Where Valhalla is a beautiful sipping gin, Thought & Memory is stunning as a longer drink – and it makes a mean G&T.

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There is a quote that reads “blessed are the curious, for they shall have the adventures”. This was an adventure that I couldn’t wait to embark on. Featuring 13 botanicals that combine to provide a careful balance of citrus, thistles, heather, pink peppercorns and allspice, the gin aims to celebrate provenance of the Scottish landscape as well as being “the perfect gin to compliment a good Scotch steak”. Taking the Drovers Gin as a base to work from (and what a base to work from!), the Navy expression amps up the flagships ABV to a meaty 57%. Dog and Spoon is also very much a ‘waste not want not’ operation, with a keen focus on seeing as little as possible go to waste in creating their Science Project 6a gin. As previously mentioned, I wouldn’t usually advise drinking liquids from unmarked bottles. But when the contents is this delicious I make an exception…

Isle of Harris Gin

Like many other brands, Bols has expanded their genever selection. Beyond the original, you can find barrel-aged bottles, which are rested in French Limousin oak casks for 18 months. In 2018, during a chance meeting at a ‘Negroni Club UK’ Christmas party, at the legendary London based gin bar ‘The Oliver Conquest’ (sadly no longer), Jenny mentioned to me her impending new launch, which I find myself putting pen to paper about today. Bols Geneverwas on the U.S. marketuntil Prohibitionand was not available again until the summer of 2008. It is bottled at 42 percent ABV (84 proof), and a bottle typically sells for the same price as any premium gin. They say that, in life, you should never stop being curious. And that the one thing that we should strive for is untameable curiosity. Because in the end, it’s the people who are curious who change the world. Aranami Strength; I’ll drink to that.

Best Gin Brands In The World - Luxe Digital Sipping Guide To The Best Gin Brands In The World - Luxe Digital

Martin Miller's is a modern take on traditional gin. It has that wonderful juniper dominance of a London dry and it is perfectly balanced, crisp, clean and simply an extravagant gin. Barra natives, Michael and Katie Morrison founded Isle of Barra Distillers in 2017. Originally contract distilled, the husband and wife team realised their dream of bringing distilling to their remote and beautiful island home in 2019. In 2017, Jenny decided to turn her entrepreneurial skill set to another of her passions. Though this time it was her taste in drinks, rather than men’s clothing, that would be brought in to the spotlight. Cue the beginnings of Hidden Curiosities Gin… Photo Credit: Hidden Curiosities Distilled in Leith, the Edinburgh port has a long history with gin. Achroous uses botanicals such as liquorice, fennel seed and Sichuan. Now, four years into the journey, Isle of Harris Distillers employ over 30 islanders, or “Hearach” to give the Gaelic term for a Harris native. This includes school leavers and distillers who had no previous experience, all trained up to a level capable of making their spirits. In November 2018 they also took on a school leaver as an apprentice distiller. Not a bad first job if you ask me! With an island population of less than 1,916, this alone is quite a sizeable boost to the economy.

Pride. You sense it in every single word from Isle of Harris Distillers. From interviews to press releases, web copy to social posts, it visibly embodies the entire organisation. As it falls under a 40% ABV, Sloe gin can’t technically be called ‘proper’ gin. But its popularity and variety make it an important part of any thorough gin guide anyway. And if you’re looking for a bottle to enjoy, Spirit Works’ offering is the way to go. Now I had no idea what that meant at first, and contemplated whether it was perhaps of celtic language origin…until I adopted my best Billy Connelly accent and realised it was ‘our Drovers Gin cow’. And no, I won’t do the accent in person! Gin has a pine taste from the juniper berries, which are its signature ingredient. However, the prominence of the pine taste varies depending on the style of gin and the botanicals that are added during distillation. Fruity, aromatic gins are smoother and sweeter than a classic dry gin. On the bottom of the bottle there’s a hidden message in Latin – “Esse Quam Videri”, which means “to be, rather than to seem”.

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Amongst other initiatives, all the teams spent botanicals are turned in to compost, and used to fertilise the flowers and trees on their farms land and aforementioned forest. And once in to the gin making itself, the discarded heads part of the spirit is handily converted into cleaning products for use around the farm (with a juniper fresh scent you can well imagine!) Overall, it’s a really well-balanced, refreshing and smooth gin. There’s nothing too overpowering and certainly enjoyable as a sipping gin, which is Harris Distillers’ preferred way of drinking it. With tonic To taste, and I found myself gasping for air on initial sip. WOWZERS! It is all encompassing – like being engulfed in the namesake waves, drowning in flavour (in the very best possible way!). Bold tones of aromatic and cardamom combine to great effect with the herbal and savoury bay and the more menthol lushness of the lemon verbena.

Deerness Seaglass Gin

The juniper is beautifully balanced, and lingers purposefully behind those bold red fruits, with suggestions of a rich and warming sweet spice. It works brilliantly as a G&T, with a fresh raspberry garnish. The tonic pulls forward a little more sweetness, whilst maintaining the strong raspberry flavour, putting a delicate and floral touch on a classic. I spent the longest time cynically passing judgement on my wife’s choice of television programmes, whilst secretly always keeping one eye on ‘The Great British Bake Off’ to see who would be the ‘Star Baker’ & who would be leaving the tent. Now? I’m an avid fan, able to tell my dacquoise sponge from my victoria sponge, my Italian meringue from my French meringue and longing for a Hollywood handshake (from a social distance of course). Made with Italian juniper berries and orris root, Spanish almonds and lemons, grains of paradise from West Africa, and Chinese licorice, Bombay Sapphire is the product of a 1761 gin distillery founded by Thomas Dakin in Warrington, England. The London Dry Gin, spotted easily because of its distinct, bright blue bottle, is aromatic and crisp, and holds up delightfully in a martini.