Table of contents for Dec 2021/Feb 2022 in Gin Magazine

Gin and music go hand in hand in all sorts of formats. A spirit of such evocative power was, of course, going to be immortalised in sounds spanning a huge emotional range, from the depths of despair to the heights of elation. Whether dancing on the tables or propping up the bar, gin has been referenced in all sorts of musical scenarios, and these gin-music links have been realised in various ways. Having recently been bombarded with celebrity-spirit collaborations, I decided to investigate, and have uncovered all sorts of wonderful links, be it collaborations, gins that have been infused with music, or traditions of drinking gin with certain songs. Our contributing editor David T. Smith, for one, always keeps the makings of a G&T in the fridge to whip one…

It is a truth universally acknowledged that nothing brings people together like a good meal. The world over, food is symbolic of all the best parts of our societies: family, community, sharing, care, celebration, and a wealth of the kind that cannot be measured in dollars and cents. Preparing food for others is a wonderful way not only to show them that you care, but also to introduce them to things that you care about: from generations-old family recipes, to the latest new dish or drink that has captured your heart. With the festive season upon us, and with it (hopefully) more opportunities to gather with friends and family, some of our Gin Magazine contributors have shared their show-stopping three-course dinner party menus and the gin drinks they would pair…

A majority of people around the world have probably been affected by a movie or television show. Films and TV laid a backdrop to our childhoods, are part of distinct memories, awaken us to the realities of others, or help us escape tough days. Here, three bar managers we love around the globe tell us about their favourite movies or shows and share their film-inspired recipes. Film and TV laid a backdrop to our childhoods, are part of distinct memories, awaken us to the realities of others, or help us escape tough days ABRAHAM ISRAEL DELGADO FLORES AT BARRA MATILDE MI AMOR Calle Colonias No. 221, Vía Libertad, Tercer Piso, 44160 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico www.matildemiamor.com Barra Matilde Mi Amor is situated on an expansive rooftop in Guadalajara’s hip Colonia Americana,…

I’m sitting at a booth in a tastefully decorated, atmospherically lit bar near Deansgate station in Manchester, waiting for my interviewee, Seb Heeley. It’s a few minutes before the Manchester Gin co-founder bounces into view and warmly shakes my hand. He’s just about to take a seat when his fiancée and co-founder, Jen Wiggins, emerges from the direction of the still room and asks if she’ll be collecting their son from nursery that evening. Seb replies in the affirmative. They embrace and exchange an “I love you” before Jen waves a cheery goodbye at us and exits through the bar’s tall glass doors. Seb turns back to me, all smiles and Mancunian charm, then takes his seat at the end of the table. This interlude seems a fitting start to…

“Some things can be done as well as others,” said daredevil Sam Patch, the first human to plunge into the waters of Niagara Falls and live. Just 10 days later, to a crowd of thousands, he climbed atop a higher platform and repeated the feat. People championed him as a hero, although the fish thought he was nuts. Most daredevils who followed this 1829 act didn’t have Patch’s luck. In 1901, Annie Taylor survived plunging over The Falls in a wooden barrel, but fame and fortune didn’t last – she died broke. Bobby Leach used a steel barrel in 1911, surviving with a broken jaw and kneecaps, then died after slipping on an orange peel. After Charles G. Stephens’ attempt, all that remained of him was one arm, still clinging…

As we move towards the end of 2021 and the days (at least, in the Northern Hemisphere) become colder, wetter and darker, there is nothing quite like a well-made drink to raise your spirits, and as it gets chillier, sweet spiced flavours can give that extra cosy touch. Sweet spices, or at least the ones that we know today, have not always been available in the Western world, but were brought by merchants on the ‘Spice Routes’ from Asia. Over the following centuries, spices became an important part of the geo-political environment. Prices fluctuated wildly, but spices were typically reserved for the elite of the day. For example, in the 15th century, the price of nutmeg was so high that it was worth more than its weight in gold. Even…

At first glance, it may seem that most of the gin distilled in New York State comes out of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. But, just as it is surprising how vast the forests are in this state, there are a surprising number of distilleries are operating in the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes Region and the distant cities of Rochester and Buffalo. Near the one-time Dutch colony of New Amsterdam (now Manhattan), in the one-time Dutch colony named for the village of Breukelen in the Netherlands, it is only fitting that gin is being made in homage to genever. “I always thought of the character coming from the base spirit as an additional botanical to complement the other ones,” says Brad Estabrooke, founder of Breuckelen Distilling, makers…

Wouldn’t it be great if every invitation to a party included a guarantee that it would be enjoyable? Unfortunately, there is no formula for hosts to ensure this happens, but even if the guests aren’t kindred spirits, the conversation remains uninteresting, and the canapés unappealing (or absent), consolation can still be had by the glass. It’s not a case of resorting to alcohol, but using its flavours as a form of therapy. And as flavours also create feelings, I can lose myself in a crisp gin and tonic, or the sublime gravitas of a dry Martini, and keep smiling at whoever is talking to me. Which particular flavours emerge from a glass depends on the imagination of the host, though the range of options to tailor and extend what gin…

The air is crisp and green. An autumnal carpet crunches under my boots as I trek up the hill, following my guide, Crafty Distillery founder Graham Taylor, through the Galloway Forest. We’re making for a patch of noble firs from which the distillery harvests fresh cones for its award-winning Hills & Harbour Gin. Taylor explains, “It’s not a common tree in the forest, but it is one that is easy to spot, because [the cones] grow upwards rather than downwards.” At Graham’s command, I rub a few freshly picked fir needles between my fingers and am treated to an aromatic burst of citrusy, coniferous bitterness. My eyes are closed as I revel in the scent… but when I open them, I’m not in the Galloway Forest – I’m in an…

As long as people have been developing or discovering new things, there have been those on the periphery creating products and networks to support the pioneers. When thousands flocked to California in the mid-19th century during the US Gold Rush, entire towns sprung up to cater for them and new railway lines were built to service their settlements. The invention of the home computer spawned accessories, from desktop printers to portable keyboards and adjustable stands. And, with the global craft gin boom of the past 15 years, a vast and varied market of mixer brands has emerged to cater to drinkers wanting a premium accompaniment. The market has come a long way since trailblazer Fever-Tree launched in 2005. In the modern mixer movement, as in the craft spirits boom, emphasis…