Simple cocktails slip down a treat on a summer’s evening and where better to start than mother’s ruin? After all, says Margaret Clancy, it’s five o’clock somewhere…
Remember when it was the stockbrokers who made all the money in the Square Mile? When Surrey, where they all allegedly lived, was known colloquially as the Gin & Tonic Belt? It seems a long time ago and the image is somewhat out of date. But maybe it’ll make a comeback – who knows? Certainly, gin has bounced back into fashion, and there’s a lot more that you can do with it than just serve it with ice and a slice.
I first came across the new wave gin and tonics in Barcelona, where fashionable bars have been serving the drink in huge balloon glasses, garnished with cucumber, a little crushed juniper and a herb or two for years, and it’s been very gratifying to see this stylish version of G&T arrive on these shores. Next time you’re in a fashionable bar, ask for one and enjoy the result – the drink has come a long way.
However, it’s all very well sipping a G&T every now and then, but getting through the whole bottle can take years. So I have a couple suggestions for you...
Firstly, buy the right gin. Gin is a distilled spirit, so it doesn’t go off, but if you’re going to have a bottle sitting around for some time, make sure it’s a stylish one even if it costs a little more – drinking it feels more special and it’ll impress your guests. My two suggestions have all the caché of smart boutique brands, but they’re widely available and what’s more, they’re made locally, so you’re smugly saving gin miles as well.
Sipsmith's distillery
Sipsmith, based in Chiswick, was at the forefront of the new gin movement in this country. The people who run it are gin evangelists but happily, not purists. Their gins are delicate and aromatic enough to be sipped on their own, but they’re well aware that most of us will mix them with other ingredients to make cocktails. They make several different styles and flavours, but their flagship gin in its no-nonsense clear glass bottle (around £30 for 70cl) is the one to go for.
Slightly more expensive is the Surrey Hills’ very own Silent Pool (around £35 per 70cl bottle). Made on the Duke of Northumberland’s Albury Estate, it’s perfectly placed in the gin belt. It’s such a beautiful bottle, all turquoise and gold, that it’s almost a shame to delve inside, but the gin itself, slightly floral with a hint of lemon at the end, is more than worth a try.
willwhite
My other suggestion is that once you’ve bought the bottle, have a go at making different cocktails. I find that adding a little more bitterness works incredibly well and makes a lovely cooling drink on a warm day, and I have a soft spot for something pink in my glass during the summer months.
Thirsty for another great piece on alcohol? You can check out our round up of the best gin distilleries in Surrey & SW London by clicking here
Firstly, there’s the Classic Pink Gin. Put some crushed ice into a glass and shake a little angostura into it, so the ice looks a little coloured. Swirl it round and then throw away the melted water and put the ice into a cocktail shaker. Add the gin, shake and strain into the original glass. Serve with a twist of orange peel. Very sophisticated!
Then there’s the Bem and Pink Gin, my summer signature drink. Make a gin and tonic as normal, but add a slosh of Campari to the mix. A good slice of orange and lime works wonders.
Lastly, and for those who find Campari a little too much, try its younger brother Aperol. Spritzes may be all the rage, but I find gin, tonic for fizz, a little Aperol and a top-up of orange juice pretty hard to beat.
Tonic and gin
Along with the gin renaissance in this country, there has also been a boom in the mixer industry; gone are the days when Schweppes was the only fizz kid on the block. One brand that has enjoyed a recent boost in popularity is Franklin & Sons, which began life as a confectioners in Rickmansworth in 1886, soon branching out into soft drinks with ginger beer in 1890.
Sadly the original company ceased to exist in 1989 but its recent relaunch features a drinks cabinet worthy array of top mixers for gin: ginger ale (fantastic with Warner Edwards Rhubarb Gin, £31.99 or Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin, from £23); Sicilian Lemon Tonic (a perfect match for sweet sloe gin – try Sipsmith’s, from £21.45); Natural Indian Tonic Water (mixes well with most gins, including City of London Distillery No 1 Dry Gin, £33.95) and Natural Light Tonic Water, which is a perfect match for Silent Pool or my favourite, Hendrick’s, from £27.95. (Words by Fiona Adams)
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