I don’t know about you but for me life has been on pause for the last year. I don’t mean in terms of the every day things we do like work. But the special things, the stuff that makes you excited to get out of bed every morning like… travel, celebrations and bucket lists have all been in an indefinite state of limbo.
But amidst all the disruption new Gins have been born, and quite a lot of them right here where I am in North West England.
Lucky Bee Gin – Timperley, Greater Manchester
Their Classic London Dry no-frills gin was definitely distilled with the gin lover in mind. It is juniper forward with distinct hints of lemon and orange. Katy & Stephen didn’t stop here, they launched a total of 3 gins, a Navy Strength called “Hench” and a Raspberry Gin made with wonky raspberries. But they didn’t stop here, they launched a limited edition Rhubarb gin as well. That’s a total of 4 gins in the middle of a global pandemic and each one was sold out on initial release. Now I have only tasted their Classic and thought it was a very good gin, I have it on good authority that the Hench is in fact the best in their range. So if you’re looking for a good Navy Strength Gin, check these guys out.
Emerald Gin – Heald Green, Stockport
Now I class any gin distilled in either Cheshire or Greater Manchester as being my local gin, however, I still have to drive to all of them. But Emerald Gin is now probably the most local I will get at 2 miles away. A distillery I can actually walk to (well when it is safe to do so again!). Brothers-in-Law, Gareth & Scott, have built this distillery shed in the bottom of their garden, starting their journey in February 2020 just before the world descended into chaos, their initial plan had been to release in Summer/Spring 2020, which eventually turned into November 2020.
What they have managed to create, despite the odds, is a very smooth, well rounded London Dry Gin that has great balance from both juniper and citrus. A great gin G&T sipping gin in my opinion. I am genuinely excited to see what else Gareth & Scott have up their sleeves.
Prestwich Gin – Prestwich, Lancashire
Now this one is a little bit special, I was sent a sample ahead of bottling to provide feedback, and well all I can say is you can taste the love and passion that have gone into crafting this gin. A father & son team is behind this smooth, clean gin produced clearly for the gin purist. It has 12 botanicals in it and is perfect served with a premium tonic, sprig of rosemary and slice of fresh grapefruit.
GIN01 The Rabbit by Animal Spirits – Bermondsey, London
This is one of the more intriguing ones, and if you follow me on Instagram you will have seen that that my pal Debbie & I hosted their launch night tasting on our IGTV videos. Developed by Lukas a Virologist and Eva a Theatre Producer, everything about this gin is bold and playful. Starting with the bottle that was designed by The Design Laboratory, everything is designed to evoke an Alice in Wonderland-esque feeling. That sense of going through the Rabbit Hole into a land full of mystery and intrigue. The first of the hidden gems within this gin (and there are many) is in the liquor itself, it uses a corn spirit as it’s base which gives the overall gin a thickness with a slight but quite pleasant oiliness on the palate. This is one brand for you to get fully invested in from a story and boundary pushing perspective.
Aiki Gin – Okinawa, Japan
Quite possibly the most highly anticipated gin released in 2020 with a marketing campaign that tantalised social media from December 2019. Contract distilled in Japan, there are 2 core gins in the range currently, the Okinawa which is complex in taste but simple in it’s approach and the Smooth. The two couldn’t be more different. The Okinawa is floral on the nose with distinct hints of citrus and spice, slightly bitter on the palate from Japanese Bitter Melon, full of citrus bursts from Yuzu and Shikwasa (which google tells me is incredibly sour) and spicy from Japanese Peppers. The Smooth on the other hand is much more citrus forward, and as it says on the bottle…. Smooth.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg, there are plenty more gins that have launched since March 2020. So while life seems to have paused for most of us, it hasn’t stopped for Gin, which I for one am very glad.
*Lucky Bee, Emerald & GIN01 The Rabbit by Animal Spirits were purchased. Prestwich Gin sample was gifted for feedback purposes ahead of bottling with no pressure to review/post and Aiki Gin was gifted for PR purposes. All opinions are my own.
The Girl Who Loves Gin 