LIWSF / GIN TIME: Why gin’s back in

As an online organisation dedicated to breathing new life into the gin category, Gintime held tastings at this year’s LIWSF and continues to promote understanding of the historical white spirit. By Clinton Cawood

It is a spirit with heritage, both revered and reviled. Gin is linked to the sophistication of a Martini or a G&T, yet also to the poverty and squalor of the London gin craze and gin riots of the 1700s. In more recent times, it has gone from mainstream popularity to relative obscurity, and now, at least at a premium level, it is beginning to show signs of a return.

Gintime runs a website devoted to gin and all related subjects, like cocktail recipes, bars and information about various brands. As part of its dedication to this spirit, Gintime conducted two tastings at this year’s London International Wine and Spirits Fair. It also participates in a number of events dedicated to gin, such as evenings dedicated to Martinis.

Point of difference
Geraldine Coates, who conducted the tastings at the fair, points out that, for Gintime, this was the first time that a number of gins were all tasted together and not tasted blind for the purposes of rating one against another. “It’s not a blind tasting, where you’re rating gins. It wasn’t comparative – it was to explore various characteristics. What we’re doing is going backwards to educate the trade. It’s to address the idea that all gin tastes the same.”

The events were indeed attended by a significant and interesting cross-section of the trade. As Coates says: “This works in the right venue, with the right people. We had really good audiences – people that have genuinely wanted to learn more about the category.”

Those attending the event had the opportunity to taste eight premium gins in the Tasting Zone at the LIWSF. In addition to industry stalwarts like Plymouth and Tanqueray, and newly designed Beefeater, visitors had a chance to taste more contemporary brands such as Hendrick’s, Martin Miller’s and Whitley Neill. Bluecoat American Dry Gin stood out from the array of London Dry gins, as did the brand new London Gin with its natural blue colour.

Tasting these spirits diluted only with water, as Coates recommends, is not something that most gin drinkers ever do. “You normally don’t drink gin like that. Yet some drinks mask some of the characteristics of various brands. Tasting with water, you really get to the nuts and bolts of a gin.”

In the picture
To emphasise how each brand varied from the next, Coates drew a diagram for each based on ratings of various characteristics, such as spice or pine (a characteristic related primarily to the use of juniper as the dominant botanical). As each brand was tasted in turn, certain aspects of production were discussed, such as the infusion of cucumber and rose petals in Hendrick’s. Eight characteristics were then plotted on a graph, resulting in the painting of strikingly different pictures of each gin.

As Coates had mentioned, there was no attempt to rank one brand over another. “You wouldn’t drink the same wine or whisky the whole time – you’d have a portfolio. Certain gins are right for certain drinks.”

Journey of rediscovery
And this is becoming more relevant, as bartenders rediscover gin not only for new cocktail creations, but in the process of reviving classic drinks as well. “The Negroni is an amazing drink, and is now getting a lot of attention,” says Coates. This is important to Coates, who says, “One of the main things is to persuade people to break out of the gin and tonic box.”

These tastings, as well other Gintime activities, are obviously also beneficial to the gin brands involved, as well as to the category in general. Coates explains that the platform that Gintime provides is similar to the platform that brands receive on backbars and supermarket shelves. “It’s an industry first to convince brands to come along to promote the category.”

A learning process
And this is a worthwhile endeavour, given the important position that gin once held in the spirits market. “Gin in its glory day was the white spirit. Nowadays it’s vodka, but I think the on-trade has become quite bored with vodka. I like vodka, but I think its all gone a bit over the top. Gin has a lot of heritage and authenticity. And I’ve always felt that it’s a very English drink as well.” That said, Gintime is not exclusively involved with gins made in the UK – Bluecoat being an example of this. “We’re merely interested in gins that are good,” says Coates.

Gintime’s plan for the future is to take these tastings to other events, targeting not only the trade, but consumers as well, “to showcase the fact that each gin has its own personality”. There are plans to hold this kind of tasting at events such as the BBC Good Food Show, where attendees are likely to be legitimately interested in learning more about the category.

Gintime’s plans to run more events like these can only foster a greater understanding of this spirit in the trade, as well as providing greater diversity for existing gin drinkers, and a chance to convert its opponents. As Coates points out: “It’s probably the tonic they don’t like anyway.”

© db July 2007