Beverage Dynamics

Beverage Dynamics July-August 2015

Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.

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Gin www.beveragedynamics.com July/August 2015 • Beverage Dynamics 31 The brand's range also includes Uncle Val's Restorative Gin, which is crafted in the same manner as American compounded gins, a traditional style of gin at the height of popularity leading up to Prohibition. The botanicals used to fl avor and aromatize compounded gins are infused into neutral grain spirits after dis- tillation, whereas with a conventional London Dry Gin, the botanicals are introduced during distillation. The original—Uncle Val's Botanical Gin—is a classically structured spirit with a few creative twists. Its proprietary mix includes, among others, lavender, sage, lemon peels and cu- cumber. Some botanicals steep longer in the alcohol than oth- ers to impart a more pronounced fl avor and aroma. All told, the gin undergoes fi ve distillations in a copper pot still. Bulldog London Dry Gin is an ultra-premium spirit pro- duced in small copper pot stills from English grain and a proprietary blend of 12 aromatics. In addition to juni- per berries, the invigorating botanical mix includes poppies, lotus leaves, licorice, lavender and Longan, or Dragon Eye, a fruit indigenous to Southeast Asia long renown for its aphrodisiac properties. The gin is delicately fi ltered three times for es- sential purity before being bottled at 80 proof. "We're seeing new consumers actually moving away from the traditional brands with their standard botanicals and heavy juniper focus and moving to- wards more individualistic gins," comments Rosie Lee, Bull- dog's national American brand manager. "While a traditional London Dry is distilled at 94 proof, Bulldog has dialed back the alcohol content to 80 proof, creating a much more mixable and approachable spirit. Beyond this, we've shifted the focus in the botanical mix from juniper and coriander to more inter- esting fl avors like lotus leaves, dragon eye and white poppy." RECENT RELEASES London No. 1 Gin is made by the 180-year old fi rm of González Byass, the renowned Spanish winery, makers of Sherries and brandies in Jerez. Few brands can claim such a lofty pedigree. Another point of distinction is the gin's intriguing blue hue. During development, the brand team discovered that adding gardenia fl ower extract to the botanical mix imbued the fi nished gin with a turquoise hue and the en- ticing aroma of jasmine. London No. 1 is produced in Lon- don under the direction of 8th generation Master Distiller Charles Maxwell. It is quadruple-distilled in a copper pot still with a 13 botanical mix that includes juniper berries, orange peel and bergamot. For those who seriously appreciate the attraction of a traditional London Dry Gin, a small London micro-distillery has released ple. This super-premium release is handcrafted in the Scot- tish Highlands using a handful of botanicals indigenous to the Speyside and pristine spring water drawn from the surround- ing boreal forest. So if you're looking for a singular gin experi- ence, Celtic-borne Caorunn is just the ticket. The brand is distilled in small batches by famed whisky producer, Balmenach Distillery. There, gin master Simon Buley assembles a botanical blend featuring six traditional botanicals—juniper, orange peels, coriander seeds, cassia bark, angelica root, lemon peels—and fi ve native to the Speyside. "Caorunn is Gaelic for "rowan berry," which thrives on the hills and rocky, peaty soil of the Speyside and adds notes of bitterness to the fl avor profi le," says Caorunn Global Brand Manager Ibolya Bakos-Tonner. "The botanical blend also in- cludes coul blush apple, dandelion, bog myrtle and Scottish heather. The combination of these fi ve ingredients, in addition to the six traditional botan- icals, work in harmony to create the balanced and delicate fruit and fl oral notes that defi ne Caorunn." Another innovative brand—Brock- mans Premium Gin—contains botani- cals not normally found in a London Dry Gin. Produced in small batches, Brockmans is made on a foundation of continuously distilled, neutral grain spirits. The all-important botanical mix includes—among others—coriander, angelica, orange peels and juniper berries from Tuscany. The botanicals are steeped in the pure grain spirits for 24 hours prior to it being batch distilled in a copper alembic still that's well over 100 years old. And there's a creative twist. After the second distillation, the spirits are infused with wild mountain blueberries and blackber- ries from northern Europe. The fruit imbues Brockmans and smoothness uncommon in distilled spirits. "In Brockmans you get less of the pine and lavender nose as we let other tastes come to the forefront," says Bob Fowkes, co-founder and director of Brockmans Gin. "Our fl oral notes are quite unique in that we use blue- berries and blackberries from Northern Europe as our top notes combined with the coriander from Bulgaria and orange and lemon peel from Murcia in Spain. The coriander imparts a tangy/sage fl avor whilst the citrus provides sharpness and refreshment. The overall effect is an intensely smooth gin that appeals more broadly to emerging gin consumers who may have rejected the juni- per-led style of gins in the past." If your batteries are running low, treat yourself to a dram of artisanal Uncle Val's Peppered Gin. The gin is infused with four highly distinctive bo- tanicals—juniper berries, roasted red bell peppers, black peppercorns and pimentos, which are also referred to as cherry peppers. The resurgence of the cocktail has attracted smaller artisanal brands of gin to enter the marketplace. London No. 1 Gin is made by the 180-year old fi rm of González Byass, the renowned Spanish winery, makers of Sherries and brandies in Jerez. Few brands can claim such a lofty pedigree. Another point of distinction is the gin's intriguing blue hue. During development, the brand team discovered that adding gardenia as we let other tastes come to the forefront," says Bob Fowkes, co-founder and director of Brockmans Gin. "Our fl oral notes are quite unique in that we use blue- berries and blackberries from Northern Europe as our top notes combined with the coriander from Bulgaria and orange and lemon peel from Murcia in Spain. The coriander imparts a tangy/sage fl avor whilst

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