his summer, raise a glass or two to
the resurgence of gin, once the tipple
of pink-cheeked old dufers — and no
one under 65 — but now, once again,
Britain’s favourite spirit, having last year
overtaken its nearest rivals, whisy
and vodka. Gin’s versatiliy and appeal
to artisanal producers has surely helped:
Waitrose has doubled its range of locally
sourced brands, and most decent pubs
stock a range of qualiy botles. You may
fancy giving it a go yourself: the world’s
first Diploma in Gin course opened at
the Edinburgh Whisy Academy, of
all places, in March. Failing that, here
are our recommendations for mixing
premium G&Ts.Ginvincible! > Celebrating
the spirit of summer
Barrel-aged
Elephant Aged
(Germany, 52% ABV)
his one matures European
and African botanicals in
oak until rich and spicy (and
strong). A portion of proceeds
goes to conservation charities.
Garnish: red apple.
£52/50cl;
masterofmalt.comHigh-end
Le Tribute (Spain, 43% ABV)
Made on the Catalonia coast
by the same family-run
company as Gin Mare, this
gin has a citrusy taste with
a lemongrass zing. In a snazzy
art deco botle to boot.
Garnish: grapefruit.
£38/70cl;
thewhisyexchange.comHomegrown
Chapel Down Bacchus
(UK, 41.2% ABV)
he award-winning Kentish
winemaker is turning its
discarded grape skins into
gin. Clean, refreshing and
best enjoyed with Schweppes.
Garnish: cucumber.
£35/70cl;
majestic.co.ukInfused
Inverroche Amber
(South Africa, 43% ABV)
his gin gets its colour from
shrubbery found along the
Western Cape. Broad like an
oay wine, the warmth of
tofee and orange rounds it of.
Garnish: orange.
£40/70cl;
thewhisyexchange.comRecommended (above)
Roku (Japan, 43% ABV)
he House of Suntory has long
wowed the whisy world,
but it’s spent the last three
decades refining a gin. It uses
six Japanese ingredients: yuzu
citrus fruit, sakura (cherry
blossom) flower and leaf,
gyokuro and sencha teas and
sanshō pepper. Yes, it’s a bit odd
when you try it, but it’s also
refreshing and packs a kick. he
recommended garnish is fresh
ginger — don’t query, just do.
£30/70cl; waitrosecellar.com56 Words by Rachel Fellows Photograph by Adam Goodison Style
Lucy if Sharp