Roskrow - Gin

PRODUCER : Bramley & Gage

ABV : 43%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : Gloucestershire, England

WEBSITE : www.bramleyandgage.com/6-oclock

BOTANICALS : Includes juniper berries, orange peel, elderflower

Bramley & Gage is a company originally founded by husband-and-wife team Edward Bramley Kane and Penelope Gage, who were fruit farmers in Devon. They started making fruit liqueurs in the 1980s and became rather good at it, expanding the drinks side of the business. The company is now run by a new generation of Kanes. This expression of gin was launched in 2010, and is named after the time when the great-grandfather of current directors Michael and Felicity would sit down for a gin and tonic. This stylishly packaged gin is distilled on a two-hundred-litre still known as Kathleen, and it is one of a range of products that include a sloe gin and a damson gin. The company has expanded over the last thirty years, and is now based in Gloucestershire. 6 Oclock has won countless awards, and can be tasted as part of the distillerys tour and tasting package.

PRODUCER : Blackwater

ABV : 41.5%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : Waterford, Ireland

WEBSITE : www.blackwaterdistillery.ie

BOTANICALS : Juniper, bitter orange, lemon, lemongrass, coriander, liquorice root, angelica root, cinnamon, quills, myrtle pepper, bitter almond, green cardamom, orris root

Irelands first craft gin distillery sits on the banks of the Blackwater River in west Waterford, a county once known for being the largest importer of spice in the country. Today the distillery wishes to keep the essence of Waterfords colourful history while maintaining the quality and skill to perfect the best gin they can. The man behind this distillery is spirits writer and television producer Peter Mulryan. Hes a no-nonsense sort of guy who doesnt like gimmicks, so the distillery is deliberately old-school, and everything is done by hand. Pushing and pulling the many levers, taps, handles, and dials takes the distillers longer but they believe that this way they can truly capture their unique style in a bottle.

PRODUCER : Worship Street Whistling Shop

ABV : 43.8%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : London, England

WEBSITE : www.whistlingshop.com

BOTANICALS : Not disclosed, but including cream!

The Worship Street Whistling Shop is a cool bar in the East End of London, close to Shoreditch, which is modelled on the old Victorian gin palaces. The team behind it are among the countrys best mixologists and they have been championing gin and gin cocktails for way longer than its been trendy to do so. Gin mixed with cream was highly popular at one time, and this version is a collaboration between the bar and the online retailer, Master of Malt. This version of it is made by cold distilling and using cream as a botanical. It has a different mouth feel to most spirits. The bar uses it as a core ingredient in its signature cocktail, the Black Cat Martini. As stylish as it gets.

PRODUCER : Blackwoods Distillers

ABV : 60%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : Shetland, Scotland

WEBSITE : www.blackwoodsgin.co.uk

BOTANICALS : Juniper berries, angelica, coriander, citrus peel, cinnamon, liquorice, nutmeg, sea pink, marsh marigold, meadowsweet

The Shetland Isles, off Scotlands rugged northern coastline, are sited on the sixty-degrees line of latitude, and that is the inspiration for this weighty gin. It is released in limited editions, and each batch varies depending on what botanicals are available on the islands. Blackwoods is specifically Shetland because of the presence of botanicals such as the rugged sea pink, a pink flower which grows on the coastline in a limited window of late May to early July; marsh marigold, which is a yellow flower and a larger version of the buttercup, and which grows from April to June; and the sweet-scented and honeyish meadowsweet. This version is aimed at the serious mixologist making complex cocktails, but there is a more standard 40% version also available.

PRODUCER : Greenalls

ABV : 40%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : Warrington, England

WEBSITE : www.bloomgin.com

BOTANICALS : Juniper berries, coriander, angelica, cubeb berries, honeysuckle, camomile, pomelo

This sophisticated, subtle, floral gin is the creation of the highly respected gin master distiller Joanne Moore, who has worked at G&J Distillery in Warrington since 1996 and has been a master distiller there for more than ten years. This has been deliberately created to reflect her love of nature. Its something of a global concoction, with botanicals including honeysuckle and pomelo from China, juniper berries from Tuscany, and camomile from France. That said, Moore has retained some key aromas of an English country garden, and the juniper notes are muted to allow delicate floral aromas to take centre stage. It is suggested you enjoy Bloom with strawberries ideal in the summer.

PRODUCER : VC2 Brands

ABV : 41.5%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : Stirling, Scotland

WEBSITE : www.boegin.com

BOTANICALS : Juniper berries, coriander, cardamom, angelica, ginger, almonds, orris root, cassia bark, liquorice, orange, lemon, cubeb berry

In the year 1658 world renowned Professor Franz de la Bo gently infused a clear grain spirit with hand picked juniper berries while painstakingly searching for a medicinal tonic. Franz de la Bo invented the worlds first GIN!

Big words, but youll find them on the website of Bo Gin, which is made at the Deanston Distillery near Stirling in Scotland. And the whisky distillerys master distiller was convinced enough to take the name for this lovingly created and stylishly packaged gin. In addition to the main bottling, which is made in small batches, the distillery makes a violet-infused gin, and a peach and hibiscus flavoured gin liqueur.

PRODUCER : Bacardi

ABV : 40%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : Laverstock, Hampshire, England

WEBSITE : www.bacardilimited.com

BOTANICALS : Juniper berries, coriander, orris root, lemon peel, angelica root, almond, liquorice root, cassia bark

Before there was Bombay Sapphire there was Bombay Dry Gin, and this isnt as flash as its sibling. Indeed, its a solid, no-fuss central defender of a gin, and its as good a representation of a London Dry Gin as youre going to find. It is a re-creation and tweaking of a traditional recipe that stretches back to the 18th century. A quick look at the botanicals used will reveal that its a straight-shooter, with all the traditional elements in place, and its none the worse for that. The Bombay part of the name stretches back to the 1960s, and it is said to reflect gins popularity in India.