‘Gin’uine fun

A good gin is the base of many a popular cocktail (like a Tom Collins or a Negroni, for instance). It was this thought that struck me recently when a bartender friend from London, currently in Mumbai, told me about Gin Mare. A premium gin of Mediterranean origin, Gin Mare is now making waves globally and can be served as an apéritif or enjoyed as a cocktail.
Four principle botanicals make the gin what is it: The arbequina olive from Spain, thyme from Greece, basil from Italy and rosemary sourced from Turkey.

My friend recommended a cocktail made with almond milk, 50 ml Gin Mare, agave syrup, fresh lime juice and basil leaves — refreshing indeed. Incidentally, the day I was having this conversation with my friend was also “World Gin Day”. On this day, in London, families usually gather round the Gin Tree to pray to Mother Juniper before the children take to the streets, knocking on doors for gin. (Not that Londoners need an excuse to drink gin, but this one gives them the license to enjoy it more than ever. Gin keeps flowing all day long — amazing, considering that the spirit is actually of Dutch origin.) I have experienced the celebrations firsthand while in London.  

I once tasted a light, floral gin named Bloom at the London Cocktail Club Shoreditch. The bottle was elegant and the drink, aromatic, pristine and pure.   Gin is such a versatile drink that there is one for everyone, and bartenders go that extra mile nowadays to satisfy your gin cravings with the perfect cocktails. Small wonder then, that gin is experiencing a “spirited” comeback, the world over.

A treat I particularly remember was a raisin and cinnamon infused gin with double cream and almond syrup on Christmas last year. A dusting of nutmeg made it perfect. There are myriad gin classics for the cocktail mixing fraternity to lend their talents to and gin’s very own botanical complexity lends itself to greater experimentation. With gin being in revival mode, there is a certain polarisation that is evident: Those favouring the “old school” (classics only) and the new “floral” variety fans. I belong to either faction — as per the drink served to me! As long as I enjoy my drink, nothing else matters.

— Mini is a food writer