WHAT’S THE STORY?
ANYONE who has been in a pub in the last year will have struggled to miss the rise of gin. Where once there was a solitary bottle of Gordon’s or Beefeater there are now a plethora of choices for the discerning drinker.
Last year gin sales in the UK topped £1 billion for the first time – roughly 40 million bottles. Moreover, in the past two years around 100 new distilleries have started operating in the UK.
This weekend the Gin Festival will be bringing more than 100 gins to The Briggait in Glasgow. The celebration of all things juniper will also feature cocktails, food and tasting sessions with gin experts.
The event will run today and tomorrow and it isn’t just for pre-existing gin aficionados. People curious about gin but confused about where to start can be guided through a range of choices by expert bar staff.
WHY GIN?
SALES of premium alcohol are up across the spectrum with consumers apparently willing to pay slightly more for a better product and a greater choice.
Tom Grummett from the Gin Festival said: “I think the huge spectrum of flavours found in gins today has also had a huge impact on the drink's popularity, with small craft distillers using a plethora of botanicals to create unique and individual flavours.”
Scottish producers have been particularly keen to get on board with the new trend and that should come as no surprise, as Scotland’s penchant for whisky means the distilling expertise was already there and the necessary juniper berries plentiful. Scotland is, in fact, the world’s second biggest gin producer.
Scottish producers are also keen to use local ingredients to put a twist on their spirits. The Isle of Harris Gin is made using hand-harvested kelp while Arbike Gin in Angus uses jam berries farmed from the maker's own estates.
The number of possible ingredients that gin can accommodate is almost limitless so the variety of flavours available is capped only by the distiller’s imagination. The end result is that there are gins to suit an enormous range of palates.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
THE festival will also host its own dedicated Scottish bar where guests can sample the best Scotland has to offer.
As well as Glasgow’s own Makar gin, Grummett particularly recommends looking out for Lussa from Jura which he says tastes like “sweet tangerines”.
ICE AND SLICE
WHILE the traditional slice of lemon with a G&T hasn’t entirely gone out of fashion, attendees at the festival can expect to see more unconventional garnishes.
Grummet said: “The idea behind garnish in your gin is to help highlight or accentuate a particular flavour in the gin and so, with the massive variety of botanicals used in contemporary gins today, the choice for Garnish has the potential to be just as varied.
"The best thing to do at home, or in a bar if you’re unsure, is to simply taste the gin and see what flavours jump out at you then select a garnish based on this.”
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