A step back in time…
Yes! It actually did happen the way we said…
Walking into an antique shop on a trip to Auckland (would love to say Cambridge, but that would be too convenient), I saw it on display. Pages opened, calling out to be turned.
An old Irish Chemistry book
Finding the recipe for a “Fine Gin” - I had to run this through the still!
Now, I am a huge Heston Blumenthal fan… So this was also an attempt to follow in his lead and use old recipes as a window to the past and to experience what once was.
It took a bit of time to reverse engineer the botanical amounts and work out the best way to create this old style gin. I ran it as written and tasted…. good, but wow a lot of old dusty flavors. The balance was nice and certainly gave a new experience….
But it needed freshness!
It took a few experiments (Smoked Cardamom does not work… I can laugh about it now). But the updates that made the most delicious impacts were Cucumber, Orange Peel, and Lemon Myrtle.
All botanicals that add “freshness” in a different way, yet combine to round out an experience of the type of gin people were drinking in the 1800’s.
For us, the story and experience really do matter…
It has been a great pleasure to share this little bit of history with you, we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it.
- James
Perfect Pour?
G& T - Fever Tree Refreshingly Light Tonic
or if you want to turn it up a notch - 1862 is crying out for a Martini
Chilled Glass (ideally freeze it for an hour)
Noily Prat Vermouth - pour a dash in the glass, roll it around and then pour it out - just “coat the glass”
Add ice to a cocktail shaker and add 1862 - stir for 30sec
Pour into the chilled Martini glass
Lemon peel
Simple. Enjoy.
Rosemary?
One tip I would like to leave you with..
We attempt to make gins that evolve in the glass or change with different garnishes. My other passion is wine (especially red wine) and having a drink change and evolve over time is an amazing thing.
Add a sprig of Rosemary to your gin and tonic - It is not only delicious, but never fails to give me a slightly different experience of that gin I am drinking.
It the words of another famous beverage producer… “Do try it”
