A new guide for spiritual enlightenment by the pious team at Glengarry. Join us monthly as we explore everything spirit related. View the full issue online here.

What I’m Drinking: Gin

As the summer sun was setting, there was nothing better than enjoying a refreshing gin and tonic. And why not, when we’ve had such a stellar summer. However, gin can be enjoyed all year around and going into the colder months I recommend moving on to Negroni’s (equal parts gin, vermouth and campari), which will warm you up.

Lately I’ve been favouring New Zealand gins because it’s a market that has been rapidly growing over the past few years and it’s always good to support home grown products. The newly branded Scapegrace Gin, formerly Rogue Society (read all about that in our first edition of the Spiritual Guide), with their impressive branding and marketing, is one I find myself reaching for over and over; in particular their Goldi Locks, which is a higher strength version of the Scapegrace coming in at 57%. They used 12 botanicals and added tangerine peels to the mix. Let’s just say it’s very easy to drink.

It can be a little overwhelming nowadays to find the perfect tonic to accompany your gin of choices as we are spoilt for choice. But you can’t go past East Imperial Tonic. They have collaborated with bar staff to understand what people actually want out of their tonics and created an impressive range of tonic and soda waters. They include: Old World Tonic, Grapefruit Tonic and Yuzu (Japanese Grapefruit) which allow for a full, flavourful cocktail.

The other recent release I have been reaching for is the Blush Gin. Using rhubarb in the distillation process is something different, but in today’s ever-growing gin industry you need something to stand out amongst the sea of gins that take up space on the shelves.

Now, spirits are a rather personal choice, so it’s often difficult to persuade someone to try a new gin. When the likes of Bombay and Gordon’s have been around for donkey’s years, and are an easy option, those “Gin Gurus” amongst us will always need to step up to the challenge of convincing those who are reluctant to try something new.

Scott Wilson