"Terroir" Why You should discover more NZ made Gins

With World Gin day happening tomorrow and the first annual NZ Gin Distillers conference completed I thought it was a good time to reflect on Gin and in particular NZ made Gin.

New Zealand Gin

Top 10 Gins that every enthusiast needs to try

Over the last couple of years I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to try a great many Gins from all corners of the planet using all the different distillation methods under the sun, from simple to next level crazy botanicals from 4 ingredients to 47........... you get the idea.

I thought it might be time to share with you some of the really exciting Gins that are out there. There are so many great Gins available at the moment some more traditional Juniper driven and others are pushing these boundaries into new and exciting territory to me each has its place and is equally as exciting for the future of Gin.

10 fun things that every NZ Gin lover needs to know

1. There are now 30 Gins made in New Zealand and counting as new distilleries come on line in locations all over New Zealand like Takaka, Auckland, Christchurch and Martinborough. Gins of New Zealand List.
   
2. World Gin day is on June the 10^th this year keep an eye out for some fun events closer to this time! 
   

Auckland - 4 Days and 22 Gin and Tonics

The Gin Jubilee and Auckland Gin scene where to start. I think it is safe to say that Gin in Auckland is a growing thing. With over 33 bars committing to this Gin focused event it was interesting to see each individual bars take on Gin and on their drink creation. There are a lot of passionate bartenders out there with good knowledge about Gin and how to go about mixing it in such a way that will leave you with a great experience.

Over the last couple of years a remarkable thing has happened in Auckland, im talking about the number of bars that now stock more than 2 Gins on the back bar. Whats more it is not uncommon for the range to include an actual New Zealand made Gin. While there is still a ways to go with what bars could do in this space it is good to see that I no longer have to settle for the often less than adequate basics.

Not only has the range improved but it is also quite common to find someone behind the bar who is passionate about the Gin they are serving and if you catch them at the right moment they are quite happy to have a bit of a yarn about there favourite Gins and how they like to drink them.

Gin Trends in 2015

It has been a busy year in the world of Gin for those of you that haven’t had time to accustom yourself with it here is a list of just some of the many things that have been happening.

New Distilleries

First thing is you can’t help but notice the number of new distilleries popping up. This trend isn’t only happening in London but all around the world from The US to Australia to South Africa, Scotland, Spain, Belgium and just about every other developed country. Craft spirits is a real and growing trend and most of these new distilleries are producing a Gin. With the Gin sales steadily growing in most countries and booming in some like the UK where there has been a 25% growth in sales value since 2012.

How to taste Gin and build up a strong flavour memory

You have just purchased a new bottle of Gin and you are excited to get stuck in and have a few G&Ts, and rightly so. However before you dive on in I would suggest that you get to understand this Gin and where it fits compared with other Gins. This knowledge base will make the whole Gin drinking experience so much more enjoyable. First of in order to get a clear picture of the Gins taste you need to have a frame of reference I suggest picking 3-4 other Gins and trying your new Gin back to back with these other gins.

Trust me this is half the fun of Craft Gin and what better way to spend an evening/afternoon.

One of the best things about Gin is that once its opened you can simply put it back into the cupboard ready for next time. This makes it ideal for regular taste and compare sessions allowing you to build up a strong flavour memory/patchwork to reference and allowing you to better understand the gin category as a whole

Gin can be a great Winter Warmer

When you think of Gin you most probably think summer and tonic. The humble G&T first created to keep British soldiers Malaria free is a fantastic drink and one that almost all Gin drinkers consume on a regular basis but in its traditional format ie plenty of ice and tonic tends to be a bit cold for those chilly winter evenings.

One of the best things about Gin for me is its versatility as a drink. If you’re anything like me there is a different drink and a different way of drinking it that covers just about every mood/situation/weather scenario. Now these differing scenarios could be filled with a different spirit/beer/wine/cider or whatever you normally drink. On the other hand this post will hopefully give you some ideas on how to make simple changes to adapt your Gin collection to suit just about any scenario. Yes that’s right I drink a lot of Gin in Winter!

Winter is stereotypically the season for strong dark spirits heavy dark ales or deep mahogany coloured red wines. There are plenty of great winter Gin drinks that I enjoy that don’t require a lengthy internet search for obscure boutique ingredients. Here are some of my favourites.