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Weekend tipple: Dave Broom’s top gin & tonics for Thai food

 

 

GANDT


 

 

Beefeater ginBEEFEATER 47% ABV (export strength)

James Burrough was originally a pharmacist who, in 1863, bought John Taylor’s gin distillery in Cale Street, Chelsea, in central London. His Beefeater brand was launched in 1876. Since 1958, when the firm’s Lambeth distillery closed, it has been distilled in Kennington, close enough to The Oval cricket ground for its rooftop to be rattled by a well-hit six.

This is a discreetly complex gin. Juniper is there in piney guise, while coriander melds its citric notes to the peels – and it’s this freshness that predominates. The angelica flowers add a light hoppy note, and the dryness is balanced by the acidity. Juniper is a constant presence. This is the perfect lunchtime or early evening gin, carrying with it memories of an endless summer. Go for this export-strength version (47% ABV), if you can find it, in preference to the standard 40% ABV offering.

G&T: The gin’s freshness has been retained, along with its bracing acidity, giving you a whistle-clean rendition. The tonic never strays into bitter territory. One to make you exhale happily.

Citadelle ginCITADELLE 44% ABV France

While France night not be the first country you think of when gin is mentioned, it has been produced there for centuries. French gin made in Dunkirk was smuggled into England at the end of the eighteenth century. It was a high point of sorts, and by the twentieth century the tradition had all but died out. Enter Alexandre Gabriel of Cognac producer Pierre Ferrand who, in 1989, decided to revive the production of “Dunkirk-style” dry gin. The result was Citadelle. Clean, fragrant, and almost ethereal to start, the complexity soon builds with pine, cassia, cardamom, and peels, all held in check by the floral element. The palate shows aniseed, orange peel, and more of a herbal element; lifted, complex, and graceful.

G&T: G&Ts can be a little harsh, but here the tonic enhances the top notes, while the palate shows some mint, fennel, camphor, and juniper. Subtle and aromatic.

Extract from Gin The Manual by Dave Broom, available here

9781845339388