Professor Cornelius Ampleforth Bathtub Gin – a review

Posted on January 15, 2016January 22, 2024 by jennyinbrighton

This was a present from my sister for Christmas (yes it’s taken me this long to crack into it, I’ve been trying to be ‘healthy’ and ‘cut down on the amount of units you drink in a week’). She got it because “after research it sounded most like what you like”. This from a girl that hates gin and loves whiskey. I know the brand has a good following so I’m fairly confident in her choice.

Bath tub gin stems from the prohibition when people were trying to make their own spirits either using a metal/ceramic bath tub to mix the spirit and botanicals (small enough to not tip off the police) or because the favoured style of bottle at the time was too big to top off from a sink so used a bath tap. Nowadays it generally refers to gin made in a compound rather than distilled method.

Finally I reach to peel off the wax seal and it splits in my hands, sending pieces across the kitchen surface, oops. More plastic than wax. But I get there eventually. With the cork popped, the smell doesn’t hit you instantly, which I think is a good thing as it’s usually a chemically smell that reaches you. It smells junipery and Christmassy – the label cites cloves and cinnamon as botanicals so I’m not surprised. Having tidied the kitchen over Christmas, I’ve managed to hide the shot glasses from reach so decided to use my cocktail jigger instead to measure my sample. The liquid has a slightly yellow tint to it, this is because the gin is “naturally coloured by the botanicals” (looks slightly like wee tbh). With water, the zesty tones come to the fore and its soft on the tongue. Palatable, which a lot of commercial gins aren’t when straight, and perfumed at the back of the throat. No particular flavour stands out, it is well balanced and doesn’t make you screw your face up. Bonus. (not that I do that obvs as I’m a proper gin taster…)

Pairing it with the solid standard Schweppes and my beautiful new Copa glasses (thanks Nanny!), I take a mouthful and ended up going “ooooohhhh”, alone, standing in my kitchen. Not my usual reaction. Well that tastes like sherbet in a glass! Literally, imagine refreshers or love hearts. Crush them up. Hello gin. I’m pretty stunned right now because of how much it tastes like my childhood (the sweets part obviously, my parents didn’t feed me gin). Adding lemon slices really brings out the citrus notes. The style of my glass helps bring the flavours rushing to your nose, but the slight bitterness from the lemon tones down the sweetness of the gin to make one flavourful mouthful. I could drink this all day. It is fresh and tangy in the mouth, in hindsight due to the sudden temperature drop I shouldn’t have added ice as I am now basically an icicle. But drink gin I must! The cinnamon is recognisable when you first have a drink, with a slight warming sensation on the front of the tongue, giving way to the sweeter notes on the side and back.

All in all. Brilliant. If it were summer and making fancy g&ts was possible at festivals, this would be brilliant to drink in a field, in the sunshine with some music and friends. Alas I shall settle for on my sofa, under a blanket, watching The Simpsons alone losing feeling in my slowly turning blue hands (seriously, my flat is cold).

This gin is available from Master of Malt at £33.95 – pricing it higher than a standard gin and just reaching craft gin prices. Whilst I’m not 100% certain I would buy this again, their range is so broad I would probably buy the other gins to see what they’re like!

You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter (probably a better idea as they haven’t updated their Facebook page since October 2015…)

As always, if you’re bored and enjoy random ramblings, I’m on Twitter and Instagram. My sister Fiona also takes some pretty good photos (mostly of her cat).

Sibling Gin – a review

Posted on December 9, 2015December 15, 2023 by jennyinbrighton

My December delivery from Craft Gin Club arrived whilst I was in Bangkok, so I hot footed it home to give it a try (technically my holiday had finished and I was coming home anyway but whatevs). This month’s treat came courtesy of Sibling Distillery, a family of four aged between 16 and 23. Makes me feel rather inadequate that they’re all younger than me and have their own gin. Maybe I’ll start distilling – who wants to invest in me?

The four grew up working in Battledown Brewery, set up by their parents to supply local pubs, hotels, restaurants and shops with premium local ales. The foursome from Cheltenham work on a ‘grain to glass’ approach, fermenting their own grains to make vodka before infusing it with their botanicals to make gin. This process means it takes nearly three weeks from start to bottle, by way of comparison a big brand can turn around a batch in hours, and craft gins that buy in their base spirits take around 12-48 hours. Their botanicals are changed every 17 batches to ensure freshness, with lemons, oranges and blueberries hand chopped and grated. Interesting fact: as the quartet are under 25 they aren’t allowed to to use images of or communicating any information about themselves on their website or at trade events – basically they can’t include a photo of all of them for another 9 years until Digby, the youngest, turns 25. Guys, if you need a brand ambassador over 25, I’m here. Just saying.

I digress. The bottle is beautiful – I enjoy well designed bottles as these end up as lamps around my flat, plus it feels nicer to drink if they have put effort into the bottle (just me?). The siblings created “the first glass and stainless steel still in Europe, ensuring that we produce the purest vodka base” – you can tell brewing is in their blood, can’t you? The botanicals they use are slightly different, in between the usual coriander, orange and lemon there sits blueberries and vanilla.

After having a little struggle to open the seal (in my defence, when I cracked into my bottle I hadn’t slept for a while and was still on an Asian time zone), I pop the cork. Taking a whiff from the bottle, the vanilla is quite prevalent. It smells sweeter than other gins but not in a cloying way. Diluted with one part water, the juniper scents come out along with more vanilla. It smells a bit like a cake in a glass. Smooth and easy to drink (never a safe thing to say about straight 42% gin), the botanicals are well balanced so that none of the flavours are overpowering. There’s a slight tang at the back of the throat – coming, I presume, from the orange and lemon but the vanilla and blueberries balance it to leave a good taste. I’m not one to drink straight spirits (alas the days of my youth are gone) but this is nice. It helps that as I type this, a Brighton seafront storm is brewing, it’s dark and cold and windy and wet outside, but I’m snuggled up. If only my flat had a fireplace!

It’s impressed so far, but how will it fare in the gin and tonic test? Before I opened this I had a look on the Craft Gin Club Facebook page and was concerned to see a few negative reviews – would this finally be the gin I don’t like? Pairing it with the Bottle Green Light Tonic supplied in my box and making it in my new Martini glasses (birthday present from the wonderful house mate Jenny Bernarde) – although I then realised due to the size of the Martini glass compared to the size of my gin serving I am in for a strong drink.

On first taste I understand one of the Facebook reviews which I believe said it reminded her of disinfectant, it certainly has a chemically taste to it on the first mouthful. With the tonic it seems sharper on the tongue – whether this is the gin or the tonic I don’t know, I’ve never had the Bottle Green tonic before and a quick taste of it shows that it is slightly more bitter than other tonics. I am also aware that I’ve made a strong drink which will alter the taste.

Once you’ve got past the initial taste, the blueberries come out and a sweeter taste comes in. After a few sips I added a little more tonic to make the drink better balanced/I was already slightly pissed and the chemical taste disappears and you’re left with a fruity gin. I’ve had a “mixed berry” gin before that was fairly terrible as it tasted of fake fruit and sugar but this has a subtle hint to it. If I didn’t know it had blueberries in, I wouldn’t have guessed it.

Adding some lemon wedges (because I’m sorry Sibling distillery and others, I will NOT be adding orange to my drink, won’t, shan’t) makes it, in my opinion, pretty damn close to perfect. I know I’m a fan of citrus, but the sharpness from the lemon contrasts the sweetness and enhances the sharper notes making it a smooth drink. With some lemon, I will happily drink this all day long.

All in all, yes it’s a little different at first taste, but very rewarding. I like that it is set up by a group of young entrepreneurs, I think they are ginspirational (that’s right, I went there) and it’s a shame they can’t present their product as a family (although I do wonder how much tasting the 16 year old does…). But seriously, if you’re hiring…

You can get your hands on a bottle through their website, their 42% 70cl bottle is £34 plus £6 postage. This price puts it up in the luxury gin area, but (including postage) this is the same amount as my fave Brighton Gin and others. I appreciate this might be a bit much for people to buy to drink every day, but this brings some interesting flavours to the party and will make an impressive addition to any upcoming Christmas cocktail parties. I know that once I’ve shaken this post-holiday lurgy I shall be enjoying it and trying out a few new drink ideas to change things up a bit for the New Year.

Sibling Gin are all over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (of course, they are run by a load of youths!)

You can check out Craft Gin Club through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

For photos of my holiday (blogs to come) and general gin and quiz chat, check me out on Instagram and Twitter.

Burleigh’s Signature Edition Gin – a review

Posted on September 14, 2015December 12, 2023 by jennyinbrighton

With this month’s Craft Gin Club delivery, as well as my full-sized bottle of Burleigh’s Distiller’s Cut gin, I also received a sample of their Signature Edition Gin. You can read some more about 45 West Distillery and their gin making process on the other blog so I don’t need to repeat that here (also making this post distinctly shorter than my others!) Their Signature gin is a London Dry (as are all of their gins) made in their copper distilling pot “Messy Bessy” which can make around 650 bottles of gin at a time. This gin is more suited to the classic G&T according to the makers, whereas the Distiller’s Cut works well in a Martinez due to a different ratio of botanicals.

As it is a small sample bottle I don’t get to hear the nice pop of a cork, but after unscrewing the lid the smell that comes out is more floral than the Distiller’s Cut. Bottled at a slightly lower 40%, this gin doesn’t attack your senses in the way the Distiller’s Cut does. It feels softer and more manageable on a weekday evening. Once in the glass, the juniper comes into its own and hits you at the back of the nose. Mixed with water, the juniper mellows out to create a more balanced smell. It tastes like a ‘traditional’ gin. Floral and zesty, it maintains the earthy undertones that feature so prominently in the Distiller’s Cut, but aren’t as overpowering. The result is a more palatable drink with no sharp kick at the back of the throat or bitterness on the tongue.

Mixed with the Fever Tree Indian tonic, it is fresh and bright. This gin tastes more commercial than the other type, it is less dense and overwhelming. The twist of lemon brightens the gin and brings out the citrus botanical. It leaves a pleasant tang on the tongue that leaves you wanting more as it isn’t too dry. This feels like an everyday gin to be enjoyed year round, whereas the Distiller’s Cut is a gin for a certain occasion and mood (judging from my over the top emotional reaction to it which leaves me thinking I shouldn’t drink it every day…)

Served with cold tonic and ice cubes, this felt like the perfect drink to enjoy after work, and I imagine it will go down a treat on the beach if we get any more sunny weekends!

You can buy all of Burleigh’s gins on their website and in various places around the UK. You can find out more about their brand and what they have going on through Facebook and Twitter. Whilst you’re there, don’t forget to give the Craft Gin Club some love as well (Twitter and Facebook).

You can also hear more about what I like and loathe through Twitter and Instagram.

Burleigh’s Distiller’s Cut Gin – a review

Posted on September 11, 2015December 15, 2023 by jennyinbrighton

This month’s package from Craft Gin Club was rather exciting. One full sized bottle of Burleigh’s Distiller’s Cut gin, one sample bottle of their Signature Edition gin, a bottle of Fever Tree Indian tonic, a teeny tiny bottle of Angostura bitters AND a bag of jalapeño crisps. That made for a very exciting Wednesday evening.

Presents in the post are the best

Burleigh’s Distillers Cut is the child of Jamie Baxter at the 45 West Distillery t’up north in Leicestershire. The bottle is a beautiful matt black with very little to distract from the simplicity of it. Admittedly this won’t be one that I can fill with fairy lights, but I’m sure I will find it a home on my bookcase regardless. 45 West Distillery uses some unusual botanicals that I haven’t come across in other gins – dandelion and burdock roots alongside silver birch. Yes, silver birch. As in the tree. He steeps silver birch chips, along with his other botanicals, in the neutral spirit which, he says, “gives off a beautiful eucalyptus menthol note”.

After peeling away the brown paper seal and listening the satisfying pop as you ease a cork out of a bottle for the first time, it hits you. The smell is like walking in a woods. Floral. Juniper. Almost herby. Measured with water the juniper becomes more noticeable, it smells nice and clean. The first tastes leaves it warm in the mouth, on the tongue it has an edge of bitterness about it but this mellows nicely as you drink it. I’m not cultured/hardcore enough to drink straight gin as my standard drink but I can imagine that this with water and a mammoth ice ball to make it super chilled would be lovely. It makes me think I need to be in a log cabin overlooking a lake. The floral notes start to come out once it has mixed with the water but it isn’t cloying as I expected once I read it had elderberries as a botanical. I instantly felt a warming sensation through my body, but this is probably due to it being bottled at 47% – a bit higher than my usual gins of choice around 38-40%.

I did as recommended and mixed it with my Fever Tree Indian tonic and ice. The only way I can really describe the taste is like you have stepped into the middle of a forest and taken a really deep breath in. The taste lingers in the mouth and the chest. This isn’t something I thought I would ever say, and I guess this comes from the silver birch, dandelion and burdock. A slightly woody earthy taste settles on the tongue whilst the back of the throat picks up the floral notes.

Reliving my holiday memories…

Orange is the recommended garnish, but my aversion to oranges is so strong that I can’t bring myself to do this (sorry gin world). I plump for lemon instead. The lemon accentuates the floral notes and brings a new bitterness to the back of the throat (not in a bad way). It’s the taste I would associate with a proper gin and tonic. Quite dry at the back of the throat which makes you take another mouthful. It’s a powerful gin. It doesn’t feel like one I can glug back quickly (not that I do that Mum or Dad, that would be irresponsible). It’s an all encompassing flavour . I’m definitely back at my log cabin, looking over the lake, probably listening to jazz music. This feels like a gin to tell stories to. Despite the fact that I am new to this gin game, it feels like a proper drink. Like how men used to come home and have a stiff whiskey at the end of the working day. This gin makes me want to come home, snuggle up in a large brown leather arm chair, get out a good book and relax.

This gin reminds me of home. I grew up in a little town called Fleet (yes, Fleet services on the M3) and we were lucky enough to grow up near the pond and walk around there and the canal and various parks and woods. Halfway through this G&T I have a craving to go home. To sit in my garden as the sun fades away and only hear the occasional car go past.

The back of the bottle simply says “Spirits of adventure” and never have I agreed with a tag line so clearly. This makes me want to be outside. Which is something my pale Scottish skin and bookworm-introvert-people-hating personality do not like doing.

Masters of Malt list this at £33.95 for a 70cl bottle. I am not convinced that everyone will love this gin. I think it will divide opinions. It is a gin for martinis and negronis aka proper grown up cocktails. It certainly packs a punch with their flavours. As is fairly obvious from the above, this gin had a real impact on me in a strange emotional way so I for one am a big fan.

You can find out more about Burleigh’s gin on their website, Facebook page and Twitter feed.

For more ramblings about gin and life in Brighton, you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

The Breakfast Club, Brighton

Posted on September 2, 2015September 2, 2015 by jennyinbrighton

Who doesn’t love being served breakfast food all day? When we found ourselves hungry and walking around the south lanes of Brighton in the rain this August bank holiday Monday, we walked past The Breakfast Club ( the former home of Fat Leo’s) and were drawn in by the promise of breakfast at 2:30pm. We arrived in a quiet period and were seated in a cosy booth with views of the rain-soaked streets outside as well as the other diners. The first thing we noticed was the rather epic and varied playlist – whilst we were there we heard from Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Ricky Martin, early Madonna, Doris Day and the classic “Ooo stick you” by Daphne and Celeste. The layout of the main room meant that it took us a little while to get served as we were hidden behind the stairs from the bar, but we were so busy drooling over the menu we weren’t too bothered by this.

We were served by Maisie (shout out to her for being super helpful and lovely to us!) who guided us on food choices before we picked the chorizo hash browns for me and the breakfast burrito for my companion after a discussion about “how spicy is spicy?” We also had a cocktail craving which Maisie fixed with the bar staff – note: they don’t serve the full menu or cocktails on weekends to save them during busy times, but if you ask nicely and it’s not too crowded they will serve you Aperol Spritzs and Rosie and Gins (Bombay Sapphire, Rosemary Syrup, Pineapple Juice).

We’ll start with the cocktails – the Aperol Spritz was well-balanced with enough soda for me to be able to drink some without screwing my face up but not enough to make Catriona whinge about her weak it is. The Rosie and Gin was from me being brave. I don’t drink Bombay Sapphire. I’m also not super keen on rosemary. But in the spirit of being brave and trying new things I ordered it. The pineapple was the main flavour coming through and the rosemary counterbalancing the sweetness. I recommend.

An empty stomach meeting our strong drinks meant that we were hitting the tipsy line when our food arrived. Mine a bowl piled high with fried potatoes, chorizo, sweet roasted peppers and onions and friend eggs (and a mushroom which I tried a bit of to be brave and quickly passed over). Catriona’s burrito was stuffed full of ground chorizo, fresh scrambled egg, roasted peppers, mushrooms and spicy pepper sauce with plenty of sour cream, salsa and guacamole on the side.

The fried potatoes were heaven, the chorizo was smokey and spicy and the onions and peppers were soft and sweet and gave a freshness to the carby goodness which went perfectly with the salty and slightly melted feta I added. The eggs were fried perfectly, the second I put my fork into it, the yolk oozed out over my plate. The only thing I would change about this dish is having the addition of some chilli, or some BBQ/spicy sauce. The mouthfuls that had chorizo were brilliant, but the potato and egg combo was slightly bland. Ketchup and Brown Sauce was provided on the tables, but as a spice lover I would have appreciated some Tabasco being offered. The portions were more than plentiful and by the time I had finished wiping my plate clean with the last piece of potato I was very content and sleepy.

The burrito nearly broke Catriona due to its size. She is less of a fan of spice and every so often she would go “ahh found a spicy bit” and dip her fork into the sour cream. I tried a bit of the salsa and thought it was fine – the classic game whenever we eat together. She was impressed by the fresh scrambled eggs as we had worried they might have been mass cooked and left until needed, but they seemed fluffy and made to order.

This isn’t the cheapest place to get breakfast food. You’re looking at the price of a ‘proper meal’ – my bowl with added feta came to £10.70, the burrito was £9.00 and an extra £1.50 for a pot of sour cream (note: don’t order this as it comes with sour cream), and the cocktails were £8 each. This was a bit of a splurge but since we had been mooching around town frivolously spending money, this fit that brief. I would save coming back here for a special occasion rather than it becoming my go-to breakfast place – but this is purely for the price rather than the food. You definitely get what you pay for. We enjoyed every mouthful of our food.

We only saw the breakfast/brunch menu but it is varied and provides plenty of vegetarian options and ranges from pancakes to eggs in various styles to full fry ups. The drinks on offer include tea and coffee, juices, wines, beers and cocktails with happy hour every day between 5 and 7pm.

You can check out their website styled on pixelated video games here as well as on social media: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – and you can check them out if you live outside of Brighton as they have sites scattered around London.

As always, if you have time to spare and like reading rants about commuting, rain and tourists then you can check me out on Twitter and Instagram.

Chilgrove Gin – a review

Posted on June 12, 2015December 15, 2023 by jennyinbrighton

So last week I got my latest delivery from the Craft Gin Club. This month’s package was a bottle of Chilgrove Gin with added Fentimans Ginger Beer and a whole load of recipe cards. Chilgrove Gin comes from Chilgrove (funnily enough) outside of Chichester so for me it is a good local gin (37 miles according to Google Maps). Founders Christopher and Celia did some research and discovered an old school recipe (16th Century old) which used a grape based spirit for the gin rather than the more traditional vodka base. After lots of experimentation focusing on getting a great base spirit enhanced by botanicals, they came up with their award winning mix. The key botanicals include coriander root, two types of orange, key lime and mint.

My Chilgrove Gin delivery with Fentimans Ginger Beer

The bottle comes with a foil wrapped lid (much easier than a wax!) with a cork and a bloody satisfying pop (my favourite part of opening any bottle). Even from briefly opening it the smell hits me. It smells like a perfect summer evening – a rare thing in England. You firstly get the smell of the juniper and you can pick up the coriander (I noticed this before I read the list of botanicals, I think my palate is FINALLY growing sophisticated enough to notice these things!) As a warning it’s quite a heavy bottle so take care when pouring – not that I nearly dropped it or anything… I mixed it with a measure of water – it releases quite a strong smell (bottled at 44% so not surprised) yet it is fresh and fruity – I imagine this is mix of the orange, lime and grape. There’s a slightly bitter taste at the back of the throat, smooth on the tongue but without the fruity or zesty taste that I have come to expect from gin. As I write and continue to drink, and now knowing there is some mint hidden in there, it makes sense. Fresh and clean and a good strong spirit.

Making up my G&T with a Tesco low calorie tonic (pre-holiday detox and all that), I take a mouthful and my tastebuds are instantly confused by the unusual taste. It doesn’t taste a lot like gin and I feel this is because of the grape base rather than the botanicals used. It seems less harsh, not quite as fresh as Blackwater No5 for example, but it certainly has a different taste. I added as lemon wedge (all I had in the fridge) and it could almost trick me into thinking I was drinking wine. A cold, fruity white wine. Very easy to drink (dangerous when drinking it on a rather hot evening as I was!). It is very different, but not in the way Tarquin’s is, this just doesn’t really taste like gin. Very strange but lovely. A few mouthfuls in and I can see this becoming a firm favourite in my collection.

At this point in my tasting I took a break to make dinner and mull over the flavours. The more I drink the more I notice the gin tastes coming through, but it really does taste like a white wine. I can imagine why this wouldn’t appeal to some gin drinkers who like their gin a bit punchier, but since its launch in June 2014 it has won a silver medal at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, a silver medal at the 2015 World Spirits Awards and a bronze at the 2015 International Spirits Challenge. Not to be sniffed at. The delivery came with a range of cocktail recipes including their takes on a Tom Collins, Pink Gin, Martini and a Gin Fizz. The one I’m most excited about is the Bright ‘n’ Breezy – gin, lime, angostura bitters and ginger beer. Sadly my lack of angostura bitters means I can’t try this right now, but I am planning a special blog on exciting gin cocktails so keep your eyes peeled.

Chilgrove is available online and in selected shops (Brightoners – head to Butlers Wine Cellar) with Master of Malt selling a 70cl bottle for £29. I would happily pay that for this gin, if anything I expected it to be more expensive. Whilst I’m not certain it will become my go to gin for my after work G&T, I think it’s subtle flavours will work brilliantly in cocktails and paired with different flavours. I’m looking forward to trying it again because by the end of my second drink I was still discovering different notes and tastes. I think for the price, it’s worth ordering to give it a go if you want to change things up and try something new.

You can find out more about the Craft Gin Club on Twitter and Facebook, as are Chilgrove here and here.

Don’t forget, I’m also on Twitter with daily ramblings about Brighton life and gin and food and for photos to accompany these, check me out on Instagram.

Martin Miller’s Gin – a review

Posted on June 1, 2015February 14, 2025 by jennyinbrighton

Martin Miller’s Gin is probably the most ‘mainstream’ gin that I have reviewed so far. By mainstream, I mean it is available in shops and bars, but it isn’t quite at the Gordon’s/Bombay Sapphire level.

Launched in 1999, the London Dry Gin made itself unique by blending the spirit with Icelandic water. Whilst it follows the traditional flavours and dryness, but is distilled twice – once with the juniper and ‘earthier’ botanicals which are later blended with the citrus elements – in this case “bitter orange peel from Seville, lemon and lime peel”. Bottled at 40%, this gin is what I would call mid-market – more expensive than a Gordon’s but not the pricey £30+ level of the ‘premium’ gins.

The bottle features a screw top, a sign of a mass produced gin. When opened it has a soft smell to it, not too harsh or dry, with the citrus notes coming through but not over powering. As per my usual method, I mixed the gin with equal amounts of water which released the smell of juniper, although not as intense as some of the other gins I have had. Soft on the tongue, the juniper comes through at the back and a slight bitterness on the front of the tongue hinting at the anise botanical. It tastes quite pure (if that makes sense) – they say it is blended with 100% pure Icelandic water “the properties of which give Martin Miller’s Gin it’s creamy soft palate”. I agree. Creamy isn’t a word I would usually use in this situation but it makes sense once you taste it. It rolls easily over the tongue, with flavour but not over powering.

G&T time. I found a bottle of Fevertree lurking in my kitchen (bonus) so made up a simple G&T (although I didn’t pay attention when I poured it leaving it around 50/50 gin to tonic. Not to everyone’s taste but I reckon that’s about right). As the weather is warming up ever so slightly I’m finding I like more ice in my drink; nothing says summer like a very cold G&T (preferably on the beach about 50 feet from my front door). It has a certain tang to it (this might be the gin or the amount of gin, not entirely certain). It reminds me of Blackwater no 5. in that whilst it certainly has character it isn’t overwhelming with flavour. Add a lime wedge and it comes alive. The extra citrus brings out the subtler flavours. It remains slightly bitter at the back of the throat and the dryness of the tonic enhances that (that taste is one of my favourite things about a G&T – ironically this is what I used to hate before I became a ginaholic). The taste lingers in your mouth. Probably not for those who aren’t a fan of a dry gin (you know who you are). Definitely one for those that like that.

At this point, I usually leave my review, but I’d read before that Martin Miller’s works well with strawberries and black pepper. 50ml gin. Ice. Sliced strawberries. Tonic. Black pepper. It’s lovely. The strawberries give a fruity twist against the dry tonic and the black pepper adds a lovely sense of bitterness. I’d recommend making one of these, plus you can’t go wrong with boozy fruit.

I got my bottle in Waitrose (I was feeling fancy and I treated myself) for £26 and they are currently offering 20% off all gin making it just £20.60 (so head down to get a proper fancy gin and make the most of it).

Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter for daily ramblings and on Instagram for various blurry photos due to my iPhone’s old age.

The Great Escape 2015 – Day 1…

Posted on May 14, 2015December 15, 2023 by jennyinbrighton

Its that time of year again. Time to put a wristband on, grab a programme and spend three days queuing running around Brighton trying to catch as many of the 450+ gigs as possible. This year is The Great Escape‘s 10th birthday, and my seventh consecutive year. Year one was a failure, I had a day ticket and didn’t understand the queuing so saw a total of two bands. Year two we only did evenings due to uni deadlines. Year three I worked at the wristband exchange, told Fyfe Dangerfield’s wife I loved him more than she did and fan girdled obsessively over the Guillemots. Years 4, 5 and 6 we successfully partied and so I’m excited for what this year will bring.

The wristband exchanged has stayed at its new Spiegeltent home and this year features an inside exchange area (perfect for today’s weather!) leading into the Spiegeltent area. Felt like a proper festival and was worried I hadn’t bought my sleeping bag. Grabbing a programme I ran back through the rain to the downstairs of Komedia for the end of the Australian Showcase. I arrived in time for Fraser A Gorman, a lad with a mighty head of hair (not that dissimilar to my fathers hair in the 70s) hailing from Melbourne. Considering it was 3pm on the first day, the room was packed and from the cheers arising from the crowd as song names were mentioned, he clearly has a following here in the UK. He kickstarted the set with “Better take your washing off the line because it’s raining” – very apt for the rain sodden city outside. Featuring catchy riffs, harmonicas and brand new tambourines, his set was good fun and got me in the mood for the weekend. Uplifting and highly bop-able.

Deciding against going back out into the rain I stayed inside for Holy Holy, which the programme describes as “huge, full band builds and crescendos, mixing distorted duelling guitars with warm, close harmonies and wild percussive rhythms.” Certainly a mouthful. As the room filled up around me and the buzz started to build, I started to think I had picked a winner. Hearing them for the first time reminded me of when I first saw Prides. Slightly blown away by the noise, and intrigued as to how much sound could come from so few people. They did indeed have full band builds and crescendos. They also had a bassist so tall I thought he would hit his head, and a guitarist that looked like Jesse Bradford in Bring It On but with Jon Snow’s hair (GoT Jon Snow, not channel 4 news Jon Snow).

So it’s now 11:30pm and I have survived my first day. After a trip home for food and Strongbow (don’t judge me) I journeyed across to Kemptown to Patterns. Which used to be Audio and now features glitterballs as its 80s name would suggest. But the bouncer fist bumped me on the way in so I’m a fan. Between that and paying £4.20 for a cider I got lost en route to the toilets and made many friends all equally as lost. Basically Patterns, sort your signage out. Patterns doesn’t help its 80s disco name with its decor. Neon blue and green on the walls, with pink fluorescent lights and mic cables. Here I saw Jagaara, a three piece sister act with some strong eyebrow game. Half an hour of dreamy electronic pop later, I headed upstairs and caught the end of Cold Fronts who were singing Sinatra’s ‘ I love you baby’ which was both brilliant as the singer wound his way through the crowd and on to the bar, and horrible because I had Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You flashbacks (RIP Patrick Verona). Plus I wanted to wash all of their hair.

After the ‘rock’ fest I was treated to the acoustic delights of Tenterhook. Sadly, he was ruined by the chatter going on by the bar which drowned out his singing, but he was wonderful. And wearing double denim, because, when in Brighton. He channelled his inner Ed Sheeran as he hit the high notes, and was the only act I saw tonight that didn’t make a joke about the horrible weather.

After my trip to Patterns, I went to Shoosh, That is a sentence I never thought I would say. It is as hideous as I expected. White chandeliers. Seriously. They then charged £4.50 for a bottle of Rekorderlig and she threw half of it away because it wouldn’t fit in the plastic glass. Luckily Astronomyy kicked off their set with “Nothin on my mind“. 30 minutes of catchy electro pop later, they (along with Jagaara) proved you don’t need a bassist to be great. Plus they sampled some Destiny’s Child “Say my name” which I NEVER object to.

10pm. Heading to Brighton Spiegletent. One of my favourite things about the Festival. I grabbed myself a £6 cocktail from the van (gin, elderflower, cucumber, soda and lemon – very sugary, very alcoholic) and headed into the tent for Fismoll. Two guitars and a cello. Half the crowd gathered on the floor. It’s a touch time slot. The majority of people at this time are tanked up and ready to party so for a band to hold their own at this time is an achievement. Quiet. Calming. Soothing.

Got me perfectly ready to come home and sleep (by sleep, I mean write this). So I didn’t make it to Jack Garratt, but he is playing tomorrow so all is not lost.

Don’t forget I’m on Twitter for random updates of who I’ve seen.

Two Birds Gin – a review

Posted on May 8, 2015January 22, 2024 by jennyinbrighton

This review is a bit late. I actually first experienced Two Birds gin in October after the lovely Morgan Rees bought me some as a present (October 10th for those wondering when to send gifts). Then I started my blog and got distracted by other gins and unemployment and new job and working all bank holiday weekend in Liverpool. But a conversation with my manager prompted me to get my act together and do this. Plus I was scared because I have so little left and I’m dreading the moment when it runs out 🙁

So. Two Birds. Another small batch gin, this one made in batches of around 100 bottles in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. As well as their London Dry gin, they also make a Vodka and Absinthe (plus some fun flavoured Vodkas depending on the season). This is the bottle that started my love of pretty designs on bottles.

(Note: the bottle doesn’t normally come with a polka dot bow. This is Morgan’s version of wrapping and I enjoy it too much to remove it)

The bottle is a screw top so whilst you don’t get the satisfying noise of a cork popping out the bottle, it is much quicker to break your way in (an important factor in my gin drinking life). The smell from the bottle is dry with the juniper coming through as the predominant note. I did the standard mixing it with water to release the botanicals and, unusually for the gins I’ve been drinking recently, you don’t get a hit of citrus. It tastes smooth on the tongue, no nasty screwed up faces ensue when drinking. It leaves a warm lingering tastes in the mouth and the dryness comes through leaving you wanting more.

Time for the G&T test.

For the test I’m using Tesco Low Calorie Tonic Water. This isn’t to be sniffed at. Tesco do a great range of tonics from normal tonic water to some flavoured with cucumber, jasmine and elderflower. They also do a great bitter lemon, and they are 4 for £1.50. And, most importantly of all, it isn’t Britvic.

Moving on. It is reminiscent of the Blackwater No.5 Gin in that it is smooth and fresh as you drink it. Whilst it doesn’t have the big punchy characteristics of some other gins, the smooth quality makes it very quaffable (it is seriously running low in the bottle). I usually love a citrus garnish but I don’t feel this needs it. Quite dry on the tongue (a good point in my books), Two Birds leaves you wanting more. I imagine it would work well in a cocktail or as a good base to any mixer as the simple flavourings would allow any added flavours to come through.

The gin is made with four botanicals (and juniper) which helps to explain why there is less going on, but bottled at 40% and a 70cl bottle setting you back a mere £28, I think this is a good buy. This gin will be great as an everyday G&T but it is special enough to feel like a treat. Plus look at the bottle. How beautiful will that look on the shelf filled with fairy lights (the current fate of all my empty gin bottles).

You can order Two Birds spirits from their website here, and you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram for daily rantings and gushes.

Tarquin’s Gin – a review

Posted on April 12, 2015May 15, 2015 by jennyinbrighton

I spent most of March unemployed. This meant I was pretty bored and feeling a bit down. So my Dad decided he would try to cheer me up and sent me a present. A box bearing the marks of Southwestern Distillery arrived. Underneath a mountain of packing chips was a bottle of Tarquin’s Gin and a card.

I had mentioned this gin to my Dad before as he lives down in Falmouth and I knew it was made nearby. Only after receiving the gin did I look it up – it is made 36 miles from his house. Good local gin. For those that don’t know, Tarquin’s Gin is made by Southwestern Distillery in Wadebridge on the north(ish) coast of Cornwall. They make their gin in batches of no more than 300 bottles at the time, each bottle corked, sealed, labelled and waxed by hand. Each bottle comes with a unique batch number and information about that batch’s individual tasting notes. The key botanicals in play here are hand-picked Devon violets and orange zest. These aren’t my favourite things in the world so I’m a bit cautious about what I’m about to drink.

Now the best part – drinking it. Peeling off a wax seal is one of the most satisfying feelings. The first smell that hits you is a strong citrus note – good start in my books. I pour out a measure with an equal amount of water. It smells like flowers, the citrus notes dropping off for the violet to come through. It smells quite sweet, which I’m not used to experiencing with a gin. I take my first sip. It’s very easy on the tongue for want of a better phrase. It doesn’t taste harsh or too strong (bottled at 42%). The zest comes through at the front of the mouth, giving way to the aromatics. It’s one of the most flavoursome gins I’ve ever had, there’s lots of tastes going on in my mouth. To quote my brilliant notes that I wrote: “Good hit to it. Definitely drinking gin. Not so powerful it’s overwhelming.” I clearly have a career in drink tasting ahead of me.

Deciding that I shouldn’t just drink straight gin, I mix a new drink with some tonic – because the real test of a gin is how it works as a G&T. To quote my rather brilliant notes again, “lovely stuff”. A hint of palma violets (can be added to the list of drinks that taste like sweets alongside Southern Comfort and Lemonade). My batch (104) has the tasting notes of candied oranges, and there is certainly a hint of it at the back of the throat. Not so much it is overpowering – which is good because (as we all know) I’m not an orange fan. But this tastes nice, the bitterness cuts through the sweet violets and balances quite nicely. It produces a very distinct flavour which, on first tasting I wasn’t super keen on. But I always believe in giving things a second chance, and once I had got used to the taste I found myself rather enjoying it.

Aside from the taste, the other thing that makes Tarquin’s Gin unique is that they have launched Taste with Tarquin.

To celebrate the unique tasting notes of each batch, they played with Apple’s FaceTime code so we can have a chat with Tarquin (sort of). I tried calling when I first tasted the gin but couldn’t get through. On my third attempt the call connected. Then the connection dropped. Twice. But once it finally worked it was good fun. It starts with Tarquin talking about Southwestern Distillery and what makes them different. Then you battle with voice recognition software to tell them your batch number. Tarquin (who, by the way, is rather beautiful) finds your bottle, pours a glass and tells you – well, pretty much what it says on the bottle. He told me my bottle tasted of orange. He wasn’t wrong. Then you have a chance to leave a video message. I think I accidentally left one going “your gin tastes like sweeeeeeeeeeetiiieeeeesssss thanks!” You’re welcome Tarquin.

Slightly disappointing FaceTime adventure aside, it’s a bloody good gin. If you’re into floral, aromatic gins then this is for you. According to their website, Tarquin’s isn’t available in Brighton yet, but is widely available around Devon and Cornwall and some places in London – you can find stockists here.

Southwestern Distillery are also on Twitter and Facebook.

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Jenny in Brighton

I'm Jenny and I live in Brighton

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