Despite the summer temperatures seemingly abandoning us this June, at Elysium Magazine we’re feeling in the mood to be refreshed. What better way for the discerning gent to unwind in such muggy times after a long days work than with a refreshing G&T. Evermore so, with World Gin Day falling on 9th June, it’s only right that our recommendation for the discerning gent’s drinks cabinet this week is Martin Miller’s Gin.
Created in 1999, Martin Miller’s starts its journey at the Langley Distillery in the heart of the Black Country where ‘Angela’, the century-old gem of a copper pot still, is the real star of the show. Unlike some other gins, Martin Miller’s is batched distilled, like Malt Whisky, using a traditional pot still method – time consuming but, for gin production, unrivalled.
Uniquely, Martin Miller’s employs two separate distillations – one for the juniper and earthy botanicals and one for the citrus peels – this gives greater infusion and clarity of flavour that can’t be achieved in conventional gin distillation. Both batches of botanicals are then distilled separately using the highest grade grain spirit base. In the process of distilling they keep only the ‘heart’ of the spirit run and discard the heads and tails (the low quality beginning and end of the run).
The botanicals recipe is a taste feast too – familiar juniper, coriander, angelica, and orris root (aka the Florentine Iris) coupled with the more unusual cassia, cinnamon bark, and liquorice. The citrus elements are bitter Seville orange peel and lime. It’s also the first gin to use cucumber in its recipe, used in very small quantities as a ‘functional ingredient’ giving Martin Millar’s its characteristic long, dry and fresh finish and is added during the blending process.
The gin then departs these shores by boat on a unique trip to Borganes, Iceland, to be blended with the purest, unprocessed spring water which guarantees the gin’s freshness and smoothness, and coveted silky smooth texture on the taste buds. Only then is the gin shipped back to England 10 days later, and right into your drinks cabinet.
So with World Gin day upon us, reach for the gin in that well stocked drinks cabinet of yours, pour a couple of classic G&T’s and enjoy amongst friends. How very British.
Martin Miller’s Gin is available from The Drinks Shop, RRP £24.50. For further information visit: www.martinmillersgin.com