DOWNTON DISPATCHES

This was published on Gin Foundry

With the promise of Spring budding on every tree branch (not that we can get to with all the self isolation) and the interminable greyness of January and February behind us, we thought we’d take a look at the releases that have already blessed (and cursed) the world in 2020.

It’s worth noting that this year is likely to mark something of a change for Gin in the UK. The next big spirit (be that Tequila, Vodka, Rum or Whisky) is banging on the door, and the general consensus from distillers is that the UK market is tightening up.

Yeah yeah, we’ve all heard it before, “we’re past peak gin, this it the year of xxx”. It’s never been true though and we’ve never bought into that idea that only one category wears the crown, or that there is such a thing as a crown in the first place. We’ve rebuked it hundreds of times too. Except this time, well, this time there’s more than just a hint of truth to gin fatigue that’s clear to see.

With the Dry Gin audience pool shrinking, brands will eventually start to consolidate their offerings, whilst bars and shops will become even closer curators, looking to kill of stragglers from the shelves. We for one, think all of this is a good thing. The good gins will be just fine, the great gins will thrive and we’ll all be better off without having to wade through the massive amount of garbage offerings out there in order to find them. Besides, Flavoured Gin is growing at unprecedented rates, so if it’s volume you want – there’ll still be a lot of coloured stuff out there for years to come.

The end of Dry Gin hasn’t quite come yet though as there’s been plenty of new releases which have emerged already this year in and amongst the Flavoured genre’s onslaught. We’ve decided to celebrate the good, critique the ordinary and call the bad for what they are… By no means an exhaustive list, these are the head-turners of 2020 so far.

Tanqueray No. Ten and Gin Mare Head to the airport, but passengers don’t.

Diageo set our nerves on edge when they released a brand new take on their incredible Tanqueray No. Ten Gin – the Citrus Hearts Edition – in January. Currently only available in duty-free, the 45.3% ABV spirit is due for a wider release by the summer.

The reason for our nerves? Tanq 10 is absolutely one of our favourite gins. It’s vibrant, alive and as close to perfect as a gin comes, so much so that we’d be inclined to take something of an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach. It did so much for the spirit when it launched too, helping bring some much needed cool into the gin category.

With Corona rearing its head though – getting hold of it to review has been tricky. Still, with the promise of great grapefruit notes and a flourish of rosemary, we can’t wait to taste for ourselves and will report back.

Another firm Gin Foundry favourite, Gin Mare, had a little World of Duty Free rejig as well, dosing in Capri Lemon and bergamot. We did not handle ourselves with dignity upon discovering this sumptuous Capri  inspired treat from the Spanish makers. Hugely zingy and bright at the fore, with a thick, oily dose of juniper and rosemary at the back, this is one fans of the regular should strive to get hold of. The pros: We could all do with a going holiday anyway, right? The cons: It’s only available in Italian duty free currently, so options to get hold of some all involve spending time in quarantine.

In short: It’s been a very good couple of months for fans of rosemary! Not so much for anything launching in World of Duty Free…

Arbikie Go Carbon Negative

Scottish distillery Arbikie stuck to their New Year’s Resolutions with the release of Nadar, “a revolutionary spirit for the drinkers industry” which has jaw-droppingly impressive carbon footprint of -1.54kg CO2e per bottle. Yep – it’s a climate positive gin.

Created by Arbikie’s Master Distillery, Kirsty Black, the gin took years to develop and promises to be a soft and silky treat, led by lemongrass and citrus lead flavours. The Arbikie team achieved their carbon negative stats by making their base spirit from the humble pea. Peas grow incredibly easily – requiring no synthetic fertiliser (therefore making no harmful impact to the waterways). They improve soil quality and offset the fertiliser required for other crops.

This sets a whole new precedent in the Gin world and one that we’ll be championing from the rooftops. Too much greenwashing goes on in the spirits industry, with excuses too easily trotted out. The digits need to move faster and this is an example of something that helps centre the conversation where it needs to be – solution driven, innovation focussed and aspirational not reductive.

Moreover, given that no independent distillery in the history of distilling has ever managed to completely shake the flavour of the base ingredient when making their own neutral spirit, we reckon this is going to have a really interesting undercurrent.

Martin Millers gets Set for Summer

Marin Miller’s is prepped to release its first-ever seasonal edition this year, imaginatively named ‘Martin Miller’s Summerful Gin.’ The gin, which uses the original dual distillate formula as a base, will celebrate the gin’s two-country home by blending in a third distillate of Icelandic and English summer herbs – thyme for the former, rosemary for the latter.

Team MMG are citing their 20^th anniversary celebrations as a reason for the release, but given that the gin launched in 1999, they’re either just looking for an excuse, a year late on the trigger or terrible at counting.  Do we always need a reason for creating a new gin? Still, it’s nice to see a summer gin that isn’t bright pink and filled with over-sweet berries and given the brand’s track record when it comes to flavour –  this set to be a stellar treat.

Summerful Gin will be available to buy from May – September, so fans of herbal flavours should keep their eyes peeled!

In a world of Pink…

Few have avoided the call of Pink in 2020, with ruby-coloured liquid having some sort of siren-like power over the Gin category lately. As those who’ve read our recent article on the subject, there are some shockers out there, but when it’s good it’s really good and we’ll be the first to say we fall hard and fast for some of them.

First up, Bombay Sapphire got in on the pink action, but rather than sully the name of gin, they opted to release a colour chart of pink liqueurs. Currently available as a set of four minis, all of the liqueurs in the Bombay Creations pack are designed to complement the flagship gin.

The four flavours, rose, hibiscus, strawberry and raspberry all come in at 20% ABV, and have been created to add a ‘pink tinge’ to a mixed drink. Politely put, we weren’t convinced but fans of the brand (and of things that taste more like gin), need not fear as they have also launched Bombay Bramble Gin, a higher proof raspberry and blackberry offering with no added sugar. It may not convert you into becoming part of the Flavoured Gin brigade, but it’s worth trying (go with tonic and a lemon peel) and with a rich blackberry twang and dry finish, makes for a nice  fruity alternative over the warmer months.

The Oxford Artisan Distillery (or TOAD, as they’re known to friends) has also got in on the liqueur action, releasing a dusky pink rose, apple, damson and sloe liqueur, Cuisse de Nymphe. With plenty of Sloe and damson to taste, the perfumed rose is quite grounded, while the overall sweetness is restrained.

The next one was a new brand to us, and one with a bottle so nice we almost got whiplash when we spotted it. Mirabeau Rose Gin, a French treat distilled from grapes and infused with the brand’s famous rosé wine. It just works, namely because at its core Mirabeau Rosé Gin is a reasonably classic Dry Gin. Lemon and coriander bring in some fresh citrus, rose, lavender and jasmine add a subtle variety of floral tones. Finally bay, thyme and rosemary extra herbaceous notes around the juniper.

A cluster from the big boys

Greenall’s launched their Blood Orange & Fig Gin, which will be available exclusively at Sainsbury’s, priced at £16.00 (1L, 37.5% ABV). The new expression will be available for a limited time only apparently – and at that price for a full 1L, don’t expect it to hang around on shelf either.

Competing next to it will be Gordon’s latest releases – Gordon’s White Peach Distilled Gin debuted in March,  Gordon’s Sicilian Lemon in February. Both companies seem to be throwing things up to see what sticks in the hope that eventually, the next Gordon’s Pink (now confirmed as the biggest new release for a decade) emerges.

Hot behind them are cider giants Kopparberg with their Passionfruit & Orange Gin while Halewood has expanded its Whitley Neill gin range once more with the launch of a gooseberry-flavoured expression.

Not to be out-muscled in the race for flippant fruit and flavour combos that sell like cupcakes at a charity fête – William Grant & Sons has extended its Verano flavoured gin range with the launch of a passionfruit variant as well as revealing Hendrick’s Lunar Gin. The latter is weird and whimsical as expected from the disruptive brand team, with as polarising a flavour profile as ever but when one looks at the multinationals mentioned above and their quest for original innovation – it’s at least trying to do something different.

A Baker’s dozen from the smaller distillers

Team Hernö and Four Pillars made part two of their collaborative distilling series available, Botany Bay Gin. This time it was distilled over in Sweden (following 2019’s Dry Island Gin which was made in Australia). Botany Bay combines botanicals from both distillery’s homelands – lingonberry and meadowsweet from Sweden, wattle seed, Tasmanian pepper berry and lemon myrtle from Australia.

Meanwhile, Silent Pool tapped into the idea of pink with their Rose edition. Distilled with a unique rose tea infusion to create a distinctive yet delicate rose flavour. Rose Expression Gin shares the Silent Pool Gin DNA in terms of its complexity and refreshingly individual character, however the core recipe has been refined to compliment and enhance the floral core. Some of the original botanicals – pear, bergamot, cubeb and cardamom have also been increased to maximise the impact, while lemon becomes the leading citrus.

New expressions to existing brands has been the theme of the year so far (again, expect it to be the opposite in November time) with around one in five adding to their line ups. At the top of that list, Wessex  Gin beat off stiff competition from Edinburgh, Old Curiosity and McQueen who all seem to have a new offering every other day by going a little mad themselves and deciding that a 6 strong range was the right thing for their line up on day one…

The Hall of Absolute Shame

Firebox has really surpassed itself this month with its new hybrid gin range. The vomit-inducing selection of ‘gins’ is as closely aligned with the devil as a spirit can get, launched under the sub-brand Uncommon Drinks.

Promising to be “disruptive,” the liqueurs include White Wine Gin, Pink Cosmo Gin and Mint Mojito Gin amongst its aberrations. Sure, we judged these books by their cover, but upon due diligence, a stern word to ourselves to be professional about it and tasting through the range, it’s genuinely as repellent as expected.

We are the first to say that sister brand Unicorn Tears isn’t all that bad (despite its glitter or heavily dosed sugar) and can remain firmly sat on any given fence when we need to be – but aside from not being anything close to Gin, these were not even well made liqueurs. Unfortunately, it’s this exhausting cannon of shit that will eventually kill the Gin industry, if it hasn’t already. If that’s the “disruption” they were aiming for however, then a job well done but if you are holding them to their word as wanting “to reinvigorate expectations around alcohol” – set those expectations way down low. Then go lower still.

I received a couple of enquiries about using ‘Whisky’ as an option for hand sanitiser, I would normally have said ‘no’.

However, some research has just come to light over the last couple of days from a study that has been conducted by a research team based in Germany on the “efficient inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) by WHO-recommended hand rub formulations and alcohols.”

What was researched?

Stephanie Pfaender, from the department for molecular and medical virology in the Ruhr-University Bochum, and her collaborators used a viral strain from a patient in Munich and then infected animal cells with it. These cells were then placed in alcohol solutions of various strengths.

It turns out that the new coronavirus though highly contagious is more sensitive to alcohol than Sars or Mers and can be killed almost completely by ethanol concentrations as low as 30% ABV according to the joint study. The experiment was conducted in a laboratory setting, therefore “one cannot directly translate these findings towards personal use upon application of whiskey or other spirits”.

Though many spirits such as whisky or gin have an alcohol content higher than that, scientists do not recommend using them as a disinfectant unless in desperate situations. Nor as a direct cure to Covid-19.

They first tried a solution of 85% ABV ethanol with water, a formula recommended by the World Health Organisation for making hand rubs at home when commercial products are not available.

The European team found the formula could eliminate viral activities after 30 seconds of contact and an examination of the treated cells showed no more damage caused by the virus.

They then repeated the tests at lower concentrate rates. At 10 and 20% ABV, most of the viral strains remained intact and active. But when the alcohol content reached 30% ABV they were surprised to find a disinfection rate on a par with the WHO formula (which uses 96% ABV).

Findings?

The researchers said the new coronavirus appears more vulnerable to alcohol than two other deadly coronaviruses – severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers). Pfaender has conducted similar experiments with Mers and Sars strains before and found they could withstand ethanol concentrations of more than 35 per cent.

The exact working mechanism of alcohol on the new coronavirus requires further investigation, but a possible explanation may be found in the virus structure, according to Pfaender.

So what does this mean?

Many brands of whisky and gin contain more than 40% ABV (check the bottle). Though not up to medical standards, creating a hand sanitiser with these high ABV spirits (40% + ABV) can still incapacitate the coronavirus on hands, doorknobs and surfaces.

Disclaimer:

Please note that the ABV % of these spirits is below what the World Health Organisation (WHO) advise to be used, nor is Downton Distillery advocating the use of these spirits to be used. This work has been conducted under laboratory conditions.

The new coronavirus (Covid-19) is spreading very quickly and everyone is susceptible to the pandemic. In attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus we’re being told to wash our hands more, preferably with soap and water, or failing that, use hand sanitisers. The resulting rush to buy hand sanitisers has led to empty shelves in both supermarkets and chemists and online.

Hand sanitiser is possible to make at home however the required supplies in order to make it are becoming harder to find. Downton Distillery is looking to make several batches in bulk which we will place within the surrounding area once we have the supplies in place. You will be required to bring along your own sanitiser bottles and refill them.

Once the stock is in situ, we will inform you where it is.

Making hand sanitiser:

There are several ways to make hand sanitiser and the recipe below is from the Spruce.com. If you have surgical spirits at home, you can use this.

• Combine in a bowl / 157ml surgical spirits / 78 ml aloe vera gel / stir
• Decant into a soap or pump bottle / give a vigorous shake

Aloe vera is used as a moisturiser to stop your skin drying out, preventing your skin cracking, since cracks can increase the risk of bacterial infection. Glycerol can be used as a substitute for aloe vera gel, it’s a lot cheaper but you may wish to add some rose water to provide a more fragrant smell.

The main active ingredient in this sanitiser is the isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol). Most commercial hand sanitisers contain either ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol or a combination of any two.

Mixtures of 60%-80% ABV kill microorganisms, so the 66% alcohol concentration in the recipe works only if pure “surgical spirits” are used. Be warned having looked at Amazon, it sells pre-prepared working dilutions that sit between 50% and 70%, to be used directly on surfaces. These when mixed with distilled water fall below the required threshold making them non-effective.

Ethanol can also be used to make sanitiser and vodka could potentially be used. Most Vodka is 40% ABV which is not effective to be used within hand sanitiser. There is an exception which is ‘Balkan 176’, the strongest vodka available in the UK, which is 88% ABV but it is already sold out on most websites.

What Distillers are doing:

As distillers work with ethanol in the creation of gin, we are fortunate to be able to help those in need by creating hand sanitiser using the biproducts of the process. This is then mixed with glycerol, hydrogen peroxide and purified water and essence to provide a more fragrant smell. Distillers will be using the guidelines set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO). These guidelines were responsible for controlling the Sars and Mers viruses. These were also coronaviruses and are related to the virus that has caused COVID-19.

NHS has also indicated that 60% ABV solutions are just as effective.

If you wish to read or use the WHO Handrub Formulations

Winter is nearly over with Spring beginning to creep around the corner. Daffodils and Snowdrops are burgeoning finally providing colour to what has been a very damp and grey landscape. With this change comes another flurry with the wedding season emerging as concepts and plans are discussed leading to the big day. If you need a starting point Muddy Stilettos have drawn up an excellent article to provide you some direction, as for the gin – we can gladly help you there.

The annual Chinese New Year celebration starts on 25 Jan 2020 when the Year of the Rat begins, the animal is seen as a sign of wealth and surplus in Chinese culture. Explorer’s Gin is welcoming in this new celebration with a double gold medal at the China Spirits and Wine Best Value Competition.

The rat is associated with the Earthly Branch in Chinese astrology, and the midnight hours. In terms of yin and yang, it is considered ‘yang’ and represents the beginning of a new day.

People born in the year of the rat are clever, quick thinking and successful, although they are content with living a quiet and peaceful life. They enjoy saving and collecting and live organised lives, without seeking praise or recognition. People born in this year are also instinctive, alert and adaptable, although they have tendencies to be timid and stubborn.

We are proud to be using some of the beautiful images of Wiltshire that local photographer Chris Lock has taken. He has been taking pictures of the Wiltshire landscape for the last 15 years after coming to the conclusion that you don’t have to travel far from home to find wonderful scenes to photograph. Based in the Nadder Valley, his subject matter is mostly from South Wiltshire and Dorset. His work has featured in Wiltshire Life magazine and a wide variety of other publications.

Wiltshire can be an underrated county, one that visitors often drive through on their way to Devon and Cornwall, but there is so much more to Wiltshire than Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. From the open expanses and big skies of the Vale of Pewsey and the Marlborough Downs to the picturesque river valleys of the Avon, Nadder, Wylye and Ebble, there is always something new to discover.

Winter can be a challenging time for photography, with days of grey skies and rain providing little opportunity to capture the landscape at its best, but – as these images illustrate - crisp frosty mornings or a hint of autumn mist can transform the countryside. Chris is always keen to be out as the sun comes up, setting up his tripod and Canon 5D digital SLR camera in the cold, waiting for that perfect moment when the light is at its best. Of course, the promise of some elusive snow in the weather forecast is always welcome!

You can see more of Chris’s work at www.chrislockphotography.co.uk

He is available for commissions and can be contacted at info@chrislockphotography.co.uk.

You can now collect your bottle of Explorer’s Gin from Regent Tailoring in Salisbury, when you order online. Instead of having to wait for the postman at an inconvenient time, save your postage cost and pick up your bottle in this fantastic shop. Don’t forget to bring your printed online receipt and order number as proof of purchase. 

At the start of the month we celebrated our 1st anniversary by opening the doors to our Chalet at the Salisbury Christmas market, where it all started last year. It has been wonderful catching up with old and new faces and even better converting non gin drinkers, for those yet to come to the market we look forward to meeting you. We have plenty of goodies on the stand for the non gin drinkers as well. 

Last Sunday Olivier Ward of Gin Foundry presented ‘Explorer's Gin’ on Channel 4 Sunday Brunch. He spoke about Downton, Loch Ness and Batch Brew distilleries and what makes each distillery unique. Cocktails were also served alongside each gin show casing their unique botanicals, thirsty work for those involved!

Sunday Brunch Review (click link)

To see how to make the other cocktails (click link)

The Lee Valley Velodrome a bastion where athletes from across the globe come to compete. It’s here that feats of human endurance have been made, records have tumbled, and dreams have come true.

Wheels whirl, legs pump, hearts hammer and sweat drips whilst voices yell words of encouragement to teams of cyclists racing around the Velodrome under the gaze of the world’s finest track and road cyclists, all in the spirit of raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). With Dani Rowe, Matt Rowe, Callum Skinner, Mark Cavendish, Jody Cundy, Dean & Russ Downing and Victoria Pendleton all providing their expertise and advice how could any of these riders fail?

How and why did this take place? Every year, GOSH sees more than 5,000 children with serious heart conditions. By supporting the GOSH cardiac research fund, ‘The Velodrome Challenge’ helps scientists find new ways to help little hearts recover, including personalised approaches that are tailored to a level of accuracy that’s never been possible. Using state-of-the art imaging and computer modelling to understand the likely outcome of treatment, treatments of the near future should allow doctors to make the best possible decision for each child.

I was lucky that the only things I suffered as a child were bumps and bruises. Others are not so lucky. A great friend’s daughter has spent most of her childhood (every 4 months) in and out of the GOSH. I cannot imagine the inner turmoil and anguish that a parent goes through when one’s child is diagnosed with a condition that requires the attention of GOSH. This extraordinary hospital has always depended on charitable support to give seriously ill children the best chance to fulfil their potential.

Having seen first-hand the care and attention that the GOSH staff give to both the child and parent whilst under their care; when approached to see if we would like to help the charity with their fund-raising event at the Velodrome there was no debate. Providing drinks to thirsty riders who in turn raised over £350,000 which went towards the Gordon and Tana Ramsay Foundation funding the cardiac research at GOSH.

Thank you to all those that took part making it a wonderful day and evening. How apt that it was at this setting that a new record was achieved by the Gordon Ramsay Foundation Trust for GOSH.

A better future for seriously ill children starts here.

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.