Confession…I never used to like gin. Despite wanting to be one of those people who would go for a cool G&T on a hot day, I always found it too bitter, too chemical – both the gin and the tonic.
But the recent explosion in craft gin meant it was getting harder to avoid. So, I took the approach of immersion therapy and a couple of years ago went to a gin tasting event. We all ordered a different selection of gins to taste and then passed all of them round, meaning each of us tried 25 gins. Safe to say, it was a good afternoon.
Fast forward 2 years and my aversion to gin is well and truly in the past.
A favourite gin today is one that I first tried and loved at that tasting event.
Mor Irish Gin looks unassuming, but is full of deep berry flavours. Unlike so many gins that promise berries but end up overly sweet, it’s still a classic gin but with beautiful raspberry, blackberry and cranberry perfume and taste. I thought this would be a summery gin but found myself enjoying it throughout the Winter.
Next up is a gin I tried last Summer and have just ordered to have at home. Hendricks Midsummer Solstice Gin is in a beautiful purple bottle with the classic Hendrick’s branding. It has a lovely floral flavour but without the sickly, chemical taste that sometimes come with flowers in food. Perfect on a sunny day.
Finally, I caved into the seasonal obsession and got a bottle of Whitley Neil’s Rhubarb and Ginger Gin. I’d had this in the pub and loved it, and had been looking for a rhubarb gin to have at home for a while but had put it off as I HATE the branding and the cheap looking purple bottle. But, it’s a great, well-priced, delicious gin that packs a flavour punch without getting too sugary. I enjoyed with a fiery Lixir Rhubarb and Ginger Tonic as the daffodils bloomed in the garden.
On the subject of tonic…I’m not yet such a connoisseur that I can match a gin with the perfect tonic so if you have any recommends for good pairings for the gins I’ve mentioned, let me know!
Tonic Selection Box – Great for Experimentation!
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