World Gin Day: Let the Revolution beGin!

An astonishing number of gin distilleries have opened across the globe – the gin revolution is upon us and has been for over a decade. Today, gin experimentation has begun to contribute to the gin revolution in its own way. A wide range of botanicals across gin styles and brands brings a fresh approach to the category, proving once and for all there is a gin out there for everyone. Whether in a composed cocktail or a highball, gin has won our hearts over, as the complexity of this liquid really does transform other flavours.

India has a huge role to play in the ‘Gin Renaissance’. Today’s generation is interested in the provenance and transparency of drinks, connecting enjoyment directly to great flavour and a good story — the finest botanicals, sustainable messaging, captivating heritage. Gin has truly bloomed as a category, offering subtle differences between botanical blends and a new experience for each drinker, as well as a multitude of great occasions to enjoy it with.

Any story on this ‘Gin Renaissance’ isn’t complete without talking about the simplest, yet most revered of drinks, the Gin & Tonic. This combination moves the growth needle at pace and is the perfect entry for new drinkers into the category. For those that enjoy a simple highball, the Gin & Tonic allows the user to really customise gin style with tonic or mixer type, based on personal flavour preference. The freewheeling ‘G&T’ has evolved over history, from its accidental origins as an anti-malarial treatment in India, to the baroque garnishes of the Spanish Gin Tonica — the G&T of the present day hasn’t stood still for a moment, ever-evolving to suit the world’s climate.

In the cocktail world, the G&T is the perfect stepping-stone to something a bit more diverse — the Gimlet, the Martini, the Collins and the Martinez. These are amongst my favourite gin classics, and they are often used as the classic recipe designs adapted by bartenders the world over. A gin cocktail is complex — it has the ability to delight your taste buds, it lengthens other flavours and captures the senses with a bright, forested perfume — immediately transporting drinkers to a different time and place.

As a bartender, a big portion of what I do is sharing flavours, stories and experiences with guests through the glass. Often times, we are trying to develop a guest’s palate from a simple drink to something extraordinary — this is usually met with an opportunity to change the base spirit. I have always found that drinks made with a vodka base really do shine with the addition of gin in its place. It creates a new experience in a cocktail design the guest is already keen on.

The best examples of this include: Moscow Mule to Gin Gin Mule (creator, Audrey Saunders), the John Collins to a Tom Collins, the Vodka Sour to a Bees Knees, the Cosmopolitan with Gin (1934 recipe from book, “Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars”) that predates the vodka modern classic, and of course the Vesper Martini – this is a great example of a “split base” drink, using vodka to lengthen the flavour of the gin, but add subtlety. For vodka and gin Martini fans, this cocktail is a wonderful way to customise either spirit amount to your preference. I personally am a fan of the slight twist on the classic with three parts gin, two parts vodka, one part Lillet and two dashes of orange bitters.

As the Global Cocktailian, part of my role is to develop aspirational programming that really highlights what makes Tanqueray No. TEN, Tanqueray London Dry and the range of Tanqueray Gins special in today’s cocktail culture. As the Global Ambassador for the World Class programme, we are seeing the best bartenders around the world create new and innovative drinks every day, drastically changing our perception on “what is possible” with gin.

With Tanqueray No. TEN’s citrus heart, it is almost difficult for me to imagine a zesty, citrus-based cocktail without the use of this spirit– the revolutionary whole-fruit distillation in the “Tiny Ten” still at Cameronbridge — the home of Tanqueray — uses grapefruits, lime and orange to really transform the palate and perception of what is possible in the future of gin.

Since Tanqueray No. TEN’s inception in 2001, it has been the most popular brand for bartenders to reach for when it comes to a Martini or any other classic or contemporary gin cocktail. We know that guests sitting at bars around the world aspire to learn more about the drinks their bartenders are whipping up, and eager to carry that knowledge home with them, so they too can try their hand at making delicious drinks for their friends and family.

When it comes to learning more about Gin, there’s no better resource than a bartender, and with your imagination, great recipe books or online resources, ingredients and a some confidence, there’s no doubt that Gin will play an active role in your favourite drinks too.

Inspired by one of the many places in India cinnamon is grown. Cinnamon is a wonderful complement to cocktails made with Tanqueray No. TEN Gin, and this one is inspired by the French 75 classic. This is spin on a delicious cocktail I made for the Four Seasons Hotel Whistler, the “Matterhorn”.

— shake, neat, flute —

-0.75 oz Tanqueray No. Ten Gin

-0.50 oz Fino Sherry (or dry vermnouth)

-1.00 oz Cinnamon & Orange Cordial*

-2 dashes Peach Bitters

-Top with Sparkling Wine

-Giant orange twist

-300g raw honey (or sugar)

-200ml water

-100ml orange juice, fresh, strained

-2 cinnamon sticks

-15 citric acid (if you do not have access to citric acid, add 250ml of fresh, strained lemon juice to your cordial instead)

-Combine the honey, orange juice and water, bring to a low simmer, add the cinnamon sticks. Allow to steep on low heat for 30 min, shut off the heat, and allow to infuse overnight. Strain out the spices and stir in the citric acid to combine. Add to a clean, labeled bottle and store in the cooler up to 7 days.