry juniper and fresh cucumber peel.
Taste: Such a smooth, satiny spirit, with as much complexity as the nose has.

Gin & Tonic
Simply superb – every time I have a Miller’s Gin & Tonic, I realise that I’ve forgotten how great it is, a real go-to brand for a quick and delicious drink. It’s both dry and succulent, with the cucumber providing a cooling freshness, the lime giving a zesty crispness, and the juniper rounding it off with a good, dry finish to accompany the tonic.

Negroni
Delightful – a classic Negroni, but with an exciting, contemporary twist courtesy of the refreshing twist of cucumber. Lively, with well-integrated flavours from the gin, vermouth, and Campari.

Martini
Oh so crisp, oh so refreshing. One of the best Martinis out there – this never fails to impress. The cucumber shines through and adds to the lusciousness of the fresh fruit in the drink. There is then some dry juniper, angelica, citrus and – finally – a touch of pepper and spice.

In Conclusion
It must be ten years since I first tried Miller’s Gin and so, as its 15th birthday approaches, it was great to revisit the gin, one of the first that I ever tried before I started writing and long before I had tried over 575 different gins.

The results were gratifying: the gin is just as good as I remember, although I have found a new way to enjoy it – simply sipping it neat from the fridge.I really like gin’s the cucumber notes, as well as it’s clean liveliness of flavour. All of the drinks that I tried were delicious, but the Gin & Tonic remains a firm favourite.