Gin continues to be one of the world’s fastest growing spirits; in fact last year alone, British drinkers consumed the equivalent of 1.12 billion G&T’s.
There has never been a better time for new ways to enjoy the spirit, from exploring new brands to trying new garnishes and tonics; there are literally 000’s of options available to you.
When we opened The Red Fox in 2014, we had 10 gins on the bar, today we are super proud of our growing collection, which now features over 130 bottles. Following the success of our recent beer festival, we decided it was time to celebrate our gin collection. Over the weekend of 1st & 2nd July we will have a marquee rammed with gin, the BBQ will be fired up and we will have live music and lawn games. No tickets are needed and admission is free.
Here is a guide to some of our current favourite gins:
Botanist – Scotland
An exciting and unusual gin from my favourite whisky distillery ‘Bruichladdich’. The Botanist contains no fewer than 31 botanicals, of which 22 are native to Islay itself. A floral gin with a lovely minty freshness at the end. Personally I love this served with plenty of ice, Fever Tree elderflower tonic and a sprig of rosemary.
Malfy – Italy
Made in Turin using lemons grown in Sicily and on the Amalfi coast, as well as botanicals including juniper, coriander, angelica and cassia bark. The result is a refreshing gin with a strong lemon sherbet mouth feel. Try this with some fresh thyme and a Fever Tree tonic, for more of a herbal style, whilst keeping the Mediterranean feel.
Pinkster – England
Pinkster is a British Gin with a lot of character and a lot of raspberries. First launched in July 2013, 5 botanicals are used to create this gin before its hand-steeped in fresh raspberries. This is a gin that has a raspberry twist rather than being a raspberry gin and the berries are actually quite subtle on the nose, while juniper stands its ground with a hint of pepper. Try this with tonic, a raspberry and a sprig of fresh mint.
Manchester Three Rivers – England
Manchester’s first ever city centre Gin Distillery; launched in 2016 – this is a well-balanced Premium Gin that is handcrafted in small batches. I would describe this very much as a modern gin, it’s well-balanced with a combination of 11 botanicals with a particularly smooth mouth-feel and a unique sweetness derived from vanilla, cinnamon, almond and oats. Serve with tonic, lots of ice and two fresh cherries for a lovely summery drink.
Brecon Gin – Wales
Another gin from a whisky producer – this one from Penderyn Distillery. Using botanicals from the four corners of the world and bottled using mineral water from the Beacons National Park from where the gin takes its name. There is a richness in flavour and a citrus hit that balances out the spices, I get hints of spicy cinnamon, which creates an interesting gin, that I believe lends itself to a simple serve of tonic and lime.
The Red Fox Gin
I can’t finish without a mention of our own gin, which we have made exclusively for us. We came up with a recipe, which created a floral led English gin featuring a special tea infusion and a hint of heather provides a wonderfully smooth finish. We recommend a simple serve of lots of ice, Fever Tree tonic and a slice of lemon.
