Downton Dispatches — Botanicals

The Gin Foundry started the original gin Advent calendar.

It began one cold, dark winter night when they realised that no one made a gin-filled Advent calendar. To resolve the deplorable absence of our precious juniper spirit during the season of festivities, they designed, crafted and installed a 2 x 2 metre calendar in a central London bar and each day opened a new door. They celebrated the gin inside by serving up G&Ts and cocktails, as well as hosting tastings and generally sharing the gin love.

The calendar was an instant hit and they were flooded with requests to miniaturise it in order to spread the festive cheer by making it available for all to enjoy in their homes. Not everyone can get to London, apparently, and this was an idea that needed to be democratised. The rest, as they say, is history and seven years on the Ginvent Calendars have gone global…

So what’s inside?

Each year, Gin Foundry select 24 Gins that provide a snapshot of the category’s depth, diversity and global reach. They are each bottled in 24 individual hand waxed drams, containing 30ml each. They scour countries in search of the very best, the most unusual, the most progressive and – of utmost importance – the most sublimely delicious gins.

They also make an effort to showcase all types of producers, celebrating the artisanal, craft makers while providing a unique chance to compare them in context to some of the familiar, more established names. It’s a chance to really discover the very best the category has to offer and will challenge your preconceptions as it titillates your taste buds.

The grapefruit is a hybrid of sweet orange and pomelo, which is another gin botanical used by distillers. The grapefruit brings a light, zesty sweetness to the flavour profile.

Facts about Grapefruit:

Scientific Name: Citrus × Paradisi

Common Name: Grapefruit

Origin: Barbados

Height of Plant: The grapefruit 5–6 meters tall though can grow to 13m and live for up to 50m

History:

It was created in Barbados when the sweet orange and pomelo were accidentally bred together. Both ancestors of the grapefruit were introduced from Asia in the seventeenth century. The fruit was first documented in 1750 by a Welshman, Rev. Griffith Hughes, who described specimens from Barbados in The Natural History of Barbados.

When found, it was named the “forbidden fruit”; and frequently, it has been misidentified with the pomelo. It wasn’t until the 1800s that a Jamaican farmer coined the term “grapefruit.”

The name grapefruit first appeared in English in a work by botanist John Lunan, Hortus Jamaicanensis (1814). While the name apparently arose because the fruit grows in grape-like clusters and can imaginatively be looked at as grapes when small and green, Lunan had stated that it was “known by the name of grape-fruit, on account of its resemblance in flavour to the grape.”

Botanically, the grapefruit was not distinguished from the pomelo until the 1830s, when it was given the name Citrus paradisi. Its true origins were not determined until the 1940s. This led to the official name being altered to Citrus × paradisi.

What it adds to Explorer’s Gin:

The flesh is segmented and acidic, varying in colour depending on the cultivars, which include white, pink, and red pulps and flavours range from highly acidic and somewhat sour, to sweet and tart.

Explorer’s Gin

Grapefruit was always going to be part of the botanical bill, bringing those bright, fresh and tart essential oils that enliven the spirit. We use both cut peel and fresh grapefruits in our process. The grapefruit are peeled and cut up and added to the onion head, where the ethanol vapours then infuse with these wonderful oils.

The definition of 'zingy' is someone or something full of zest that is full of flavour and brings spark and life to something. This is exactly what the lemon does to Explorer's Gin.

Facts about Lemon:

Scientific Name: Citrus Limon

Common Name: Lemon

Origin: North East India

Height of Plant: The lemon tree can grow to 4m in height, some of the genus are self pollinating.

History:

The origin of the lemon is unknown, though it is thought they originated in Assam (Northeast India) and were a hybrid between the sour orange and citron (Citrus medica). The latter should not be confused with the French word ‘citron’ (Lemon).

Lemons arrived in Europe via Italy in the 2^nd Century AD by the Romans. They then started being cultivated and traded by Genoa in 15^th Century.

The lemon was later introduced to the Americas in 1493 when Christopher Columbus brought lemon seeds to Hispaniola on his voyages. It was mainly used as an ornamental plant and for medicine.

Citrus was also responsible in 1747 in helping cure scurvy which had been responsible for killing both seamen and the early explorers. It was James Lind's experiments on seamen suffering from scurvy that resolved this fatal condition.

In the 19th century, lemons were increasingly planted in the North America within the citrus plantations.

 The Science behind the sourness:

People remember their first interaction with lemon due to its tartness. This is because they contain citric acid, which is a weak organic acid found in many fruits and vegetables.

The tip of your tongue senses sweet and salty foods, while the back of your tongue senses bitter flavours. When you bite into a lemon, the citric acid activates taste buds along the sides and centre of your tongue. These taste buds let your brain know that lemon is sour.

Explorer’s Gin

Lemon was always going to be part of the botanical bill. In my mind it is bright, fresh, tart, zingy bringing those essential oils that liven it up. But it’s the peel that is wanted not the white pith. The white pith is both bitter and also adds an unpleasant flavour if used too much. Our lemons come from both Turkey and Italy. The Turkish lemon is cut and added to the pot whilst the Italian lemons are fresh. These are peeled and cut up and added to the onion head, where the ethanol vapours then infuse with these wonderful oils.

Szechuan pepper provides the warmth and spice in Explorer’s Gin. It originated from China and has been used in culinary foods since the 14^th century. 

Most people will remember their first encounter with this little peppercorn. You might have been happily tucking into your savoury, spicy dish when suddenly you’re not sure you taste anything anymore. You get a tingling sensation on your lips, which is followed by a numbness of your tongue. A citrus flavour on the tongue switches suddenly to eucalyptus and mint. Did I mention it’s electric? The smell is very fragrant, intoxicating and lemony. Albeit small, it packs a mighty punch, although it’s not as hot as black or white pepper. 

Facts about Szechuan Peppercorns:

Scientific Name:  Zanthoxylum (a member of the citrus family)

Common name: Sichuan pepper, Chinese Coriander, Mala or Timor berry

Family: Rutaceae

Origin: China – Szechuan Province

Height: Plants can grow up to 4m high and have ash like leaves. They produce small yellow flowers in the early summer.

History:

The Szechuan peppercorn originates from Northern China. Sichuan is notoriously wet in winter, and the summers are very hot. To counteract the humid weather, the Sichuanese people have historically spiked their diet with warming foods like garlic, ginger and Szechuan pepper, making it an essential part of the regional cuisine.

It may also surprise you to learn that Szechuan peppercorn isn't really a pepper at all. It doesn't come from Piper nigrum as does black pepper (native to India).  In fact, the peppers are the dried red-brown berries of the prickly ash tree.

The Science behind the tingly sensation:

So what is behind this strange phenomenon, scientifically known as paraesthesia? Scientists believe that it has something to do with a molecule called hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, which is present in the pepper corns. This molecule interacts with our cell receptors differently than capsaicin, which is the active ingredient that causes chillies to produce a burning sensation in our mouths.

While capsaicin triggers the same receptors that are activated when we’re burned by excessive heat, the active chemical in Sichuan peppercorns excites tactile sensors in our lips and mouths—in other words, you feel the taste of the pepper as though your lips are being physically touched by something vibrating quickly, causing that numbness associated with eating Sichuan peppercorn.

The active ingredient, sanshool, causes a vibration on the lips measured at 50 hertz, the same frequency as the power grid in most parts of the world, according to a 2013 study at University College London.

Explorer’s Gin

Peppers were always going to be part of the botanical bill and so I started to research which types would work with the other botanicals in my recipe. A Chinese writer called H Wang stated, “In Sichuan, it has been written that eating spicy food has come to be regarded as an indication of such personal characteristics as courage, valour and endurance, all essential qualities of the adventurous spirit.” This sealed the deal!

Working with the fresh, zesty and aromatic character of Szechuan was tricky at first. Too much and its taste would dominate the distillate; too little and you wouldn’t taste anything amongst the other botanicals. After a lot of experimenting I have finally found the right balance. I hope that, when sipping your Explorer’s gin, you can taste its character showing through on your nose and on your palate, and that you get the ‘essential qualities of the adventurous spirit’!

Discover Western Red Cedar

On the grounds of Downton Manor House grows a very old tree who reminds me of 'Tree Beard', an Ent who appears in the Lord of the Rings. He towers over the other trees, with his branches swinging low, his bark like brown plated steel. His pose and grace reflect wisdom and knowledge and when you run your hands through his scales, the most wonderful sweet aroma fills the air, making you think of pear drops. This is our 'Red Beard'.

Facts about 'Red Beard'

Scientific name: Thuja plicata

Common name: Western Red Cedar

Family: Cupressaceae

Origin: It came to England in 1852 from the West Coast of America (Oregon)

Height: Can grow up to 70m high and can live up to 1,000 years.

Smell: Crush the leaves between your fingers to release the wonderful oils, which smell citrusy and of pineapple.

Did you know that largest known western red cedar in the world, the Quinault Lake Red Cedar; has a wood volume of 17,700 cubic feet or 500 cubic meters? It is 180.5 feet high and has a diameter that is 20 feet!

A mythical tree that gave life

In Oregon this tree was called 'the Tree of Life.' It was, and still is, held in highest regard by all northwest coast tribes for its healing and spiritual powers.

The 'Kakawaka'wakw Tribe' of British Columbia, consider it the cornerstone of their culture because of its great spiritual significance and its many uses. The wood was used to make dugout canoes, house planks, bentwood boxes, arrow-shafts, masks, and canoe paddles. Its inner bark and the long arching branches are remarkably strong, given their flexibility. This bark would be soaked in water and twisted into ropes und used for mats, nets, clothing, baskets, and fishing line. The Kwakwaka’wakw warriors also created protective armour using the bark rope before going into battle. The scaled leaves were used to treat stomach pains and diarrhoea, whilst a decoction could be used to treat colds. The leaf buds are chewed in the against toothaches and sore lungs, whilst the shredded bark was used to cauterize sores and swellings.

Legends of old

Tales say that a person could receive its strength even if standing with their back to the tree. This we have tried following the bottling run, however our results are inconclusive!

Explorer's Gin

Whilst testing recipes for our Explorer’s Gin, I knew there was something missing from the botanical bill. I was able to tick off the normal citrus profiles which tied back into Explorer’s Gin, where citrus prevented scurvy amongst sailors and maritime adventurers. Whilst foraging around the gardens, looking at Linden Limes, Tulip Trees and other fauna I came across ‘Red Beard’. Most people would overlook such a tree mistaking it for Leylandii - which is poisonous - however on rubbing the scaled leaves it was clear that this was anything but and it was potentially the missing piece. It was then discovering and learning how it could be used in Explorer's Gin to show case those wonderful notes without over powering the other botanicals, to create something fragrant, floral and unique.

The more I learn about this tree the more respect I have for it. An entire culture was able to thrive by using it -  it provided food, shelter, materials and allowed native Americans to venture into the ocean.

This wonderful tree has come back to Downton and it is this tree that gives Explorer's gin its unique taste. A modern twist on an revered, ancient and historical botanical.

Pepper is a spice that originated from southwest India and has been the world's most traded spice. Pepper grows on a flowering vine and the different colours (except pink) are variously aged peppercorns from the same plant. White pepper is the ripened fruit, green pepper is the dried unripe fruit whilst black pepper is the boiled then dried fruit. It appears within Greek and Roman literature and was a highly sought-after spice trading for large sums of money. Pliny the Elder complained that the pepper trade was draining the Roman Empire of 50m sesterces every year! The Southern Arabia traders fabricated stories around this spice in order to protect their monopoly and profitable business. Stories included monsters, clashing rocks and falling of the ends of the earth, who in their right mind would want to undertake such a perilous journey? In the mediaeval times Italian city states like Genoa and Venice started to trade with those using the Silk Road, however pepper remained the most expensive commodity and the terms 'peppercorn rent' and 'pepper expensive' came into being. It was the 'Golden era of discovery' that broke this strangle hold. Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh opened new trade routes and it became more available to the everyday citizen. Giving someone a single peppercorn was the symbol of friendship and trust.

Pepper contains the compound limonene within it, a flavour also found in citrus and herbs. This is why it is a popular ingredient in both food and gin.