Out of all the liquors, gin is one of the most versatile spirits ever created. And if there is a good reason to drink gin – other than the fact Queen Elizabeth II reportedly loved having a gin cocktail every day – World Gin Day is on the 10th of June.
Philip Kingscott, Edinburgh Gin Ambassador, shares his easy ways to serve gin to highlight its flavour this World Gin Day…
Try the gin neat first
Open the bottle, pour a wee splash into a glass, give it a sniff and then taste. Give it 10 seconds to work all the way around your palette before you swallow. What do you taste? Where do you get the sensation of it on your palette. Go back and try it neat again, has it changed?
Garnish
Now that you’ve tried it neat, look at what it says on the bottle. Look at the website for the distillery. What garnish do they recommend? Many gins will have recommendations for their ranges. In most cases, it’s to bring out certain elements in the gin, whether it’s orange peel to enhance the citrus, lemon peel to add a sharp hit, or grapefruit peel and thyme to bring out refreshing characters. Maybe try with the recommended garnish and then try with one of your own choosing.
Mixer
You don’t want to overpower the gin, so the lighter the better (at least to start with). Try a light tonic or at least just a classic Indian tonic. Now you might want to get experimental and think about cocktails you can create or other mixers you might want to add – but be wary of any mixer with a heavy flavour – such as cola or lemonade – it will drown the gin’s taste as their sweetness is too over-bearing.
Glassware
Serve your Gin & Tonic from a mug if you want. Have it in a giant fishbowl with streamers and sparklers if that what’s you like. “I was given crystal tumblers as a gift a few years ago, and I really like the sound the ice makes as it pings against the glass – also it makes me feel quite posh as I drink my G&T! But that’s just my preference” says Philip. And don’t forget to add ice – as much as you like.
To read about International Dark ‘n Stormy Day on June 9, click here.
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