The English Drinks Company succeeded in giving cucumbers the fame they deserve. In Cucumber Gin and Qcumber the taste of this underrated fruit (part of the melon family!) elevated to make a delicious G&T… or G&Q!
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Founded by the two brothers Andy and Martin Dawson in 1998, Broker’s is an exceptional gin and just like the British humour, it is delightfully dry. The very well balanced recipe is 200 years old and, despite the various attempts to modernize it, it cannot possibly be improved…
The time has finally come in which you’ll be able to sip on the perfect gin, made by you, from scratch! Gin producers around the UK are organising distilling classes open to anyone who thinks that the most delicious gin has yet to be invented. The game plan is similar in most places: the experience starts with a G&T and a distillery tour, you’ll then sit with an expert who’ll teach you about distillation and the favours of botanicals before having a go at making your own gin!
On Monday we visited Graphic Bar in Soho – for ‘the greatest cocktail tournament in history!’ It was our first visit there and we loved it!
It was the first round of the Gin Off event they are running over the course of the next 6 months, there was a great vibe with a room full of gin enthusiasts. Graphic have a fantastic back bar featuring over 300 different gins but this night was all about 4 very competitive Gin brands: Bols Genever, Whitley Neill, Copper Head and Plymouth Gin.
Each night of the gin off, a bartender from each brand creates a signature inventive cocktail to show off their incredible gin. Each cocktail was then judged by everyone in the bar. They served a fascinating array of cocktails shown below, but a special congratulations to Copper Head for winning round 1 and Whitley Neill for Runner up.
Bols Genever
These guys served up ‘I’m not a cupcake’ – gin, sherry and lemon juice featured in this cocktail which was then topped up with Champagne and served in a chocolate cup.
Gin is thriving, the world is once again infatuated with this juniper based spirit and small-batch distilleries are popping up across the globe. The G&T is seeing a new lease of life, being served up in stunning glassware, with big ice and a beautiful array of garnishes, not to mention Fever-tree causing a stir in the mixer category with their natural tonic waters. Bartenders are offering a plethora of beautiful G&T’s and the classic gin-based cocktails have come roaring back into fashion too.
With gin’s resurgence, we’ve seen a vast array of ‘gin palaces’ arrive on the scene ready to serve you up the perfect concoction. Here are 5 of our favourite places to get a great gin drink in London.
Graphic Bar
I simply love the sound of ice clinking against the glass and the fizz of the tonic as you pour yourself a drink at the end of a long day..
But there is so much more to a G&T than just being a refreshingly boozy offering that involves a shot of Gordon’s, topped with Schweppes Slimline tonic and maybe a slice of lemon if it’s there. Here’s how to make a perfect G&T every time: