Spirits Guide

71 Pages·2017·12.83 MB·English

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S P I R I T S C O N T E N T S
CONTENTS
04 06 30 46
WELCOME GIN VODKA RUM
Welcome to Spirits magazine Solid gins. Vodka’s dead, long live vodka. Age is just a number, man.
from Crown Cellars and Botanicals. A grain of truth. White rum and the Daiquiri.
writers Ben McFarland and Gin Craft. Celebrity juice. Planter’s punch.
Tom Sandham. The gin king. Punch in the face.
42
24 Vodka listings. 62
Gin listings. Rum listings.
66 94 106 116
WHISK(E)Y TEQUILA BRANDY LIQUEURS &
American mash-up. Highland vs lowland. Cognac. APERITIFS
In the blend. Know the competition. Something old in something new.
Liqueurs.
Single malt.
104 114 The modern aperitif.
Savoy skills.
Thought for food. Tequila listings. Brandy listings. 126
Liqueur and aperitif listings.
86
Whisk(e)y listings.
137
...AND FINALLY
About us.
137
2 3
S P I R I T S W E L C O M E
Ben McFarland Tom Sandham Katie Hewitt Spirits Category Manager Paul Waller Director Third Party Brands @ Carlsberg UK
product information they
wanted clear, visual layouts that
made it easy to get to relevant
information quickly. We love
a good list, they said. Simple
iconography to highlight key
differences between brands that
can be concisely conveyed to
customers at the bar. Information
about relative flavours of products
that made it easier to navigate
and explore busy categories such
as gin or malts. Something to
make it easy to sell more spirits,
for higher prices. They pointed
W E L C O M E
to our Crafted Handbook and
told us that was talking their
language. So that’s the approach
we’ve taken for Spirits.
But this isn’t just a different
presentation of the same old,
Welcome to Spirits magazine, who are interviewed come from go into bars and discover bar
same old. Our spirits range has
for that is what you are reading. a place of vast experience, Nidal professionals who haven’t had
grown significantly over the past
If you’ve got this far, well done Ramini for example, talks about access to the best information
couple of years, with over 60 new
you, it’s a great start. Well, it’s American whiskey on behalf of on these products. Brand
products so far in 2017 alone. Gin
the start, you can judge whether Brown Foreman but has had ambassadors do an excellent
is still the category making noise
this part is ‘great’. Either way, decades of experience working job of trying to meet bartenders,
and news but additional tequilas,
what follows is an editorially- behind the bar and indeed managers and owners and
whiskies, rums, vodkas and
led publication that will give running them. Everyone we have share ideas. Meanwhile social
liqueurs, particularly premium
you insights into the marvellous focussed on is a leader in their media has made it easier than
brands, have also been added
world of spirits. As you skip, spirits and cocktail field. ever to discover what peers are
and the range continues to
delightedly, through the pages, doing on the other side of the
The result is a holistic view evolve as the category move on
you’ll find in depth features that world. But sometimes you just Here at Crown Cellars we’re ENJOY reading. So we listened
of spirits, from a breadth of at an ever-increasing pace.
deal with some of the issues you need something to hand to fill a really excited about the launch as they told us what they wanted
professionals who can help you
face when approaching spirits, 10-minute lull and develop your of our Spirits magazine. We love from a spirits supplier, what There’s never been a more exciting
better understand the flavours
backed up by some business understanding a little more. talking to customers – it’s one they wanted to know, who in time for the spirits category!
and range available, and arm you
building tips and some engaging Sometimes you don’t want to of our favourite things to do. the spirits world interested and
with a bit of ammunition when it
stories to enlighten you, or look at a screen and be distracted And when we first started work inspired them.
comes to the task of selling them
indeed the customer. The written by annoying Facebook updates, on this last year we talked to a
to punters. When we were talking about the
words are delivered to you by or pop ups for yoga classes lot of them. We talked to our
movers, shakers, cocktail makers
us, two independent drinks Why have we done it? Well, and The Witcher. Sometimes, a customers and customers who
and brand builders of On-Trade,
experts with two decades in the Crown Cellars spent a lot of time magazine is a nice escape. didn’t know us. We talked to bars two of the people we talked to Paul
industry, and the experience is asking bartenders what they from London to Edinburgh. We
shared by some of the best bar wanted from a brochure, and the There are other magazines of talked to laid back speakeasies were Tom Sandham and Ben Waller
course, but one more won’t hurt McFarland, otherwise known
professionals in the world. feedback was that you would and this has the added value of and tiki-style party bars. We as the Thinking Drinkers. We We are exceptionally proud of
So, turn the pages and you’ll be pick this up if the content was presenting you with the products talked to bartenders and bar had a short conversation. Then the growth of Crown Cellars. The
enlightened by Naren Young, an engaging. So they listened to to buy once you’ve read about owners. Everyone we talked to a long conversation. We talked expertise, service and support of
incredibly successful bartender that, and then asked us to make them. Crown Cellars was keen to had one thing in common – they about stuff that you wanted to our dedicated wines and spirits
turned owner and educator, it a reality. let us work independently on the were passionate about spirits, read and we wanted to read. team – detailed in the back page
who runs the excellent Dante in For us, the magazine was editorial and wanted to add that passionate about what spirits Stuff that was FUN to read – of this magazine – is something
New York, and who shares his important because we know value to your bar business, and could do for their business. strongly held opinions, the voice that all our customers recognize,
experience of creating a modern bar professionals want to learn this is what we’ve tried to do. We didn’t want to produce yet of experience; roaring successes appreciate and comment on. We
classic cocktail. The gin king something new every day, after another glossy sales brochure and spectacular failures from try to make our customers’ lives
Spirits then, will help you realise
Jake Burger gets the once over, all, you can never have too that looked pretty but didn’t people who own or tend bars, easier at every step, whether
the incredible opportunity these
the quintessential bartender much information to work from. give the reader any relevant make or sell spirits. About stories providing expert category
products present. There is still
turned bar owner, brand owner Spirits line the entire back bar. information or inspire them to that inspired us. And from those support through Crown Cellars
much to do, the bar industry
and now distillery owner. Spirits are what the customer do something differently. We conversations came the editorial and Crafted, or the simplicity of
invites new recruits to the fold
Bartender-turned owner and is staring at while they decide didn’t want you to receive yet features of our Spirits magazine. full composite delivery across
every day, and even those who
critically acclaimed drinks writer and attract your attention. Every another generic pamphlet that We hope you enjoy the read. your range. We’re as passionate
have spent years in bars need
Tristan Stephenson presents time you turn around, you see got no more than a quick flip about your bar as you are -
his story on a cocktail and the them. They are always there, the occasional gem of wisdom to through over a coffee before But interesting content alone putting our customers at the
talented Davide Segat explains watching over you, you might inspire. We hope this magazine being chucked in the bin. We wasn’t enough. Everyone we heart of what we do is what
the concept behind his lauded say, they are omnipotent, they will do that, and lend a bit of wanted to give people who are spoke to – whether owning or Carlsberg UK stands for. We
Punch Rooms. Even the brand are the holy spirits. And yet we support as you negotiate your as excited by spirits as we are tending bar – was knowledgeable hope that you enjoy our new
ambassadors and professionals are always surprised when we way through. something they would actually and busy. When it came to Spirits magazine!
4 5
S P I R I T S G I N
Gin
6 77
S P I R I T S G I N
Gin is bombarding
bars. We ask the experts
what a bartender should
be looking for in the
botanical beverage.
S O L I D
G I N S
If you’re oblivious to the gin
renaissance of recent years, it’s
time for a career change. Gin is
currently more up in your grill
than a handsy beauty therapist,
and the bar door barely has time
to shut before someone else
has barged through it pimping a
new bottle full of mind-bending
botanical spirit. It’s pouring gin,
and you need to be too.
If you think we’ll hit saturation
point any time soon, well, frankly
you are bang wrong, because
there’s plenty more scope for
innovation. And if you need
convincing, just consider what
vodka has achieved – there are
more than a thousand vodka
brands out there, and vodka
is a neutral spirit. Gin has the
added benefit of botanicals to
differentiate it, and aside from
juniper, there is an incredible
breadth of herbs, roots, fruits
and spices for producers to
experiment with and market on
a bottle.
8 99
S P I R I T S G I N
So no, we’re not going The situation does however ‘The gin renaissance didn’t ‘But the most common mistake a ‘Last year Thames Distillers
present a quandary of what surprise me in the slightest as bartender can make is using the passed the 120 mark in gin
to see the deluge of gin
to stock, because, except for gin is evolving all the time but wrong gin for the wrong drink. recipes developed for clients.
abate any time soon. venues presenting themselves as I’m sure that unless some sort of Some gins are versatile enough The change over the last twelve
‘gin bars’, it’s quite a challenge quality is kept things may take a to work in most cocktails, some or so years is that back in 2005,
Which is great news.
to find space for the plethora of downturn. People will revert to are a little more specific. There’s we probably received one
products available. the gins they know best or even no point using a delicate, light enquiry every two months, today
change to other spirits such as gin in a Negroni, for example we are almost receiving them on
There are a handful of people
tequila and mezcal. I don’t think as the strong flavours from a daily basis and they come from
in the world who can offer a bit
we can let up on education as the sweet vermouth and the all over the globe.’
of guidance, among them Tom
there is still a lot to learn.’ Campari will overpower the
Nichol. Formerly distiller of the Plenty to choose from then,
gin. You don’t need too many.
Tanqueray gins, including the Perhaps one of the more obvious and more coming. If anyone
As nice as it is to have a vast
pioneering Tanqueray No.Ten gin facts to learn is that of all the is harbouring ambitions to go
collection, you only need a
and quintessential Tanqueray complex botanicals making it into the world of distilling then
handful. I’d have a citrus-led
London Dry, Tom has since into gin now, one should remain Charles has plenty of advice to
one, an earthy one, a floral one,
contract distilled gin in London, king - ‘Juniper,’ says Tom with offer, but the advice doubles up
a navy strength, and maybe
creating the lauded Christopher a smile. The smile might come as a consideration for anyone
three weird examples to mess
Wren gin at the City of London courtesy of the controversies of stocking shelves. One of the
with customer heads. That way
Distillery. He is currently distilling some newer gins dialling down most relevant components for
you’ve got all bases covered.’
a gin with J Rieger & co in Kansas the juniper profile. Purists were both is the marketing story,
City - now distributing in 17 states dismayed, and most industry Back in the UK, Charles Maxwell which Charles urges every new
- and also making a gin for Steve experts still argue that juniper is has helped countless gin brands brand owner to get right. ‘Realise
and Sally Green called Harrogate the heart of gin. launch through his company that the story needs to be built
Gin. In short, a distilling legend. Thames Distillers. The business on true facts not fairy stories,
Not that you can’t have fun
provides the opportunity to in the modern world with social
Tanqueray No.Ten arrived in with the botanicals. Tim Stones,
contract distil and some high media when an untruth is found
bars in 2000, satisfying a new previously a highly-respected
profile names have launched out it will get broadcast faster
demand for variety and luxury bartender and manager, moved
through his facility in South than you can blink.’
in the category. Classic cocktails into gin and learned to distil
London.
had crept back on to menus, under the tutelage of Desmond This is as important for a bar
cocktail culture was finally Payne at Beefeater. He has Charles was born into a professional as it is a brand owner,
getting recognition in the UK, subsequently moved to Australia family which has an unbroken so whatever you do, choose
and Tanqueray No.Ten was a gin to become the distiller at the connection with gin distilling gins with integrity, because the
that made a fine Martini, not to Manly Spirits Company, and to in London since the late 17th consumer is becoming more
mention Aviation. say he is passionate about gin is century, when his 8th Great savvy and asking more questions.
an understatement. Grandfather was apprenticed to
As Tom distilled the gin, he Beyond that, determining how
a member of the Worshipful Co.
saw the landscape change ‘The amount of botanicals many gins should be in your bar
of Distillers in the City of London.
dramatically, but despite this new available to the distiller is is about knowing your customers
He is a Director of The Gin Guild,
revolution, Tom became wary incredible,’ says Tim. ‘You can and how much you can sell.
a body set up by the Worshipful
of advising bar professionals to tailor the flavour profile to what Whatever else, in this new gin
Co. in 2012 to promote premium
rush out and buy every gin on you want and create a gin to go revolution, one gin simply is no
distilled gins, and which in 2014
the list. with just about anything. As more longer enough.
presented him the first Lifetime
gins are launched, more people
‘Gin stocking in a bar depends Achievement Award for services
are looking for a botanical to
entirely on the clientele and the to the gin industry.
give them a point of difference,
drinks that you have on your so there’s some pretty crazy Currently he claims to have over The number of gin brands on the average bar has
menu,’ warns Tom. ‘It could be as
stuff being used. If a botanical 100 different gin recipes on the grown to 3.5, a 20.6% increase v YA, as outlets
simple as stocking two or three,
brings something to the gin, then books, several of which have
right up to dozens. Tanqueray are continuing to stock more premium offerings
I don’t think it can be irrelevant, won medals in the International
No. Ten inspired lots of new gins
but producers shouldn’t use Wine and Spirits Competition alongside standard brands.*
to use new flavours, not all for
something just for the sake of over the years.
the best in my opinion, but if you
it, it needs to work in the gin,
can embrace change in the right ‘It’s important to note that in
and in your drinks. Green ants
way, it can only be a good thing.’ developed markets the consumer
is the weirdest thing I’ve seen in
is now likely to be much less
Tom is also cautious about a while. They apparently give a
of a single brand devotee and
the quality, reminding the bar sweet, honey-like flavour to the
instead a “grazer” of brands,’
professionals to try before they gin. I tasted it the other day and
says Charles. ‘So, the ability
buy, because ultimately it is your it actually works. Go figure.
of brands to survive and even
palate that will be accountable if
prosper at modest sales volumes
you are trying to sell a gin to the
has significantly increased over
customer.
the last ten to twelve years.
10 *CGA On Premise Measurement Service to P02 (25/02/2017). 11
S P I R I T S G I N
Whether it’s the flavour or the
provenance of gin that invokes
your interest, it’s the botanicals
that tell the story. Botany is one of
the oldest disciplines of scientific
research in human history, and,
far from investigating a person’s
botty, has seen centuries of
scholars inspect herbs, roots,
fruits and spices for everything
from medicinal to flavour
attributes.
B O T A N I C A L S
JUNIPER
When we lo-botonise gin, Juniper Juniper is sourced from tree Why are they important?
is isolated as the most significant or shrub. Rather than chuck Because they are ok, don’t
of the spirit’s multifaceted an entire shrub into a still, question it, just deal with it. But
botanical bill, and investigations gin producers are specifically also because they impart the
into this particular ingredient interested in the things that pine aroma and bittersweet
date back multi millennia. grow on them. Referred to as flavour profile that has become
Sumerians cured tummy trouble berries, they are actually cones synonymous with gin. Indeed,
with juniper nearly 6000 years and contain organic compounds such is their significance they are
ago, Assyrian pharmacies alphapinene, also found in recognised as essential additives
stocked it on shelves with anise rosemary, and myrcene, also in under EU law. If you smell one
and caraway, and Egyptians hops, and cannabis. Don’t do dimensional gins, chances are
recorded its curative capabilities. drugs. Distillers are after the what you can mostly smell is
essential oils found in these juniper.
Fast forward to the 16th century
berries and it can take up to
and we discover the medicinal
three years for the berries to
investigations into juniper and
mature before they are hand
distillation have collided, with
harvested by fastidious farmers.
the Dutch distilling their genever.
Usually selected from the
From linctus to social lubricant,
mountains slopes of Macedonia
juniper became the star at the
and Tuscany, junipers are hardy
bar in old Holland, and today
bushes and grow wild around the
remains the dominant flavour in
world.
our gins.
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S P I R I T S G I N
But juniper is merely one of many botanicals infused in gin recipes ANGELICA ROOT
today. With the arrival of column stills and highly rectified spirits,
Brings an earthy quality to gin
other botanicals appeared on the canvas during the 19th century,
and marries other botanical
coriander first, then roots and citrus peels. Today you’ll find an even
ingredients. It’s related to
wider, more exotic range, but here are some of the more consistent
poison hemlock so needs careful
additions.
sourcing.
CUBEB BERRIES
Contains the piperine compound
which brings a spicy pepper kick
but combines it with limonene
to balance that with citrus. Two
very popular profiles in gin.
CORIANDER ORRIS ROOT CITRUS PEELS
Specifically coriander seeds. The light violet aroma aside, this Lemon and orange are both
Second in their importance ingredient is mostly used as a commonly used in flavouring
for gin makers, when dried the fixative, common in the perfume gin, rather than the flesh the
essential oils impart earthy industry and a common allergen. distiller looks to extract the
CARDAMOM
thyme, floral notes and crucially more potent oils from the skin.
a citrus top note in gin. The third most expensive spice
in the world and depending
on the source it imparts a
higher spice note (Mysore) or
eucalyptus flavour (Malabar).
Also adds a lavender or citrus
note to gin.
LIQUORICE
The liquorice root imparts some
subtle notes of the flavours you
might expect, earthy notes are Beyond this there are myriad And as the team at Gin Mare just 1kg of peel. We use 15kg of
also relevant here, but they are possibilities. Adnams for proves, the commitment to the handpicked Arbequina olives
not potent. Liquorice is more example, take a very solid London botanical research and sourcing that are high quality and we can
crucial for its glycyrrhizin which Dry style but lift it with hibiscus. is the key to quality gin. ‘We pick juniper that grows on our
carries sweet flavours across in Monkey 47 meanwhile, amps have an extensive botanical own land. This provenance is
distillation. up the botanical content with, programme, it’s our view that important to the story you can
unsurprisingly, 47 botanicals whatever you select for your sell to a customer if you want to
including cranberries (see page gin it should be the best in recommend the gin.’
26). quality and have a genuine link
to your spirit. So our gin looks
Silent Pool is another being
to embrace the best botanicals
lauded at the moment. The Surrey
around the Mediterranean. The
based spirit uses 24 botanicals
citrus is crucial to the character
and adopts a local approach
of the gin, each year we work
using regionally sourced kaffir
through 200kg of orange peel
lime leaves from Essex and
and 80kg of lemon peel. 8 – 9kg
honey from the neighbouring
of fruit must be stripped to yield
vineyard.
14 15
S P I R I T S G I N
The word ‘craft’ is arguably bandied about with way
too much enthusiasm these days, but the consumer is
still engaged with the term and when associated with
a spirit it still imbues a sense of integrity.
One criteria for craft spirits If you’re seeking spirits with ‘It was actually a lot easier than
seems to be ‘independent’, a soul then, you’d do well to you might think,’ says McCarthy.
there’s also a demand for small consider those being distilled ‘We had to take a course over
scale, and these are the trickier at Adnams. Starting life as in America, and admittedly I am
elements of the dialogue. But a brewery in 1872 Adnams a qualified engineer with the
certainly, honesty matters, both launched a distillery in 2010, obvious brewing background,
in terms of the production when bringing a new craft element to but I genuinely believe anyone
combining decent ingredients their set up in Southwold, Suffolk. committed to making their own
with a sound understanding of They broke a boundary as they spirit can do it if they put their
the methods; but also in terms of did it. Having been told that a mind to it.
marketing, presenting you with distillery couldn’t operate on the
I was inspired by the American
a bona fide heritage - or at least same site as a brewery due to
craft beer movement. Over there
not being hawked with a heavy duty regulations, they tested the
a number of brewers have turned
load of hokum. legislation and made a solid case
to micro distilling and they see it
G I N for their business.
a natural extension of what they
At the heart of the concept was do. I travelled to parts of Europe
the idea they could take a beer and saw how they distil there and
from a brewery and bring it all thought about how we could do
the way through distillation to it at Adnams.’
make their own spirit, and very
few people in the world could
achieve this field and grain to
with John McCarthy glass connection. It was a ‘learn
on the job’ beginning for them
at Adnams
all, John McCarthy a brewing
C R A F T
engineer handed the reigns,
plugging holes in the newly
installed equipment as he put
through the first run.
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