food & drink feature… IN GOOD SPIRITS and son team Sue and Charles Frost, produces gin-based liqueurs flavoured with seasonal fruits. The range includes Blackcurrant, Cherry, Damson, Quince, Raspberry and Rhubarb, with the fruit (or vegetable, in the case of rhubarb) sourced from the Herefordshire / Gloucestershire area. The base is a premium British gin, distilled especially for Gun Dog Gin, in which the fruit or vegetable is steeped for a number of months. The resulting liqueur can be drunk on its own or used as a mixer to make a long drink: try adding a shot to a glass of extra dry prosecco. Over recent years, the spirited come-back of the gin industry has also spawned a number of specialist tonic companies. These include Fever-Tree Tonic, 1724 tonic, Bermondsey Tonic Water (BTW) and Fentiman’s Tonic from Hexham. To make the perfect G&T, it is worth trying several of these to identify the tonic water that best complements your chosen gin. Due to the popularity of artisanal gins, many bars and restaurants now stock a selection that goes well beyond the old stalwarts of Gordon’s, Tanqueray and Bombay. For example, The Cotswold Gin Pantry at The Cotswold Plough Hotel, in Clanfield, was set up by the hotel’s owners because of their extensive knowledge of Genevers and gins from around the world. They aim to pass on their knowledge by allowing tastings of many different gins: the options currently run into the hundreds. With different tonics available too, the combinations are Cotswolds Dry Gin by endless. The Cotswolds Distillery Contact details: The Cotswold Plough Hotel: 01367 810222 / OX18 2RB / cotswoldsploughhotel.com The Cotswolds Distillery: 01608 238533 / CV36 5HT / cotswoldsdistillery.com The Feathers Hotel: 01993 812291 / OX20 1SX / feathers.co.uk Gin Festival: ginfestival.com
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Sibling Triple Distilled Gin by Sibling Distillery
Membership of The Gin Pantry Club is free and members are given a personal tasting card which remains in the Pantry for you to keep track of your likes and dislikes, plus every tenth G&T purchased is free. The Gin Pantry also has a number of ’gin experiences’, all of which can be bought as gift vouchers. Locally, two other establishments stand out for the breadth of their gin bars: The Feathers Hotel, in Woodstock, and The Maytime Inn, in Asthall, near Burford. New for 2016, Gin Festival is holding an event at Blackfriars in Gloucester on 17–18 June, showcasing over 100 different gins from new and established producers. If you are already a gin aficionado, this offers the chance to try some of the newer artisanal varieties. Gun Dog Gin: 07791 750706 / gundoggin.co.uk The Maytime Inn: 01993 822068 / OX18 4HW / themaytime.com Shakespeare Distillery: 01789 801180 / CV37 8DX / shakespearedistillery.com Sibling Distillery: 07882 125969 / GL52 6EJ / siblingdistillery.com
APRIL 16 Cotswold preview