Barr Hill Gin
When it comes to a martini, I roll hard-core old style. Pimento stuffed olive. Just a few drops of vermouth. Shaken, not stirred. Gin and glass straight out of the freezer. And, that gin is almost always Bombay Sapphire.
Barr Hill Gin
No. 3 London Dry Gin
No. 3 Gin
Berry Bros. & Rudd is a family-run British merchant founded in London in 1698. Since then, the company has grown from a small coffee shop into an international business with six offices worldwide.
The company started out selling coffee, and then diversified into cocoa, tea, snuff, spices, and other foreign goods, becoming one of London’s most fashionable grocers. Its West End location and close proximity to St James’s Palace also contributed to its growing popularity.
Today, the company offers an extensive range of wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône and Italy. Berry Bros. & Rudd has been the official wine supplier to the British Royal Family since the reign of King George III. They received their first Royal Warrant of Appointment in 1903 when they formulated a ginger liqueur to revive Edward VII from cold car journeys, still sold as The King’s Ginger. Queen Elizabeth II granted the company her royal warrant in 1995, and Charles, Prince of Wales granted his in 1998.
The company also offers wine investment opportunities, wine storage, wine tastings, events, and educational courses.
From 1923 to 2010 Berry Bros. & Rudd controlled Cutty Sark Scotch whisky, whose yellow label is famous the world over.
Once Berry Bros. & Rudd decided to try their hand at gin, it took a team of spirit specialists 730 days to refine and create No. 3 Gin.
The key prominently displayed on the bottle is a replica of that to The Parlour, one of the oldest rooms in the Berry Bros. shop. Chairman Simon Berry says that the key is a symbol of trust; a promise, as it were, that the gin is what customers would expect from such an establishment. The high-shouldered green bottle is inspired from the open pontil gin bottles that date back to 17th century.
Each batch is presided over by distiller Dr. Clutton, who starts by weighing and blending the six botanicals (grapefruit peel, orange peel, coriander, cardamom, juniper berries, and angelica root) in the recipe. They are then added to the still and steeped for over 16 hours in pure grain spirit. The next day, the distillation begins and lasts over seven hours. The ‘heart’ of the distillate is then collected. Finally, No. 3 is diluted to 46% ABV (the producer claims this is “the ideal amount”), and bottled.
No. 3 London Dry Gin
This gin opens with crisp and fresh grapefruit, with forest-like juniper. The piney juniper continues on the palate, correctly, supported by floral notes and hints of spicy cardamom. There’s plenty of citrus ‘zing’ complemented by the gingery spiciness of the coriander. It all ends with the earthy dryness of angelica. The whole package is quite smooth and balanced. But remember that 46% ABV, and drink responsibly. This is high-octane stuff, and that smoothness can fool you if you’re not careful.
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Gabriel Boudier Saffron Infused Gin
Boudier Saffron Gin
In 1909, Gabriel Boudier took over the house of Fontbonne, founded in 1874, and renamed it after himself. He established the business at Boulevard de Strasbourg in Dijon, France, where it continued to thrive until his death in 1918.
In 1936, his widow sold the house to Marcel Battault, who decided not to change the trading name because of its high-quality reputation, He, in turn, handed the business to his nephew Pierre in 1941. In the years since, four more Battaults, Jean, Yves, Francois, and Claire have joined the firm and enjoyed the company’s penchant for nepotism.
Boudier makes a comprehensive line of Crème de Cassis de Dijon, for which they are most famous, Crème de Fruits, eaux de vie (unaged brandy), liqueurs, and the saffron-infused gin which we’re focusing on here.
Introduced in to the US market in 2008, Boudier Saffron Infused Gin is based on a artisanal colonial French recipe rediscovered in the Boudier archives. It is distilled in small batches using a traditional pot still.
The saffron in this dramatically golden-orange-hued gin is more subtle than its appearance suggests (it is artificially colored). The saffron adds a nuanced spiciness and slightly-honeyed balance to the traditional gin botanicals of juniper, coriander, lemon, orange peel, and fennel.
What to do with this unusual spirit? Here’s one idea:
Saffron Peach Cocktail
3 oz. GB Saffron gin
1 oz. peach syrup
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. agave nectar
Shake and garnish with a fresh peach slice.
A few other ways to enjoy this unique gin are ‘up’ in a martini glass (skip the vermouth); on the rocks; mixed with tonic and garnished with an orange wedge; or to put a new twist on a Negroni. 80 proof.
www.boudier.com/en/produit/saffron-gin/
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Martin Miller’s Gin
Martin Miller’s Gin
Martin Miller was an English multi-millionaire, entrepreneur, connoisseur, and self-described enthusiast of “leggy women, cigarettes, and gin.” The restless Miller built his fortune on guides to antiques, investing, and real estate ventures.
In 1999, he decided to expand into spirits. At the time, premium vodkas were being introduced at a prolific rate, while gin languished. Determined to rectify that, Miller introduced the eponymous Martin Miller’s Gin.
Miller’s is batch distilled, like malt whiskey, in a 100-year-old still named Angela. The recipe features the requisite juniper, plus lemon, lime, Seville orange peel, coriander, licorice, cinnamon, cassia, and nutmeg. After distillation, the cask-strength spirit is shipped to Iceland, where it is cut with water from the local glaciers.
The Miller’s Gin flavor profile is in the traditional English style. First comes the green pine of the juniper, quickly followed by the citrus component. The finish is smooth, with just a hint of the sweetness found in superior gins.
Miller’s is offered as an 80 proof bottling, as well as a 90.4 proof “Westbourne Strength.”
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