A GINspirational Guide to Mothers Ruin Served as 25ml as standard unless otherwise stated ABV% 25ml BOLS GENEVER 42% £3.25 A terribly old spirit, Genever is the precusoor to English gin. Supposedly based on the original recipe of Proffesor Sylvius de Bouve in 1572. This is a blend of 50% malt wine and 505 neutral spirit. It offers up a more whisky like sweeter style of gin with a snifter of associated history. Bols is also the oldest distilled brand in the world.
BROKERS 40% £3.25 Nicely balanced with a touch of liquorice sweetness this London Dry gin is distilled using a 200 year old still with an equally old recipe. It has been specially blended to be very dry & uses 10 different botanicals and an English wheat base. GILBEYS 37.5% £3.25 A classic London Dry Gin from Gilbey's. The brand was founded in London in 1857 by brothers Walter and Albert Gilbey in the basement of a retail shop on Oxford Street. BATHTUB, PROFESSOR CORNELIUS AMPLEFORTH 43.3% £3.50 An extraordinary award-winning gin, produced by Professor Cornelius Ampleforth. Made using the traditional method of Cold Compounding (or in layman’s terms – infusing). Very high quality copper pot-still spirit is infused with ingredients including Juniper, Orange Peel, Coriander, Cinnamon, Cloves and Cardamom. This gin is made in ultra-small batches of only 30-60 bottles at a time, and the length of the compounding period is controlled entirely by periodic sampling. The result is a great gin, lightly tinted by the botanicals, and with a flavour which is both bold, and perfumed all at once. Won Gold at both the International Spirits Challange 2013 and World Gin Awards 2014
PORTOBELLO ROAD 42% £3.50 Made by those lovely people behind well know Leeds bars Jakes, Oporto & Neon Cactus. 9 Botanicals have been used to give this gin a citrusy taste with a sweet yet peppery finish. BEEFEATER 24 45% £3.50 Beefeater wanted to create something a little different with this gin. The botanicals used include Japanese Sencha tea, Chinese Green tea, Seville orange peel, grapefruit peel, lemon peel, juniper, coriander seed, angelic root, almond & Oris root. Its called 24 because the botanicals are steeped with the base spirit for 24 hours. JENSEN'S, OLD TOM 43% £3.50 Based on an original recipe from 1840 which used no added sugar and instead sweetened the gin with larger amounts of botanicals. The recipe was discovered in a very old bottle in a bar in China. Serve with lemon and lime.
BULLDOG 40% £3.50 Bulldog has received the highest ever rating for a gin from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The 12 botanicals used include Poppy, Dragon eye, Lotus leaves, citrus, almond and lavender. MARTIN MILLERS 40% £3.50 At 40% ABV, Martin Miller’s has a full citrus taste with the juniper notes emerging half way through. It has a clean soft finish which makes this gin rather enjoyable. It’s one of those gins that can be really enjoyed neat and whose fresh mineral like, crisp quality works well in a Martini. HAYMANS OLD TOM 40% £3.50 Hayman’s Old Tom Gin is a botanically intensive and lightly sweetened style of gin. Particularly popular in the 19th Century, Old Tom Gins tend to deliver a generally sweeter flavour profile, resulting in a distinctive cocktail experience. Hayman’s Old Tom is no different and for fans of the style, it’s one of the best ones out there. BOLS SILVER TOP LONDON DRY 37.5% £3.50 Silver Top gin is made in Holland by Bols, and though little-seen here in the UK, the brand is massive throughout most of the rest of Europe. A very classic London dry taste. ABV% 25ml
CAORUNN SMALL BATCH 41.8% £3.50 A small batch Scottish gin from the Balmenach distillery in Speyside. Caorunn (pronounced ka-roon), made with a combination of traditional and handpicked botanicals including rowan berry, heather, coul blush apple and dandelion. WILLIAMS CHASE, GREAT BRITISH 40% £3.50 The apples that are used as the base ingredient are grown, mashed and fermented on the Chase estate. It is then distilled in a copper still and column and then bottled. It uses the award winning Naked Chase vodka as a base and infuses 10 botanicals including, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, almond, liquorish and lemon to create a very aromatic gin that creates a near perfect G & T.
TANQUERAY 43.1% £3.50 Still made to the original 1830s recipe. Tanqueray is distilled in a 200 year old copper pot still. Very crisp & dry with 3 dominate botanicals. BOMBAY ORIGINAL DRY 40% £3.50 One of the great old-school style London Gins, Bombay Original was first introduced in 1959 and is the precursor of the now more famous Bombay Sapphire. This is the original 40% version. HAYMANS SLOE 26% £3.50 A traditional sloe gin from Haymans. Made by steeping the sloes in Haymans gin before blending with natural sugar. Bittesweet & intense flavour. BOLS SILVER TOP LONDON DRY 37.5% £3.50 A classic gin from the most famous of Dutch distillers, Bols. Silver Top London Dry Gin has been enjoyed in Europe for decades. WHITLEY NEILL LONDON DRY 42% £3.50 Whitley Neill is a London Dry Gin launched in 2005 by Johnny Neill. It contains two African botanicals, Baobab fruit and Cape Gooseberries, that give the gin an exotic touch to the palate and sets it apart from others. XORIGUER MAHON 38% £3.50 From Mahon in Menorca, Xoriguer is one of the only gins in the world (alongside Plymouth) to have a geographical indication, Gin de Menorca. Gin has been made on Menorca since the time of the British occupation in the 18th century. Unusually, Xoriguer is made in wood-fired potstills from distilled wine (eau-de-vie) rather than the more usual grain-based distillate, and is rested in American oak barrels before bottling.
COLONEL FOX LONDON DRY, CREMORE 1859 40% £3.50 Cremorne 1859, aka Colonel Fox London Dry Gin was launched in 2012. It’s labelling and illustrations prove unique and appealing. Great in a G&T and classic juniper and citrus to taste. BRECON SPECIAL RESERVE 40% £3.50 A Welsh gin made at the famous whisky distillery, Penderyn. This is flavoured with Juniper from Macedonia, orange peel from Spain, Chinese cassia bark, Sri Lankan liquorice, Madagascan cinnamon, French angelica root, Russian coriander, Indian nutmeg, Spanish lemon peel and Italian orris root. Very tasty indeed. BOODLES BRITISH 40% £3.50 Created in 1845 and named after the Boodles Club in St. James, London, Boodles was the favourite gin of one of the club's most famous members, Winston Churchill. ROCK TOWN BRANDON'S BARREL RESERVE SUMMER 2014 46% £3.50 The Rock Town distillers out in Arkansas have barrel-aged their tasty Brandon's Small Batch Gin. They use juniper, coriander, angelica, cinnamon, lemon peel, orange peel and anise to create their gin, which they then leave to rest in their used whiskey barrels to impart creamy, vanilla-led tastiness to the gin. HENDRICKS 41.4% £3.75 A blend of 2 different grain spirits distilled in 2 different stills and then mixed together with the addition of cucumber & rose petal essence. Produced in very small amounts (about 450ltrs at a time) this is a most unusual gin. Served with cucumber. DAMSON, SLOE MOTION 26% £3.75 Made in the exact same way to their Sloe gin. This uses the finest Damson fruit available which gives it a lovely deep plumy/cherry character with a hint of almond from the stone. HOXTONS 43% £3.75 A very different gin this one! Botanicals including coconut, grapefruit, iris, tarragon & ginger are macerated with the base distillate for 3 days. It is then filtered and rested for 2 months in steel tanks. Much longer than usual but it helps the flavours to develop. Served with either a raspberry or strawberry. Try with a tonic for a refreshingly different G&T or try in our very popular Lazy Lemonade cocktail. ABV% 25ml
BLOOM 40% £3.75 A London dry style gin named Bloom because of the floral nature of some of its botanicals which include Honeysuckle, Pomelo and Chamomile. Served with pink grapefruit. Creates a wonderfully aromatic G&T with a smooth palate.
LARIOS 12 47% £3.75 A Spanish gin made using 12 botanicals including wild juniper, nutmeg,angelic root, coriander, mediterranean lemonorange tangerine mandarion, clementine, grapefruit, lime and orange blossom. The Spanish should really know a thing or two about gin as they are Europes biggest consumer. EDINBURGH RASPBERRY GIN LIQUEUR 20% £3.75 A tasty Raspberry-flavoured gin liqueur made in Edinburgh using Scottish Juniper, and other botanicals, and an infusion of delicious, crisp Scottish raspberries. One of our biggest selling gins. Pair with Fever Tree elderflower tonic water.
HOMEMADE-INFUSIONS £3.75 Every so often we get a little bored and experiment by steeping various things in gin and see what happens. Please ask a member of the team to see what delightful concoction we have on today. BROCKMANS 40% £3.85 A very unusual gin. Infused with an odd mix of coriander, blueberries and blackberries as well as other botanicals. It has a very fruity yet smooth style. Designed to be drunk straight over ice but also very good with ginger ale and a dash of cranberry juice. JENSEN'S, BERMONDSEY 43% £3.85 Replicates the old style of London gins and unusually is actually produced in London. Velvety smooth with big juniper flavour. The perfect gin for a Martini but makes a refreshingly smooth G & T. OLD RAJ 46% £3.85 A unique gin that uses Saffron as one of its botanicals. Saffron is a rare and costly spice derived from the crocus flower. It also gives this gin a slight pale yellow colour & spicy aftertaste. Served with fresh raspberries. THE BOTANIST 46% £3.85 Created by The Bruichladdich Distillery on the Isle of Islay (Most famous for their whisky). They use a massive 31 different botanicals to create this gin. 22 of them are native to Islay including wild Islay juniper, apple mint, birtch leaves, bog myrtle, thistle flowers, chamomile, elder flowers, lardy's bedstraw flowers, lemon balm, mugwort leaves & thyme leaves. Served with a slice of fresh apple. Try with tonic or bitter lemon for a refreshing change. SIPSMITH, LONDON DRY 41.6% £3.90 Made from English barley spirit and infused with 10 botanicals then bottled with water from the natural spring at the source of the river Thames. Distilled in the first copper still in the city of London for 200 years. KING OF SOHO 42% £3.90 King of Soho is made in the heart of London by Howard Raymond, son of Paul Raymond, the property tycoon who helped revolutionise the area of Soho. The gin is made with 12 botanicals that give it a full-bodied and fresh flavour profile. A truely great London Dry Gin. ROCK ROSE 41.5% £3.90 Rock Rose Gin is made at the Dunnet Bay Distillery all the way up in Caithness, Scotland. This very northerly gin features an alluring botanical selection including locally harvested Rhodiola Rosea, Rowan Berries, Sea Buckthorn, Blaeberries, Verbena, Coriander Seed, Cardamom and Juniper from two different countries - Italy and Bulgaria. Served with fresh rosemary and lemon.
SIPSMITHS SLOE 29% £3.95 Made with sloe berries and their fantastic gin, Sipsmith Sloe Gin makes for a refreshing, fruity spirit that delivers on intense flavours & magnificent scents. Wonderfully fruity, redcurrants and cranberries swimming in quince jelly.On the palate blackcurrant, damson jam and juniper join the fresh mix, with a sprinkling of pepper and cinnamon. Best served straight up or with Fever Tree Bitter Lemon.
DARNLEY'S VIEW, SPICED 42.7% £3.95 Based with neutral grain spirit and made in small batches, its infused with a warming blend of botanicals including larger amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg and juniper than usual and then bottled at the unusual strength of 42.7% to best present the flavours. Try it with lime and ginger beer over ice. OPIHR ORIENTAL SPICED 40% £3.95 A London Dry Gin made with botanicals from along the traditional spice route that led back to the UK. Indonesian Cubeb berries, Indian black pepper and Moroccan coriander are all used in this gin. Served with fresh chilli. SAFFRON, BOUDIER 40% £3.95 Boudier's Saffron Gin is an awesome gin which gains is marvellous tawny-orange hue with the addition of saffron! ABV% 25ml
SACRED 40% £3.95 Sacred Gin is a hand made gin produced in small batches in London by Ian Hart. It is made with citrus, juniper, cardamom, nutmeg and Hougari frankincense as well as 7 other botanicals. In 2009 it was the Overall Winner at Ginmasters, with a score of 98 points out of a possible 100. ADNAMS COPPER HOUSE DISTILLED 40% £3.95 Distilled in a beer stripping column, before being put through a handmade copper pot still. It is then purified in a rectifier. The result is very creamy and rich. This gin is infused with six botanicals, including juniper, sweet orange and hibiscus flowers. Won a Trophy and the Gold Outstanding Award for London Dry Gin @ the IWSC 2013
NO 3, BERRY BROS & RUDD 46% £3.95 Made to a special secret recipe, the name No.3 refers to the address of Berry Brothers & Rudd - Number 3, St James's Street. With juniper at its heart, it's also made with three fruits and three spices using copper pot stills. PINK 47 LONDON DRY 47% £4.00 Pink 47 is a fine London Dry gin made from Italian juniper berries. It includes some exotic botanicals too with two different types of angelica and two different corianders. Lavish. There's also Spanish citrus fruits and almonds and a touch of West African nutmeg.
DÀ MHÌLE SEAWEED 42% £4.00 From the Welsh Dà Mhìle Distillery comes Seaweed Gin, which is made with a variation on their small batch gin, and then infused with seaweed from the Newquay coast for three weeks to impart a coastal character (and also imparts a very subtly green hue). Before it's bottled, Dà Mhìle Seaweed Gin is triple filtered. It was designed to compliment seafood, which is rather interesting, so is great with oysters!
BRENNAN & BROWN LONDON DRY 43% £4.00 Gin with extra ginger in! It's a vibrant London dry gin from Cheltenham, lively with fresh juniper sparks and a delicious hint of ginger. ISH LONDON DRY 41% £4.00 A beautiful quintuple-distilled made in the centre of London. This is made with 12 botanicals as well as good quality grain spirit. NO 209 46% £4.00 Made in San Francisco, USA. This gin is named 209 because it was the 209th distillery to be registered in America. They use a four time column distilled spirit made from Midwestern corn and uses pure snowmelt from the Sierra-Nevada mountains. Makes the best Martini we have ever tasted. GIN MARE 42.7% £4.25 A fantastic gin from Spain. The botanicals used include, Arbequina olive, Rosemary, Thyme, Basil & Mandarin. A great gin for food matching. Served with a sprig of fresh rosemary. Smooth and flavourful. GORDONS YELLOW LABEL, EXPORT STRENGTH 47.3% £4.25 Gordons Yellow Label is usually found on mainland Europe, but little-seen here in the UK. It is bottled at a higher-strength than the green bottle Gordons which is now 37.5%. Gordon's Yellow Label is still made to Alexander Gordon's original recipe - and hence the original gin for classics such as the Vesper. TANQUERAY MALACCA 40% £4.25 Relaunched in early 2013, Tanqueray Malacca is a sweeter gin with less juniper emphasis and more citrus than the classic style. Originally introduced in the late 1990s, Malacca was discontinued after a short lifespan but has been resurrected after gradually assuming cult status among cocktail revivalist bartenders as a good substitute for the original Old Tom styles of gin.
TWO BIRDS 40% £4.25 Two Birds' Mark Gamble has set out to bottle his passion for the British Countryside with a range of small batch spirits. Using a still he designed and built himself, he uses juniper and 4 other 'countryside' botanicals as well as natural spring water from Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire to create this big, refreshing London Dry Gin. G'VINE FLORAISON 40% £4.25 Produced in the French region of Cognac G'Vine is a hint as to what this unique gin contains. It's actually infused with Ugni Blanc grape, as well as some more standard botanicals including ginger root, liquorice, cardamom, cassia bark, coriander, cubeb berries, nutmeg, lime and even a bit of juniper. Highly aromatic and doesnt smell like a gin staright away. WILD BULLACE GIN LIQUEUR 23% £4.25 If you are a Sloe Gin drinker, then why not try this Wild Bullace Liqueur. It has a Damson like fruity taste, with a very slight bitter twist and pleasant dryness to it, similar to that of a Sloe Gin. This is a very unique tasting and rare liqueur. ABV% 25ml
CITADELLE 44% £4.25 Citadelle was originally developed in a Dunkirk distillery in the late 18th Century, and at the time Dunkirk was one of the earliest European ports for explorers of the Orient, who brought back herbs and spices from the Far East. The result is a fabulous gin made with 19 different botanicals including Moroccan Coriander, French Juniper, Mexican Orange Peel and Chinese Liquorice... WARNER EDWARDS, ELDERFLOWER INFUSED 40% £4.25 Warner Edwards Elderflower Infused Gin is just like it sounds - the Northamptonshire distillers infuse their Harrington Dry Gin with elderflower from Northamptonshire and Rhualt to create a stunning summer tipple. Serve straight over ice or try with prosecco for something a little special. CITADELLE RESERVE 2014 44% £4.25 The 2014 edition of Citadelle's stupendous, Solera-system-aged Réserve Gin is made with 19 select botanicals and is aged in a small number of Ferrand Cognac casks. These releases are always well produced, well flavoured and well received, and this one is no different - top quality aged gin from Citadelle. WARNER EDWARDS, VICTORIA RHUBARB INFUSED 40% £4.25 By combining their Harrington Dry Gin and a variety of rhubarb originally grown in Queen Victoria's garden (as well as a touch of sugar to balance out the rhubarb's acidity), Warner Edwards have created this very tasty libation. Enjoyably sweet, with notes of herbal complexity coming through from the gin's original recipe.
SIBLING TRIPLE DISTILLED 42% £4.25 A rather striking triple distilled gin from Cheltenham, made by a team of four siblings! Produced at their state-of-the-art distillery, the gin's botanicals (which include juniper, vanilla, orange peel, lemon peel and blueberries - amongst others) are infused into the finely crafted spirit using a carter-head still. The spring water from Cheltenham used for Sibling Gin is naturally filtered through a layer of Fuller's earth. This all results in a gin with a superb mouth feel, that wonderfully delivers notes of fresh citrus, creamy vanilla and bright, fruity blueberry.
ST GEORGE BOTANIVORE 45% £4.50 Boasting a big, but balanced bunch of botanicals, the Botanivore is bloomin' brilliant. An American craft gin with 19 different botanicals, including angelica root, bay laurel, "cilantro" (coriander to you and me), Seville orange peel, star anise and juniper berries, among others. It's like a greenhouse in a bottle. A complex but very approachable gin. FIFTY POUNDS 43.5% £4.50 Based on an old recipe from around 1736 and created in very small batches. This gin has a carefully selected range of hand picked, natural ingredient which helps give it its exceptional smoothness. Named after the levy that was imposed by George II to try and curb the 'Gin Craze' years of the early 18th century. WILLIAMS CHASE, ELEGANT 48% £4.50 Made using pressed organic cider apples grown in the distilleries own orchards. They then ferment the apples into cider and then distil the cider into vodka. They then infuse the vodka with 11 different botanicals, including elderflower and bramley apple to create this full bodied and fruity gin.
F.E.W AMERICAN 40% £4.50 Unlike most other gins, this offering is made using white whiskey (un-aged Bourbon) instead of more conventional neutral spirits which gives it a completely unique character! FEW Spirits hails from Evanston in the United States of America, a city that suffered Prohibition for over one hundred years thanks to many of its advocates hailing from its dry streets. Thankfully Evanston is now home to this excellent craft distillery which takes its name ironically from the initials of Frances Elizabeth Willard, a key figure in the Temperance Movement.
ST GEORGE, TERROIR GIN 45% £4.50 The botanical selection in the American gin consists of Douglas Fir, Coastal sage and Californian bay laurel and it gives it a magical nose that makes you really feel like you're stood in a Californian forest. Great regional impressionist gin.
FILLIERS DRY 28 TANGERINE EDITION 43.7% £4.50 Based on the original Filliers Dry Gin 28 recipe, this seasonal edition has been created by Master Distiller Pedro Saez Del Burgo using the finest tangerines from Valencia, harvested exclusively between November and January. This limited edition, small batch, copper pot-distilled gin is produced at the Filliers distillery, where top quality genever and other spirits have been created under the watchful eye of 5 generations of the Filliers family for well over a century. ABV% 25ml
NEGRONI AGED GIN 43.3% £4.50 An experiment just because they can. A gin aged in a small wooden cask that previously held Negroni cocktail. A very different and curious gin with wonderful full flavour. Served with a fresh lemon slice & orange wheel. Try with ginger beer. WILLIAMS CHASE SLOE & MULBERRY 2013 30% £4.50 This is a 2013 vintage Sloe & Mulberry Gin from Chase in Herefordshire. They marinade sloe berries in their base gin, made with a selection of botanicals specifically used to enhance and augment the rich berry flavours, for eight months. For the final two months they also added mulberries, a gorgeous but rarely seen fruit, which imparts further depths of flavour to this quintessential British tipple.
TANQUERAY NO.10 47.3% £4.50 A super-premium small-batch Tanqueray named after the number of the No. 10 still in which it is made. A superb controlled explosion of very aromatic botanical flavours. Garnished with pink grapefruit. Four Pillars Rare Dry 41.8% £4.50 Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin is made in a small distillery in Yarra Valley, Australia. Everything the Four Pillars distillers make is based around their four pillars - the still, the water, the botanicals and love. Pillar 1 - The Four Pillars copper-pot still is called Wilma. Pillar 2 - The water they use from Yarra Valley is triple filtered. Pillar 3 - They use some local botanicals (Tasmanian pepperberry, lemon myrtle), some exotic botanicals (cinnamon, cardamom, coriander seeds and star anise) & some classic botanicals (juniper, lavender, angelica root), as well as whole oranges. Pillar 4 - The distillers love what they do and love what they have made. Superb
COTSWOLDS DRY GIN 46% £4.50 The Cotswolds Distillery has only recently opened and this is their Cotswolds Dry Gin, made with juniper, coriander and angelica root macerated in their pure wheat spirit for 24 hours. Following this, they add a botanical selection including bay leaf, grapefruit, lime, black pepper, cardamom seed and Cotswolds lavender to their carter head still for distillation. To bring it down to bottling strength, a robust 46% ABV, they use naturally refined Cotswolds water.
ANNO KENT DRY 43% £4.50 Anno Kent Dry Gin is one of the first gins to be distilled in Kent since the 1800s (there's also one that's made literally 15 feet from my desk). Fresh and flavourful with a superb selection of botanicals, a number of which are grown in the Garden of England itself, like Kentish lavender, hops, elderflower, rose hips and Samphire grown way out on the coast.
CHILGROVE DRY 44% £4.50 Chilgrove Dry Gin is a rather exciting spirit, as the base comes not from distilled grain but distilled grapes instead, similar to how it was in the olden days when jenever was distilled from wine in Holland. The Chilgrove distillers in Sussex have paired this intriguing base spirit with 11 botanicals, including Angelica Root, Coriander Seed, Grains of Paradise and Wild Water Mint. They describe it as a "gin for all seasons", and with a superb mouth feel a stunning DAFFYS SMALL BATCH 43.4% £4.55 Daffy's Small Batch Premium Gin is made with grain spirit from northern France, which is then distilled using a copper pot still. The Scottish distillers use a selection of eight botanicals for Daffy's Gin, including juniper, Lebanese mint, coriander, angelica root, Spanish lemon and orange peels, cassia bark and orris root. It has been bottled at a very specific 43.4% ABV, as the distillers believe this to be the perfect strength for their expression - not excessively punchy, but with enough power behind it for balance and flavour.
HERNÖ 40.5% £4.75 "Swedish Excellence" is the tag line for this small batch offer from Herno. They won the most awards at the Gin Masters 2013 - incredibly smooth yet bags of flavour. Beautiful stuff!
WARNER EDWARDS, HARRINGTON DRY 44% £4.75 Produced on the Falls Farm in Northamptonshire by Warner Edwards, Harrington Dry is a delicious gin. It's based on barley spirit which is flavoured with eleven botanicals sourced from farms in Wales and England. These include juniper, elderflower and coriander. Wonderfully aromatic nose with an incredibly intense Eastern spice note. Notes of royal jelly, lavender and elderberries too, and perhaps just a hint of kola.
BATCH PREMIUM 40% £4.75 Batch Premium Gin features quite a varied selection of botanicals, including juniper, coriander seed, cinnamon bark, angelica root, lemongrass stalks, orange peel, cardamom, clove, crushed nutmeg and allspice. To this, they also add frankincense and myrrh, creating a very intriguing, almost mysterious flavour profile. ABV% 25ml
HAMMER & SONS OLD ENGLISH 44% £4.75 Made with 11 botanicals to a recipe from 1783 and distilled in the oldest working pot still in England! It's even presented in an oldy-timey fashion, in a recycled, wax sealed bottle. Lovely. BOBBY'S SCHIEDAM DRY 42% £4.75 A Dutch gin which was launched in 2014, Bobby's Schiedam Dry Gin features a recipe inspired by the creator's grandfather, Bobby Alfons. It's made with a combination of local and exotic ingredients, including juniper, clove, lemongrass, cubeb peppers and rosehips. Highlighting the meeting of Dutch and Indonesian flavours in the spirit, Bobby's Schiedam Dry Gin comes in a bottle which harks back to the style of vessel used to hold jenever, with a pattern inspired by Indonesian designs.
BATHTUB, CASK-AGED, NAVY STRENGTH PROFESSOR CORNELIUS AMPLEFORTH 57% £4.85 A 'does-what-it-says-on-the-tin' release from Professor Cornelius Ampleforth. Huge concentration, massive aroma & a big kick. It's made with the excellent Bathtub Gin Navy-Strength as a base, which not only has a higher abv than the regular Bathtub Gin, but a larger botanic hit due to the fact that the botanicals get all 'bashed up'. For up to 6 months it's then aged in small 50 litre casks (about a fifth of the size of a normal hogshead), offering a greater surface area to volume ratio, that in turn leads to greater interaction between spirit and wood.
WILLIAMS CHASE, SEVILLE ORANGE 40% £5.00 Using their apple cider based elegant gin as a base they then stir sweet Seville orange peel though it to create one of the most individual gin expressions on the market. Use it to make a very unique gin & tonic or a breakfast martini. MONKEY 47 47% £5.00 Made in the Black Forest in South West Germany. This gin uses one of the most unique blend of botanicals around. 47 different ingredients go into the secret recipe, one of which is referred to as the Black Forests' secret weapon. A sweet floral aroma, a hint of pepper and bitter fruit (cranberry) notes and then maturing in earthenware containers gives this gin a unique, deep balance. Quite simply, a must try for any gin lover. MOMBASA CLUB LONDON DRY 41.5% £5.00 Mombasa Club London Dry Gin tales its name from a private social club founded in 1885, whom imported gin from England to the island of Zanzibar for their members to enjoy. Mombasa Club London Dry Gin is made four times distilled and features a botanical selection that includes juniper, cassia bark, angelica root, coriander seed, clove and cumin, resulting in a bold, spicy flavour profile.
PLYMOUTH NAVY STRENGTH 57% £5.00 A very popular style of gin that legally must come from Plymouth. As apposed to the more famous London Dry which can actually be produced anywhere as the London Dry refers to the style rather than the geographical location. Plymouth gin has been supplied to the Royal Navy for almost 200 years so we thought it only proper to put this Navy Strength example on our list. A big powerful flavour. MASONS DRY YORKSHIRE GIN 42% £5.00 A London Dry Gin from God's Own County! Masons use Harrogate spring water for their gin along with juniper, a proportion of which is from their own bushes, and a combination of secret botanicals including citrus. Produced in small batches, it is a very unique gin in that is uses sugarbeet for its based and has a very strong black pepper and aniseed aroma and palate. The finish lasts for ages. Certainly makes a very unique G & T.
GREENHOOK GINSMITHS 47% £5.00 Greenhook Gin is produced in a custom built copper alembic still made to work with a mercury vacuum, which reduces atmospheric pressure in the still. The science pays off with a blend of elderflower, chamomile, cinnamon and smooth, subtle juniper. A fantastic American dry gin.
CREAM GIN 43.8% £5.00 A curious concoction based on cream gins that used to be served in the Victorian gin palaces. For this updated idea they use cold distillation & about 100ml of fresh cream per bottle as a botanical. Interesting as a cocktail ingredient but equally good in a simple G&T. Gives vanilla notes & smoothness on the palate. Served with a strawberry. ORTODOXY COLUMBIAN AGED GIN, DICTADOR 43% £5.00 An aged gin from the people who make Dictador Rum. After visiting the UK and enjoying what he decided to be God's drink (who can blame him?), he went about creating his own Colombian gin. He settled on a glorious recipe, rich with juniper, angelica and mint notes. After distillation, the Ortodoxy Gin is aged in used rum barrels. ABV% 25ml
SIPSMITHS VJOP 57.7% £5.00 V.J.O.P. (which stands for "Very Junipery Over Proof") is made in a similar way to Sipsmith's regular gin, except that the juniper has been cranked right up. With extra juniper added to the original recipe, even more is added while the gin is in Sipsmith's lovely pot still, and it's also vapour infused via their Carter Head. As if this wasn't enough to make the V.J.O.P. stand out in a crowd, it's also been bottled at 57.7% to give it a hefty, "junipery" kick.
GIN A' LA MONSIEUR 42.9% £5.00 Produced by The Jerry Thomas Project which is a famous cocktail bar in Italy. This Gin represents the rediscovery of a lost style of gin production called ‘Bathtub Gin’. These were gins produced illegally during the American Prohibition, either at home, at Speakeasies or in distilleries. The gins were often fairly poor quality, so the Jerry Thomas producers wanted to bring the concept of the Bathtub Gin back into being, but to a very high quality, using artisanal methods and high quality ingredients. Retracing the same techniques they use for their vermouth, the creation of the gin starts with blending a juniper distillate into an infusion of herbs and spices with the aim of obtaining a deep complexity of aromas. The gins are not industrially filtered and therefore they maintain their original amber colour gained from the spice infusion. The Gin a La Monsieur displays a classic juniper and citrus palate but to an amazing level for complexity. Truly wonderful.
GIN A' LA MADAME 42.9% £5.00 As above however this Gin a' la Madame is infused with an extra layer of sweeter spiced aromas of cinnamon, vanilla and wild rose. Our owners all time favorite gin EVER! BUTLERS 40% £5.00 This is one of our favourite new breed of gins. Made using the infusion method. The botanicals used include lemongrass, cardamom, fennel, star anise & lime. Small bags containing the botanicals are added to each 20ltr batch of gin. The result is a wonderful refreshing taste with a lime green tint. Try with 1724 tonic and cucumber. RANSOM AGED OLD TOM 44% £5.25 From the USA and developed in collabaration spirits historican David Wondrich to resemble the type of gin drunk in the 1800's. Aged for 3-6 months in wine barrels. Bright juniper and pine on the palate. Rather floral at points. The cardamom notes develop over time.Malty and alive with orange. Cedarwood pops up right at the end. A piece of gin history. FEW BARREL AGED 46.5% £5.25 Made in Illinois in the USA. Ageing in Oak barrels gives this gin a mellow almost sweet finish. In fact you would be inclined to think it was a Dutch Genever (which gin is said to derive from. Book one of our gin tastings to find out more). A wonderfully different taste. HALF HITCH 40% £5.25 Half Hitch Gin is bringing gin back to Camden. Produced in the former warehouse vaults of Camden Lock, Half Hitch gin is made with a gin base that is blended with tinctures of Malawian black tea, pepper, hay, English wood and bergamot. The name itself was inspired by the knots used to tie barges to the Lock. MONKEY 47 SLOE 40% £5.25 A wonderful looking bottle of a superb gin liqueur. Monkey 47 takes their award winning gin and macerates Black Forest sloes in the spirit for three months. It’s a big hit of peppery, tangy, complex flavours a mix of earthy, tangy juniper with rich, sweet red berries. Very refined and balanced with hints of almond. TANQUERAY OLD TOM 47.3% £5.50 A limited edition release of Tanqueray Old Tom Gin, based on a recipe from the Tanqueray distillery founder, Charles Tanqueray, which dates back to 1835. Old Tom gin was popular in the 18th century and is the core ingredient in many classic cocktails. Sweet and more aromatic than the better know example today.
ELEPHANT DRY 45% £5.50 Elephant Dry Gin is distilled in Germany using 14 botanicals that include some rather unusual but fascinating African ingredients like Baobab, the Buchu plant, Devil's Claw and African Wormwood. With the hand-crafted bottle, complete with cork stopper and an old fashioned map on the label, Elephant Dry Gin certainly captures the spirit of exploration. Also, you know how baby oil isn't made of babies? Elephant Dry Gin isn't made of elephants either. In fact, it's actually helping them survive, as 15% of the profits Elephant Gin make go to two African elephant foundations to support the preservation of the wildlife. ABV% 25ml
HERNO OLD TOM 43% £5.50 From the Swedish Hernö distillers comes a sweet, lip-smacking Old Tom Gin. They use the same botanical selection as their Hernö Dry Gin for this, although they've dialled up the amount of meadowsweet used. After distillation, they add a touch of honey and sugar, giving it the classic sweetness you look for in a traditional Old Tom Gin.
DODDS LONDON DRY 49.9% £5.75 Dodd's Gin is The London Distillery Company's first gin produced solely in London. The gin itself is made exclusively with organic botanicals, including juniper, angelica, fresh lime peel, cardamom, red raspberry leaf, bay laurel, and honey from The London Honey Company. HOP, EDEN MILL, ST ANDREWS 46% £5.75 Hop Gin, is a natural progression for Scotland’s first single site brewery & distillery. Fresh citrus and apricot aroma from Australian galaxy hops compliments the conventional botanicals including juniper, coriander and liquorice to produce a full flavoured refreshing gin. Very unique and very rare. OAK, EDEN MILL, ST ANDREWS 42% £5.75 Oak Gin marries the deep flavour from bourbon beer barrels with a unique gin designed to complement this fresh, young wood. Ageing in these selected casks gives their gin hints on the nose of slightly sweet oak and subtle juniper. You will also detect some slight vanilla and toffee hints on the pallet and a very smooth finish.
LOVE, EDEN MILL, ST ANDREWS A unique recipe incorporates five core botanicals and eight further, exotic 42% £5.75 flavours (including red rose petals, marshmallow root, goji berries and whole hibiscus flowers). The result is a subtle pink colour, a fruity, floral aroma, and a mellow red berry and citrus flavour. FERDINAND'S SAAR QUINCE 30% £5.75 A refreshing, fruity spirit from the Ferdinand's range, made with a similar composition to their Ferdinand's Saar Dry Gin, including 30 botanicals and combined with semi-sweet Riesling. However, this one has a little something extra at the core of its flavour profile - freshly-harvested quince, grown right next to the distillery. Presented as a regional homage to the British Sloe Gin.
LIVERPOOL 42% £5.75 From the city of Liverpool comes a highly aromatic organic gin! Liverpool Gin features a botanical selection which includes angelica, citrus and coriander, as well as hand-picked juniper berries. Rather lovely when served with watermelon or fresh orange and mint. FERDINAND'S SAAR DRY 44% £6.00 Ferdinand's Saar Dry Gin features a particularly intricate recipe, with 30 different botanicals in the mix, including thyme, sloe and rose hip, among (many) others. As if that wasn't enough, the German distillers add a very specific amount of fruity, semi-sweet Riesling. There's lots going on in Ferdinand's Saar Dry Gin, but it's all well balanced and yummy.
AUDEMUS, PINK PEPPER 44% £6.00 Audemus, from the heart of Cognac, make their Pink Pepper Gin with hand-picked pink peppercorns and a selection of other botanicals including honey, vanilla and cardamom, which are macerated separately then distilled under low pressure and temperature. It strikes a fine balance between sweetness and spiciness. OXLEY 47% £6.25 A very exceptional gin. Distilled under vacuum which means the distillate boils at -5°C which keeps many of the very subtle flavours from the botanicals which are often lost with the traditional boiling method. Because of this it has exceptional freshness and cleanness. Hints of lavender, almond & Marshmallow on the palate with a herbaceous and aromatic nose. Served with fresh pink grapefruit. Try it straight over ice. BEEFEATER BURROUGHS RESERVE 43% £7.50 Beefeater's Borrough's Reserve Gin is made to founder James Burrough's original 1860 recipe. Distilled by hand using his original 'Still number 12' with a 268 litre capacity, it is then rested in French oak barrels which used to contain Lillet - the first gin ever to do so. There are notes of citrus and subtle spice. Try it straight over ice. STRANE LONDON DRY UNCUT STRENGTH 75.3% £8.85 Well do you like HUGE flavour in your gin and do you like them very, very intense? Well, the Smögen distillers in Sweden have just the thing for you - they've gone and bottled their Strane London Dry Gin (made with botanicals including basil, garden mint, sage, lime rind and lemon flesh, among others) at 75.3% ABV. This makes a good cocktail ingredient, used in modest amounts to account for the additional strength and certainly not for the faint hearted if you're trying it in a G&T.