From cocktail classes to gin adventures to very special bottlings there are loads of present ideas for the gin lover in your life. Here are a few we would like to see in our stockings this year:
How About A Gin Journey?
Spirit school Shake Rattle and Stir have created the ultimate gin experience – The Gin Journey. Running two or three times a week, this London trip takes in cocktail bars, a gin distillery and London landmarks, and includes tutoring on the history and production of gin. Tickets cost £50 and include chauffeur-driven transport, five samples and five cocktails.Bookable here – www.shakerattleandstir.co.uk
Learn to Make Cocktails Properly
Shaker Bar School is offering 20% off their fabulous one day cocktail courses. Attendees become familiar with the basic methods of mixology including, building a drink, stirring, shaking, layering, muddling, straining, smashing and of course, drinking. During the one day course you will learn to make a range of classic and contemporary cocktails including: Collins, Margaritas, Daiquiris, Caipirinhas, Sours, Mojitos, Martinis and much more.
Go to www.shaker-uk.com to book online and enter XMAS20 at checkout to receive your discount . Offer is valid until 19th December
Traditional Gin Blending Kit from Sacred Spirits
Blend gin to your own taste at home courtesy of Sacred Spirits Gin Blending Kit. The traditional collection contains coriander and angelica botanical distillates, which are usually associated with the more classic gin recipes, along with Liquorice (for experimenting with “Old Tom” gin styles), a perfectly balanced triple citrus blend, lovely spicy cardamom distillate and of course the essential juniper distillate. Price £79.50.
There’s also the Contemporary Collection of Botanicals at £87.50.
Lots of other gin goodies are available from www.sacredspiritscompany.com Gin Christmas Pudding anyone?
Sloe Gin
Sloe gin actually tastes of Christmas with all those lovely berry and warming flavours. There’s still plenty of time to make sloe gin using this year’s crops so thumbs up for the eight piece Kilner jar kit from Lakeland at www.lakeland.co.uk
But, if you’ve run out of time, a bottle of the very delicious Plymouth Sloe Gin will always go down a treat – available nationwide at around £28 for 70cl, Try it with the Merry Christmas cocktail – equal amounts Plymouth sloe and cranberry juice, juice of a lemon topped up with soda and garnished with fresh cranberry. Yum.
Burrough’s Reserve Aged Gin
This luxury super premium baby arrived on very select shelves this year and it is super special. Named after the founder of Beefeater Gin, James Burrough, it’s made to the original 1860s Beefeater recipe using Burrough’s original copper Still Number 12.
What makes it truly different is that Burrough’s Reserve is the only gin to be rested in Jean de Lillet oak barrels, each of which has been hand-selected by Master Distiller Desmond Payne. Like a fine single malt or a barrel-aged rum, Burrough’s Reserve can be served neat, in fact it’s to be sipped and savoured. It’s not easy to find so online might be your best bet eg – www.thewhiskyexchange.com
