In honour of an event which has been grievously overlooked by the (fictional) National Holiday Association Board, Alexandra Fraser rounds up the top gins we explored over the summer to warm us up for the coming winter.
Who doesn’t enjoy a good gin and tonic?
Apparently those not given to psychopathic tendencies, according to a wealth of studies, but that slightly-worrying train of thought is easily swallowed with a smooth gulp of juniper’s finest progeny.
The go-to order for many a city worker and country pub dweller, a few glugs of London’s fire water mixed with (surely medicinal) tonic is a proven cure for cold days spent in shoes which had the misfortune of meeting a stray puddle around 8:45am.
It’s a classic, it’s delicious and (at risk of overstating ourselves, at this point in time we’d like to state that this is but the opinion of one woman) it’s a national treasure.
In recent years, the British gin revival has added some incredible products to our shelves, many of which we at Country Life have been lucky enough to try. Here are our top picks from the past few months to carry you through to our upcoming Christmas selection (if you cant wait, find last year’s here).
Is it sober October? We hadn’t noticed.
One of the most deliciously original new offerings is surprisingly not from London, but from Southwold, Suffolk. Adnams’ alcoholic beverages are now a staple at most pubs in the country, and this exotic gin is truly something special.
Adnams Lemon & Tamarind Gin, £29.99 available for summer 2019 at Adnams.co.uk
This gorgeous grapefruit and rose gin tastes delicious in a simple G&T, but we also tried it in a cocktail. See the results below.
‘Not only was it utterly delicious, it was also brilliantly simple: a slosh of the booze, a slosh of soda water and a slosh of Cawston’s apple & rhubarb juice and it was ready to go.’
Bristol Distilling Company’s 77 Blush, £14 until 19th August for 50cl, www.tesco.com
Billy Connolly once said ‘In Scotland, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.’ We’d hasten to add that there’s also a wrong beverage: that is, one not containing gin.
Caorunn gin is infused with all the usual botanicals, plus five special Celtic ones; heather, bog myrtle, rowan berry (Caorunn is the Celtic translation for rowan berry), dandelion and coul blush apple. At an impressive 54% ABV, this is a gin to knock your socks off.
Just put them back on quickly.
Caorunn 54% Highland Strength gin, RRP £40, www.shop.caorunngin.com
We tried this rhubarb gin in popsicle form to cool us down over the heatwave, but that nonsense is well behind us so add some ice cubes, a dash of tonic and warm up by the fire.
Slingsby Yorkshire Rhubarb Gin, £39.99 from www.spiritofharrogate.co.uk
Finally, a new string to our drunken bow is Ableforth’s Bathtub Gin, which is fresh on the nose, creamy on the tongue and peters out with a zesty cloud of orange in your mouth.
Which is why we recommend a slice of orange, not lime, in your G&T this evening.
Also, scurvy.
Ableforth’s Bathtub Gin, £31, www.masterofmalt.com
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