A Summer of 7 Gins

This summer I discovered 7 new and interesting gins.  Read on to find out about my Summer of 7 Gins!

As gin is the big drink everyone is talking about these days I wanted to share some of the very interesting gins that I have recently discovered.  Each one is very different to the others, some tiny individual operations and a couple quite a bit larger.  I hope you are able to try some of the gins below.

1. Blue Light Gin:

What do Canadian juniper berries and the Caribbean island of Grenada have in common?  When Jim Jardine realised there was no one making gin on the island of Grenada or in fact on any Caribbean island he set about to remedy this. And so Blue Light Gin was born.

Jim has a friend who picks the wild juniper berries in remote Canada and sends them to Grenada.  All of the other botanicals are sourced locally.  Jim is passionate about the blending and distilling of his gin and is even considering making a vodka in the future.  The gin is made in small batches or 0.5ltr bottles and sold locally.  But if you are considering a trip to Grenada it is definitely worth visiting the Le Phare Bleu Marina where Jim distills in a small room on the estate. His gin is proving so popular he is having trouble keeping up with demand!

2. Puerto de Indies:

Puerto de Indies Strawberry Gin tastes of really fresh strawberries.  Sometimes flavoured gins have a slight flavour to them or they have an artificial flavour however this strawberry gin explodes strawberry with each sip.  I tasted it neat over ice initially so as to now let the taste of the tonic water invade my tastebuds.

Using only the finest raw materials Puerto de Indias is a Premium Gin manufactured in Carmona (Seville) in one of the oldest and most traditional distilleries in the province of Andalusia.  They produce three gins; Strawberry, Classic and Pure Black Edition. Their spirits are distilled in copper stills using traditional methods to produce a smooth and pleasant gin enjoyed equally neat over ice or with a tonic water and garnished with fresh strawberries.

3. Bathtub Gin:

Ableforths was founded by three friends looking to create a special drink and they have done just that. Not wanting to be rushed their gins after the initial distilling in copper stills they infuse further botanical for a whole week. This process offers a unique and subtle flavour to their range.  Bathtub Gins come in a a range which includes the Original (the one I was sent), Old Tom, Cask Aged, Navy Strength and Sloe Gin.

The Navy Strength has a bolder flavour due to the cracking of the botanicals.  A strong winter favourite of mine is Sloe Gin. The sloes used are all grown in the UK and typically give a fresh and tart flavour.  Untypically the sloe gin is recommended to be served with bitter lemon and a wedge of orange for a great winter tipple.

4. The English Drinks Company – Lime Tree Gin:

The English Drinks Company has added a new flavour to their already impressive list of citrus flavoured gins.  The new kid on the block is the Lime Tree Gin where the juniper and lime marry together perfectly..  I used this gin in a recipe for Mother’s Day time for a Lime Pudding – The English Drinks Co: New Lime Tree Gin

Other flavours in the citrus range are The Orangery and The Lemon Grove.  The Lemon Grove was the perfect gin for an Easter Trifle! – The English Drinks Company – Lemon Grove Gin

They also have a Cucumber Gin and a Pink Gin in their range.  I reviewed the Pink Gin perfect for Valentine’s Day – English Drinks Company – Pink Gin for your Valentine!

5. The Old Bakery Gin:

The Old Bakery Gin distillery in North London has an interesting story.  When Ian Puddock, owner of a small plumbing company bought the building for their headquarters they knocked down a wall which started an argument with the neighbours over ownership of the wall.  In the end The Old Bakery Gin Distillery won their case to  expand their premises however they found out that the building had been an old bakery which distilled and sold illegal gin from under the counter!  A family member from the old bakery days had the recipe for the illegal gin and gave it to Ian Puddick so he and his team started distilling it but this time legally!

Once a month The Old Bakery Gin in Palmers Green, North London have an open gin bar with some outside sitting.  We visited on a warm summer evening, trying their suggested cocktail serves and feeling rather chilled out!

At a recent gin event I heard someone ask Ian, owner of the company if they were planning on producing another flavour or version.  He replied that they wanted to be true to the story and planned on keeping things just as they were.

6. Sir Robin of Locksley Gin

When you think of Sir Robin of Locksley (also known as Robin Hood) you immediately think of Nottingham Forest however think a bit further away to Yorkshire to where Sir Robin of Locksley Gin is distilled!

Sir Robin of LocksleySir Robin of Locksley® Gin is distilled using eight botanicals including juniper, elderflower, pink grapefruit, and dandelion, with no artificial flavourings or colourants. It took about eight months to arrive at the final recipe for a gin with a clean mouthfeel which can be perfect over ice or with your favourite tonic and for the perfect serve lots of ice and a long peel of pink grapefruit .

If you are feeling creative you could take a distillery tour or even attend their gin school.  Learn about the history of gin and how distill your own recipe and take home a 70cl bottle with your own mix of botanicals.

7. Durham Distillery

The area around Raleigh, North Carolina is known as the Raleigh Durham Triangle. this encompasses the city of Raleigh, the town of Durham and Chapel Hill. The gin explosion has happened in North Carolina as well as elsewhere with North Carolina having around 50 active gin distilleries. On my recent trip to family near Raleigh I visited nearby Durham Distillery.  I tried their two signature gins Conniption American Dry and their Conniption Navy Strength gins.

Most distillers name their still. Durham Distillery is no stranger to this custom calling their still Gertrude after the one of the owner’s maternal grandmother. If you were upset by something then grandmother Gertrude would say “Don’e have a conniption!” so the gin was named after her in a roundabout way as well.

They also make a cucumber vodka (fresh and distinct cucumber flavour) and three liqueurs – Chocolate (made with 70% Videri chocolate – Videri is a local Raleigh chocolate maker), Coffee (using a local cold brew coffee – Slingshot) and Mocha (a combination of chocolate and coffee). Since my suitcases were already heavy I decided not to bring home the coffee liqueur however will definitely be getting some to bring home next trip!

Durham Distillery is run by husband and wife team Melissa and Lee who have plans for expansion and even a drop in gin bar early next year which will help open up the events side of things.

Two recent major changes in the drinking laws in North Carolina have allowed the expansion of small gin distilleries.

1. There was a change to the Brunch Time Bill which allowed people to be able to buy and consume alcohol before 12:00pm and
2. Unlimited bottle sales.  Until recently you were only allowed to sell 1 bottle of alcohol per year per person (when I visited a moonshine distillery a few years ago this was certainly the case!).  This change has certainly helped sales of the gin.

If you try any of the gins listed above please let me know by leaving a comment below. I hope you like them as much as I did.

I was sent a bottle of each of these gins for review. I was however not required to write a positive review.  All photographs are my own. No photographs may be reproduced in any manner without my written permission.