Flying Spatula

Saturday March 25th was not only my husband’s birthday, but it was my first ever visit to a Gin Festival.  As him indoors is known to be quite fond of the old gin, it seemed like a grand day out as a birthday treat and an opportunity for both of us to experience something different.  I am normally more of a vodka lass myself, but I am always up for a challenge.  I had booked a pair of tickets for the afternoon session, which promised to be 5 hours of gin-based entertainment for the pair of us in the company of the similarly epi-curious gin lovers of Cambridge.  And here they all are….

  
Unfortunately there was a bit of a faff getting into the venue.  A huge queue was building up outside of enthusiastic gin-o-philes raring to get in and start sampling the array of bottles they were imagining lay inside.  We were allowed in in groups and as we neared the hallowed halls we were each handed a canvas bag and asked to pause for a short briefing.  The bag continued all we needed to enjoy the festival – our own tasting glass, a card  which would get us 4 tiny (but free) samples, a fridge magnet (!) and most importantly, the Gin Bible.   This Bible held details of all the available gins accompanied by short tasting notes on what each would offer the curious palate, a suggested garnish pairing, an idea of from whence said gin had come in the form of a flag, and a picture of the bottle just in case.  Armed with our gin bibles and after paying £20 each for another card which would get us 4 full-sized gins with a mixer of your choice, we entered the fray…

Well we entered the fray and started with a good old British dither.  Honestly, the range of bottles in front of me was so vast, I just didn’t know where to start – which I have to say is unusual for me.  So I referred to the gin bible and looked for something that stood out.   Something that spoke to me…  So obviously I started with a tiny (but free) sample of an English gin called Batshit Mental…  This was an interesting choice as it looked (due to its golden colour), and more surprisingly tasted, like more of a whisky than a gin.  Having broken my duck I felt more ready for a proper drink.

I do have moments of extreme girliness on occasion, and this was one of those occasions.  I was drawn to a pretty bottle and something that promised me it would change colour – it must be unicorn gin!  Shariah Blue Magic Gin comes from Portugal and changes colour on contact with tonic water.  This I had to see.  And taste obviously!

   
As you can also see, it is indeed blue in the bottle (because of extracts of a flower known as the blue pea) and it did change to a lightly blushing pink when the tonic was added.  Garnished with a slice of apple and some shards of cinnamon, this was a good deal more pleasant that such a gimmick might have suggested.  It made a thoroughly pleasant, refreshing and easy start to the afternoon, although I would recommend anyone garnishing a G&T with cinnamon to use a quill rather than shards.  Shards travel right up your straw and get stuck in your teeth.

After consulting the bible for a second time, I decided that the Whitley Neil Quince gin sounded like my thing, but also that I needed a tiny (but free) taste of the Nelson’s Rhubard and Custard Gin.  As I stood waiting to be served, I was accosted by a former neighbour, good friend and well-known Italian gin aficionado who we suspected (but hadn’t known) would be at the same festival.  I took my eye briefly off the bar, something which I later realised was the reason they gave you the pictures of the bottle.  It was only once I tasted my second G&T that what I had been given was the original Whitley Neil recipe, rather than the Quince which I had been coveting.  As for the Rhubarb and Custard, I’m not sure I would recommend it.  The list of botanicals in the tasting notes would indicate that this should be an entirely natural flavour, but it tasted to me as if rhubarb and custard sweets had been gently dissolved in.  I was just happy it was free. And tiny.

The Whitley Neil went down rather well however.  It was strong, spicy and lightly citrusy – refreshing and perfect for catching up with both of our former neighbours and their significant others (long story).  Obviously I was disappointed that this wasn’t the Quince to which I had been so drawn, but I felt no disappointment.  There was still so much left to taste.

As a group, we now numbered six.  This was effectively a well-organised tasting posse, comfortable enough in each other’s company to taste each other’s properly sized G&Ts as well as the tiny (but free) tasters.  We were thus able to get through six times as many gins (collectively of course).  The down side was that I simply didn’t have time to record it all in a lot of detail so I will concentrate on what I chose and add a few notes at the end from the rest of the group.  I forgot to mention that whilst this was all happening, three live singers were also employed to add ambience to the proceedings.  Needless to say, that as the afternoon wore on (as did the gin) the atmosphere became more conducive and the applause for the entertainment more appreciative.  I too have played gigs like this (long ago in a previous life) and so I myself tried hard to ensure that the artists knew they were not alone…

By now it was time for another gin.  This time I tore myself away form gins labelled J-Z and returned to the early part of the alphabet, having recovered from the Batshit Mental I tried earlier.   My years of service in Her Majesty’s Royal Air Force and 18 months in Texas drew me to an American Gin called Aviation.  This promised a Dutch style with an interesting list of botanicals including lavender, anise and sarsaparilla.  Although the suggested garnish was lavender, I noticed that the suggested pairings were not being religiously applied by the bar staff.  This was probably down to the sheer weight of numbers of increasingly thirsty gin-lovers bearing down upon them.  Aviation also promised a long and extremely clean finish – I found it almost creamy to the taste and not overtly gin-ny (if that is a word).  I was so impressed I passed on the recommendation to a work friend I bumped into who had recently arrived with his parents.  I am subsequently informed that Aviation is his Mum’s new favourite.  I should also mention at this point that I tried a tiny (but free) taster of Geranium Gin, a London Dry style flavoured with well, geranium.  I have scribbled “Strong and powerfully floral” against the short tasting notes in the gin bible and this just about says it all.  I think it would make a good summer drink.

By the way, I can promise you that each of these pictures is perfectly in sequence with the paragraph beside it.  The handwriting in my notebook began to suffer a little, but my pictorial recording remained sound.  Once again, I opened the gin bible and looked for inspiration.  This time it came in the form of Hedgehog Gin Ron de Jeremy.  To quote the tasting notes in the bible, this Dutch gin “is made with botanicals including damiana, ginseng and guaranteed (which are of course described as ‘mojo botanicals & hot love herbs’ on the label)”.  Well, how could a girl resist?  The concept of “mojo botanicals & hot love herbs” had obviously triggered something in my psyche whilst sipping my Hedgehog (sounds so wrong I know) as I appear to have recorded this one using the immortal words of Steppenwolf ie “Get your motor running…” (I’m on number 4 by now, remember).  In my defence, this is followed by the words “clean and delicious – definitely moreish” so I hadn’t totally forgotten my mission.  There was something a little different about this gin, not something that one could immediately put a finger on, but it did seem to win universal acclaim from our assembled gin posse.
Not one to give up once I have my eye on a prize, I resolved that a G&T containing the Whitley Neil Quince Gin would indeed be mine.   This time I kept a close watch to ensure that the correct bottle was acquired in the construction of my drink.

Finally! This had a refreshing burst of fantastic fruity flavour and instantly became one of my new favourite drinks.  In fact, so refreshed was I that I nearly forgot to take its picture until I was halfway down the glass.  I had also successfully acquired my final tiny (but free) taster – the JJ Whitley Elderflower Gin which I can safely describe as “floral and yummy”.  Definitely the kind of thing that could be drunk with an appropriate mixer, or even without.  I could also see it pairing nicely with some apple juice, perhaps topped off with a dash of prosecco.  One for a future post – I’ll let you know how it turns out!

By this time, the gin posse were on the home straight.  A second voucher card had been purchased by each couple, there was occasional singing along with the entertainment and some individuals had started drawing slightly rude pictures on other people’s gin bibles.  It was against this backdrop that I made my final foray to the gin bars.  Apart from the pleasant Portuguese unicorn gin with which I had started the afternoon, I hadn’t yet tried a truly pink one.  My “rose du jour” was the eminently English Edgerton Original Pink Gin.  This time the barman suggested that I mix it with the lemon tonic and I accepted.

Edgerton is a pink gin made in London “using 15 botanicals including classics like sweet orange peel, angelica and coriander, including Grains of Paradise and damiana”.  Once again I was not disappointed and this rounded off the afternoon’s sampling nicely.  The addition of the lemon tonic was also a winner and my Italian friends informed me that it tasted a little like a Gin-lemon from back home.  In any case, this was another gin which can be confidently recommended as a crowd-pleaser with what we all hope will be a barbecue summer coming up.

My husband’s favourite was the Chase gin, described as “very classic” – so classic in fact that I discovered he had ordered 2 bottles for delivery as they had run out behind the bar. This was whilst I was acquiring a bottle of Quince and ordering one of Edgerton of course!

A few other selected comments:

• Citadelle (France) – mild but quite citrussy
• Dactari (Germany) – very nice flavour 
• Edinburgh Rhubarb & Ginger (Scotland) – great paired with ginger beer and a favourite with one of our group who would normally drink less gin than some of the others (he did very well though considering!)
• Elephant (Germany) – very good – favourite of at least one of our group I think
• Fordington (England) – very nice (this was a recommendation from late in the afternoon so short on wordage)
• Hoxton (England) – amazing coconut flavour with citrus – everyone liked this one
• Jinzu (Scotland – although label has hints of Japanese) – includes sake and tutu and was quite popular
• Malfy (Italy) – a bit lemony for most to call it a proper gin
• Masons Yorkshire Tea Gin (England) – tastes of tea.  Slightly bizarre but definitely tea.  A great breakfast gin?
• Mombasa Club Gin (England) – universally popular with the posse
• Nginious Smoked & Salted Gin (Switzerland) – I found it odd and a bit too salty for me
• Puerto de Indias Strawberry Gin (Spain) – a definite favourite with at least one of the ladies in our group.
• Saffron Gin Gabriel Boudier (France) – distinctive, smooth and earthy.  Only for those who like saffron.
• Scapegrace (New Zealand) – Very dry but very nice.
• Silent Pool (England) – deep and rich, lavender and violets.
• Xolato Chocolate Gin (Colombia) – no words but the people sampling it seemed happy enough to draw rather rude pictures next to the description so I guess they were happy enough.  I tasted it and it definitely tasted of cocoa beans.  In a good way I might add.

I’m not sure that I necessarily got everyone’s comments but I can assure you that we all had a fantastic afternoon.  Definitely one to recommend if you see one advertised near you.  

Prepare to be amazed, challenged, and maybe a little sozzled..

MC

PS I have to confess I have also acquired a bottle of the JJ Whitley Elderflower after the event.