Gin Daddies

25th June 2020

This place looks strangely familiar…

Ooooh look at all the cobwebs and dust in here!

Hey everyone, I hope you are all safe and well in this crazy time? As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve taken quite a break from blogging (not from drinking Gin though, current collection is around 50 different Gins!) and Jake has been extra busy fighting crime (no he doesn’t wear a cape, but has been seen with his pants over his trousers in his younger years).

So what have I been up to while I’ve neglected the blog? Well it’s all been a litte bit crazy and confusing to be honest. At the end of last year I started a new job with an amazing company, local and exciting. It was what I needed and what I had wanted for a very long time. However, after a week I seemed to have a crisis of confidence and things started to spiral. I felt like I had lost my voice and was too scared to ask for help. Pressures kept mounting with other things all coming at once and T1 was being reviewed by a specialist as he had started having seizures. I’m used to working under pressure and in stressful situations, but something this time was different. It felt like everything was pushing me down, not just in an emotional sense, but physically, I couldn’t sleep and I just couldn’t drag myself out of bed in the morning, if I did it was quite often as an emotional wreck. All the time I tried to put on a brave face, hoping it would all pass and it was just a temporary thing. In work, I dreaded anyone speaking to me, I didn’t want to answer my phone. At home, I had to hold it all together for the kids, but all I wanted to do was hide under my duvet. I still couldn’t see there was anything wrong, I thought I had just bitten off more than I could chew, that was until my wife pointed out that I needed help and got me to the doctors. The diagnosis of stress and anxiety gave some immediate relief, but then sent me into a sense of panic with how would I cope with this long term? What about my new job, I can’t be signed off after only being there a month? To be honest, my GP was amazing, she got me the help and medication I needed straight away and came up with a plan to avoid me having to take time off of work, however it was always there as a safety net. How dark a place did I get to? Well I considered doing something really stupid so I wouldn’t have to feel any of the emotions again. It was a fleeting moment and looking back on it now it scares me as I don’t recognise those kind of thoughts as my own, however in that moment I thought everyone would be better off without me. A couple of weeks after first seeing my GP I managed to pluck up the confidence to tell my new employer. I wasn’t sure how this was going to go and will never forget the strange joy of actually being told off for not telling them sooner! They’ve been amazing, understanding and supportive and taken a lot of pressure away just by knowing that they are ok with my current mental state.

So, fast forward 8 months and here I am, all better? No, but learning to manage it. Confidence is starting to come back, energy levels are getting better and I’ve started to actually feel happy, something that I hadn’t realised I had stopped feeling. I have a lot to be happy and grateful for and it seems silly I lost sight of that, but emotions really can consume you and completely cloud your thought process, even at 39 there is so much to learn about yourself. I’ve learned that it’s ok not to hide these emotions from my children, granted they don’t need my issues as thier burdens, but for them to see and understand that adults have these emotions, will hopefully help them understand and manage their own emotions. I’ve learned to find time for me, to collect my thoughts and reset, something I’ve never done.

So why post this and why now? I know it’s not my usual type of lightheared blog, but I feel ready to say, yes I have mental health issues and I’m not embarassed to say it. At present we are in a very odd time, maybe isolated from loved ones, maybe feeling confined, uncertainty over jobs and sadly, many people dying. Any of these things can be huge stresses and it only takes one small pressure to tip the balance. In my case it was what I saw as a positive change, however it was just one thing too many and I broke. But here is the reason for highlighting this, it can get better! Don’t feel embarassed to talk to someone about it, don’t blame yourself, we are all human and all have our limits, you are not alone. Since being a little more open about my mental health, I’ve discovered just how many people are in the same boat. Life is stressfull! More worryingly, is how many men are suffering mental health problems and feel unable to get help. Three quarters of all suicide deaths in the UK are male. We (men and women) put each other and ourselves (intentionally or not) under huge pressure every day and take very little time to ourselves. Everyone’s limits are different, everyone’s pressures and concerns are different. We are all a work in progress and as such have the ability to change our thought processes. Be kind to yourself, be kind to each other, support each other.

I promise to the lighthearted blogs and Gin reviews will be back!

12th February 201912th February 2019

I’m Back!

Well, I’m back! After a bit of a break, suffering from writers block (read as “researching” Gins), taking some time off with the family (read as hoping the kids provide me with some more content) and adding another member to our family (more about that later!). So here we are, over a month into the new year. Gin Daddies is now 1 year old and I’d like to thank you all for all your support over the last 12 months, who knew you would want to listen to our ramblings? But you do and with Christmas behind us, I now have a backlog of Gins to review, so you can expect even more blog posts to brighten up your days.

I actually do not know what happened to January, it seems like only yesterday I was trying to find the kids school bags and get them ready for the first day back. Which reminds me, while rummaging through T2’s school bag I found a copy of a poem titled “Fire and Ice”. It looks like he was given this just before Christmas and he clearly enjoyed the poem so much that he decided to have a go at re-writing it! Now I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure he will not be appointed Poet Laureate anytime soon with this little masterpiece. I applaud his creativity, his bravery to tackle such a difficult subject, the use of purple felt tip, the clear markup of the document and his fantastic final rhyming couplet to change the whole structure of the poem, but I think I’ll be quietly removing this from his bag and be thankful this one will not be mentioned at parents evening! So for it’s one and only public viewing, I give you (drum roll) “Poo and Wee”:

Now, as I promised earlier, I have some big news, our Gin Daddies family grew by one last week! That’s right, if things were not crazy enough, we decided to add another to the mix. Our Twitter and Facebook followers will have already met him, but here is our new bundle of joy!

#GinDoggy is our beautiful 3 year old rescue Dalmatian. He’s a very big, bouncy boy, who is so full of love. His ears are broken, which in our noisy household is probably an advantage! Thanks to the amazing people at the Dalmatian Adoption Society for everything they do to keep these dogs safe, look after them and re-home them. I’m sure #GinDoggy will feature in future blogs as he creates havoc with T1, T2 and the +1.

What else have I been up to? Well for Christmas my wife bought me a very special bottle of Gin and a distillery tour. Not one to waste time I booked it in for the earliest opportunity in January. The tour was at the 6 O’clock Gin distillery and the Gin she bought me was 6 O’clock Gin’s limited edition 5 year aged Sloe Gin.

Now there are tours and there are TOURS! This definitely falls into the latter. When I arrived I was greeted with the perfect question: “Would you like a G&T?”. Now, this is a big start and I’m hoping it continues on this trend as I reply with a yes. “Double?” well now we are talking! As I sit down with a perfectly served G&T in my very own 6 O’Clock Copa glass, we are given a little presentation on the history of Gin and the history of the company and the family behind 6 O’Clock Gin. It’s a lovely touch that humanises a brand and allows you to feel you know a bit more about them and why they are so passionate about what they do. Once the presentation had finished we are encouraged to “walk our G&Ts” as we are guided through the distillery. Of course the star of the tour is the beautiful ‘Kathleen’. Custom made and solar powered she is a work of art and helps to produce the incredibly smooth Gin.

As we move from one room to the next we are handed tasters of fruit liquers and Gins while we are presented with information on production and bottling and encouraged to ask questions. Back upstairs at the bar and we are given a sample of 6 O’Clock Gins Brunel Edition Gin and taken through a guided tasting session. This starts with how best to smell/taste the Gin and a quiz as to what the additional botanicals contained in the Brunel Edition are. Finally we were asked if there were any other Gins or fruit liquers we would like to taste. This was a lovely way to finsih the tour and for me, just goes to show how a company is so confident of their products that they want you to sampple as many as you like and ask questions about them. This is a fantastic tour and a great opportunity to see just how friendly and inviting the industry is. 6 O’Clock gin still retain that family business ethos and their passion for their products is infectious. If you are ever in the area then this is well worth booking a place on, I promise you, you will not be dissapointed!

Ahh! Not to forget the other part of my Christmas present, The 5 year old Sloe Gin. Now I’m not a fan of Sloe Gin and so this was a risky gift for my wife to buy, however, the quality of 6 O’Clock Gins lineup, speaks volumes and yet again, my wife chose amazingly well! Limited to just 999 bottles, 6 O’Clock Gin have taken their super smooth London Dry Gin and steeped it with Sloes for five years. This produces a much sweeter, fruitier and deeper flavour than what a normal Sloe Gin posses. By leaving the Sloe Gin to age for years rather than months (which would be the normal process) it also picks up a slight nuttiness from the Sloe stones, culminating in an almost port like taste. So, the ultimate question – has this changed my feelings about Sloe Gin? Well, yes, but this sets a new benchmark in terms of just how good Sloe Gin can be. The best things clearly come to those who wait (even if it is 5 years).

Price Paid
£50.

Tastes Like
The most incredible mix of a Gin with the complexity of a good Port. Fruity with a nutty hint.

Would go well with
Peace and quiet! Pour a glass, sit back, relax and savour every drop.

Recommended?
If you hadn’t guessed – YES! If you are lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle of this, you will not regret it.

18th November 201823rd November 2018

Exciting News

We have some exciting news, Gin Daddies has been selected to progress to the second round of the UK Blog Awards 2019.

What’s even more exciting is that we have progressed in both the Parenting and Lifestyle categories. Just to get this far in our first year of blogging has blown us away and now we would like to see if we can progress even further.

We need your help! We need our followers, readers, fellow bloggers, Gin lovers, even your dogs (maybe!) to vote for Gin Daddies. We can’t promise free Gin for all, but if you enjoy our random parental ramblings or our honest Gin reviews/ideas, then please vote for us by clicking the button below and clicking the heart next to the Gin Daddies profile (remember we are in two categories so please vote using both the buttons below).

Much Love,
Gin Daddies xx

1st November 201812th February 2019

Christmas is coming

No it’s bloody not! Not for another 2 months (nearly)!

Now before I get my rant on, I would just like to explain that I actually love the Christmas period, I’m talking like Buddy the Elf loves Christmas kind of passion, but I at least try to keep it in check until the 1^st of December. My argument here is mainly focused at selling Christmas related produce before we have even reached Autumn. This year I saw mince pies and Christmas puddings on the shelves in the last week of August and it does nothing but dilute the expectation and excitement of the festive season. Couple this with the fact, we as parents, haven’t even gotten over the trauma of the summer holidays and the first day at school woes before the usual run of Christmas related toy adverts are already brainwashing our kids to add them to their Christmas lists.

I’ve decided to take advantage of this early marketing and be organised (hey, I can at least try even if I know it won’t happen). I’m going to start making lists (and checking them twice) of everything I need to get in time for Christmas. I’ve already started on the most important list…

The marketing doesn’t just stop at Christmas though, Halloween seems to get bigger and bigger in the UK each year. So much so that T1 prefers it to anything else (apart from the presents at Christmas). He’s had this obsession for a couple of years, it’ll be the middle of the summer and he’ll close the curtains so it’s dark, get the Halloween costumes and decorations out, dress the +1 up as a pumpkin and have himself a little party!

This year my wife has decided to throw a Halloween party at our house for the kids and their friends. The first I knew of it was when they came home with a car full of stuff to decorate the house. I thought this meant that it was open season on buying stuff for the party, but when I mentioned my intention of installing a fog machine in the fireplace and disco lights, UV lights and strobe lights throughout the house, scary faces in windows or behind doors, I was quickly reminded that they are 6 years old and it’s not fright night at Thorpe Park. Order promptly cancelled. Apple bobbing and cupcakes it is. I’ll redirect those funds into the gin kitty.

In keeping with Halloween I’ve decided that a nice looking gin for this occasion would be Tanqueray Flor De Sevilla. This is more than just looks though! Tanqueray know how to make a good London Dry Gin, after all they’ve been doing it since the 1830’s. This subtle new twist takes their classic London Dry Gin and adds to it a beautiful bittersweet orange taste from Seville oranges. This is a refreshing Gin, mixed with tonic and a large slice of orange, it is ridiculously easy to drink. Adding a cinnamon stick to this G&T makes a great festive drink with a difference.

Price Paid

£20-£25.

Tastes Like

Marmalade and Gin, what’s not to like? It’s a refreshing orange taste.

Would go well with

Tonic and a large slice of orange.

Recommended?

Yes. A Gin with a refreshing difference.

15th August 201815th August 2018

THE Greatest Showman

Firstly, I would like to congratulate any parents reading this blog. You’ve done it, you are half way through the summer holidays! Only another few weeks of having your sanity tested daily.

I say this, but I have it easy. My amazing wife has taken our 3 on holiday for the whole of the summer holidays whilst I stay at home and work. I do join them every weekend, and for a couple of weeks (to give my wife a partial break!). She’s brave, as they stay in a beach hut which is no bigger than 20’x 15′, which is perfect when the weather is dry, but they soon get cabin fever if it’s raining and there is nowhere to escape to. I’ve found the trick to this (it applies if you are ever staying in a confined space – tent, caravan, campervan, etc), is to wear them out in the day.

We are fortunate that where we stay hosts both the beach and woodland pretty much on our ‘doorstep’ so it’s perfect for them to explore and play. Although sometimes I watch and feel they could play a little harder, you know, just to tire them out that little bit more so that it makes bedtime a little easier; or maybe I just can’t miss out on the opportunity to behave like a kid and get involved myself.

As much as I moan about my kids, I love them more than anything – even gin! I value the time I get to spend with them and the beach hut is our perfect playground. However, this year I appear to have a following! T1 and T2 are now at an age where they go and find friends to play with, but after a while they get bored and want to do something else. This is normally where I suggest something and get dragged into it. On this occasion it happened to be mountain biking through the woods.

What started as me, T1 and T2 and the +1 keeping up on his go-kart, soon ended up with around 8 of us as we came out of the woods at the other end. Their friends had seen what we were doing and wanted to join in. As I glanced back towards the beach hut, it appeared my wife had also been struck with this new-found popularity and is now known as the “beach face painter“. Having painted some rather cool Paw Patrol faces on T1, T2 and the +1, some of their friends soon started asking for their faces to be painted too. This generally happens here, it has this community atmosphere and the people make a huge effort to get along and interact with one another, it’s part of what makes this place so unique and special. It does make me laugh though, as I sit on the decking in the evening with a G&T and think of some of the other parents enjoying the sun and peace and quiet, whilst I inadvertently entertained their kids for an hour!

To be honest, I’m just a big kid at heart, any excuse to build dens, dig channels on the beach or climb trees. It never gets old! My father is and my father-in-law was the same. They can’t help but join in and my kids love it. It’s about making memories, long lasting memories, the kind that shape you as an individual. My children have been extremely lucky in this aspect as it is something we have both had instilled in us by our parents and now our kids have us and their grandparents who are dedicated to doing just this.

I love this quote from Bob Dylan “Take care of all your memories … for you cannot relive them.” It’s been rather poignant for me recently, but it is so true.

Just over a month ago we lost a huge part of our lives and our family. Very unexpectedly my father-in-law died, and it has turned our world upside down. This is the first family bereavement we have had to deal with, with the children and they were incredibly close to him. Everything goes through your head about how they will react to the news; will they understand? All you want to do is protect them and keep everything “normal” for them.

While those thoughts are completely understandable, it is also important to allow them to see you grieve and understand their own and your emotions. I’ve said in previous blogs that I am always amazed by how sensible and grown up T1 and T2 can be when faced with a serious situation, but on this occasion, I was blown away. Their maturity, understanding, compassion and empathy, I honestly do not think I would have had at 12 let alone 6 years old. What makes it particularly hard is that their grandparents basically lived with us for the first 5 years of the twins’ life, providing childcare for all three of our children for us, so they were very close to him. They miss him, they always will, but the memories he left them will give them comfort and make sure he’s never forgotten.

There is no gin review with this blog and I know this sort of goes against my usual blogging style, but I wanted to have the opportunity to pay tribute to a wonderful person. And to be honest, I wanted to do this, but I didn’t know how or if I was able to. So here goes, my very raw and honest tribute to my amazing father-in-law…

Martin was the most selfless man I have ever met. 99% of his day was spent doing things for other people, doing things to bring people joy and make them smile, or just to brighten up someone’s day, even make it slightly easier for them. This sometimes came at a cost to his family, as some days we wouldn’t see him for hours while he would be volunteering for local community events, or the National Trust. But when he was spending time with us, he always made it special. Everything was an adventure, and nothing was ever impossible.

When I once suggested trying to make cider from the apples on my apple tree, he encouraged me and assisted me to do it. A couple of years later, his enthusiasm and help made this become an obsession to go bigger and better, seeing us produce around 160 bottles of wine, 90l of cider and several kegs of beer in a year. Without this little adventure into brewing, I wouldn’t be sat here today writing a blog about gin.

This is what I admired the most about Martin, his never fading enthusiasm, his ‘can do, will do’ attitude and his desire to go bigger and better. He was never one to rest and every day was filled with purpose.

He loved technology and would very rarely be seen without a camera in his hand. For this, I truly am thankful. Martin captured memories at every possible moment, and when he wasn’t capturing them he was making them. Always wanting to “put on a show”, loud, confident and lovably infectious, he made countless people smile.

He taught me so much about so many things. He encouraged me to keep going even when the odds were stacked against me.

I’ll miss the little things. I’ll miss walking into the kitchen once the kids had fallen asleep, pouring a whisky and talking about random things with him until late in the night. I’ll miss our mutual love of Christmas, I’ll miss me saying some crazy idea out loud and the next day he would have only gone and done it (just like the giant screen and projector in the garden when we couldn’t get to Glastonbury that year!) I could go on and on, but it’s still a little too raw right now and that makes it harder to write this.

A man never afraid to dream and to make those dreams come true. Martin, you truly are THE Greatest Showman and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me into your family and treating me as a son. I’ll remember all you taught me and treasure the memories you have given me and my children.

So, in keeping with your tradition at a special occasion, in your absence I’ll be the one to make this toast and raise my glass to you. “To absent friends”.

In Martin’s memory:
Talking Sunflowers JustGiving Page

5th July 2018

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

Kids say the funniest things. T1 and T2 are only 6 and I often have to remind myself of this fact during the tantrums and brotherly fights. Their understanding and they way they converse would lead anyone to believe they are much older.

Fortunately, they do occasionally remind me with some of the things they say and to be honest they are too cute to correct. Spaghetti has always been “Busghetti” to them and if you ask them what you measure things with, they are likely to reply with a “Teasure Mape”. The next one I am going to highlight is clearly a misheard word from someone at school and while it’s not quite scientifically correct, it’s pretty close and not a bad description. T1 throws a ball to T2 and it hits him right between the legs, he immediately shouts in a funny voice “you hit me in the…” now lets pause for a second, this is a 6 year old, a very impressionable age and one where they just soak up whatever they are told. So you can imagine my fear at what is going to come next, is this the first foul language to come home from school? Are the flood gates about to be opened? But no the word is far more innocent; “you hit me in the Peanuts!”. Queue very loud sniggering from me and the two of them rolling around the floor like it’s the funniest thing in the world. Mind you to a 6 year old boy, the words “boobies” and “knickers” are like the holy grail of naughtiness mixed with hilarity. I adore this innocence and will never rob them of it. Society in general, seems to be piling more and more pressure on us as parents and on our children for them to grow up before they are emotionally and developmentally ready. Don’t worry, I’m not going to go in to a deep discussion on how we will eventually have a generation of adults all with mental health issues due to the constant and overbearing pressures being applied to them at such a young age! Just let them be children, they’ll thank you for it one day. There, I said it.

Conversely, we do have some deep conversations that they instigate and I am so thankful that they have the language and ability to discuss these with such maturity. However, when I am wandering around a busy supermarket, on a Saturday morning, with T1, T2 and the +1 in tow, it is probably not the best time for coupling this understanding and language with humour. After a stressful, meandering along every aisle at least 3 times as I’ve forgotten things the first and second time along them, I decided to head to the alcohol section, more specifically the gin shelves. Before I get there, T1 is obviously feeling the stress too and sensing the direction we are heading, announces very loudly “UMMM Daddy not more gin, don’t you have enough, there is a cupboard FULL of gin at home”. Oh world, swallow me up now! There are at least 4 other shoppers trying not to laugh at hearing this little gem and 2 members of staff with the biggest grin on their faces. Is now a good opportunity to teach my children about sarcasm? Some quick responses run through my head “Daddy has a problem with gin” or “It’s what gets me through shopping trips like this”. Instead I opted just to laugh along and ask him if Mummy put him up to this (I like to encourage this humour as long as it doesn’t get out of hand). We quickly bypassed the gin and went straight for the cakes (via the bags of peanuts for a giggle)!

Given that my children clearly feel I have too much gin, maybe I shouldn’t have attended Junipalooza (quite possibly the best gin festival known to man) a few weekends ago. I was always going to come home from such a great gin festival with more bottles of gin! However, both myself and Jake managed to blag a day pass from our partners and headed off to London to meet a whole host of distilleries and sample hundreds of gins.

We spent an amazing 4 hours talking and drinking gin. We met some awesome people and got to understand their stories and passion for making gin. Looks like we now have some distillery trips to get planned so look out for those at some point in the future.

While I was planning my day at Junipalooza I put out a tweet for any must sample gins, that I could add to my route. The first to reply was 6 O’Clock Gin, with an invite to come and say hi and have a chat about their gins. I’m all for supporting local producers, so being a Bristolian born and bred and now living in Wiltshire, I certainly wasn’t going to pass up on this offer from the neighbouring Gloucester based distillery.

Upon finding 6 O’Clock Gin’s stand, we were greeted by Maria. Her enthusiasm for the distillery and their gin is infectious. We were enlightened as to where the name 6 O’Clock Gin comes from and also to the range of gins they produce: 6 O’Clock Gin, Damson Gin, Sloe Gin and Brunel edition (I’m not going to comment on these fantastic gins now as I’m sure I will be reviewing them in the future). So where does that leave this review? Well, 6 O’Clock Gin decided to bring along their unreleased and freshly bottled Jekka’s Edition and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a bottle at the festival (Thank you Maria).

Jekka’s Edition stems from an interesting concept where experts in two different industries have come together to make something pretty special! First, take 6 O’Clock Gin’s ability to create super smooth, well balanced gin. Then add the vast, herbal knowledge of the multi RHS and Chelsea Flower Show award winning, Jekka McVicar. The end result – a bright, fresh gin that’s full of flavour, but not over powering, perfect for the summer.

What I like best about this gin is the freshness of the herbs being used, it really does make the gin so much crisper and brighter in the mouth. Jekka’s herb farm is only a few miles down the road from the distillery and the herbs are delivered fresh on the day of gin production. Mixed among the usual botanicals expected are a couple of big hitters in the flavour department, Lemon Verbena and Swiss Mint. The Lemon Verbena adds a delicate lemon/floral note, while the Swiss Mint provides a freshness, but without being hot like other mints.

I honestly have no gin like this in my collection, it may be more herbal than some gins, but it is so well balanced and so smooth that it has a “moreish” quality about it. I have a funny feeling that this bottle is not going to last very long when the weather is this sunny, I had better order a spare!

Price Paid

Sample from the amazing people at 6 O’Clock Gin.

Can be purchased for around £38 online direct from 6 O’Clock Gin.

Tastes Like

A lively, refreshing gin. Herbal, but fresh, with a lemon hint.

Would go well with

Tonic and a sprig of mint. Also goes well with elder flower tonic.

Recommended?

Yes, yes and yes! This is a sure fire, summer refresher.

14th June 2018

A rare gin

My life could easily be chronicled by embarrassing moments. I like thinking back to all the horrific, toe-curlingly humiliating events which have occurred in my life – it’s good to reset the ego.

The first such embarrassment happened when I was around 8 or 9 years old. I was a sprightly young Cub Scout enjoying collecting the latest knot-tying badge which mum could sew onto my uniform when Barry, the leader, approached and asked if I would be part of the Cubs quiz team. “Great!” I thought, this would certainly secure another cool fabricated badge to add to my somewhat dodgy collection. For the next few weeks I crammed as much knowledge into my 9 year old brain as I could. I was reading everyday – from my Guiness World Records book to Plato’s The Republic (joke). I was a verifiable juggernaut of knowledge, or so I thought.

The day of the quiz arrived and I was in a team with two other Cubs from my district – we were crushing it! Answering questions faster than Mark “The Beast” Labbett on speed, until one fateful question was fired my way. It was a slam dunk; I already had the answer before the quiz-master had finished his sentence;

Which football team plays their home games at White Hart Lane?

I knew it! They were my favourite team in League One! Gazza and Lineker play for them! I was on the edge of my seat waiting to answer, already proud as punch that dad, who was in the audience of parents, would know how much footballing knowledge his son had.

“My favourite team, Bristol Rovers!”

Silence. Soul crushing silence. I knew I fucked up straight away, I could already feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as I recoiled deep into the chair with sheer embarrassment. I knew the answer was Tottenham Hotspur but for some reason my mind decided to answer with the local football team.

“You we’re so self-assured” dad laughed as we spoke about it last week. That’s probably what is the most embarrassing part, answering with such pride and getting it wrong, so very wrong.

I started drinking Plymouth Gin when I used to visit my older cousin Ben at the weekends. He lived in Warwickshire and being 18 years old with not enough money to drive I used to catch the Friday afternoon special – a decrepit National Express coach which always used to stink of urine and despair. When he picked me up from the bus station our first stop was always the local wine merchants where he would pick up a couple of bottles of Plymouth Gin, tonic and a shit-ton of limes. Ben taught me that the real “man” way to drink Plymouth was in a pint glass, half-tonic half-gin with a fistful of ice and a full lime. Real connoisseurs of Plymouth gin also know that it should be kept in the freezer to make it thick and viscous like syrup. We would spend the weekend getting blitzkrieged on the stuff, between top-ups we would order pizza and play Gran Turismo. I thought at the time that Ben being older and more worldly than me was drinking the best-of-the-best, the rarest of gins – after all he bought it in a wine merchant! I worked in a bar at the time (see previous posts) and had never seen that gin so it must’ve been extraordinarily recherché.

I believed my own fallacy about Plymouth Gin right up until year one at university. I was going through a beatnik phase of listening to a lot of The Doors and wearing kaftans but thankfully still had a band of close friends. One of them, Dave, was my drinking partner-in-crime. Dave and I were regulars at the Student Union and every Thursday I worked the bottle bar and gave him (and I) free drinks. After working our way through at least 10 bottles a piece we would saunter off to our student houses but always stop for a night cap or two. One evening it was my turn to host and I invited Dave to try “a rare gin” I had in the freezer, it was a bottle of Plymouth Gin Ben had sent me as a birthday present. I was so excited to share this rarity I launched into a spiel about my high-flying cousin who only buys the most luxurious items and that he had bestowed upon me a great gift. I reached into the freezer and pulled out the iced bottle and showed it to Dave like it was a Palme D’or. Dave’s face didn’t change for a couple of seconds, I was watching him, expectant that at any second he would coo over my rare gin. A thin smile started spreading across his face, “this is it” i thought, he was about to thank me for being such a good friend to let him try what could possibly be the last bottle of Plymouth on the planet.

And then he started laughing. Laughing like a madman. “HAHAHA! That’s not rare fuck-o! You can get it in Tesco on the High Street!”

The familiar feeling of blood creeping up my neck, past my ears and into my cheeks came swiftly. Hello embarrassment my old friend, how long has it been? I had a flashback of calling Mrs. Glasby “mum” in year 5 and remembering how all the other children laughed; just like Dave was doing now. I tried to rescue the situation first by totally denying that the gin was rare, anger came next swiftly followed by the acceptance that for the umpteenth time I had been wrong, caught short in the urinal of life.

I text Dave today to see if he still remembered this interaction. It’s good to know nearly 12 years on it is fresh in his memory.

Despite this, Plymouth remains one of my all-time favourite session gins (much like Adam with his Martin Miller). It is rare in it’s own way – Plymouth Gin itself is made in The Black Friars Distillery the oldest working gin distillery since 1793. Not many other gins can boast a history as prestigious as being a true Navy gin like Plymouth.

On the nose Plymouth is heavy on the juniper and orange peel, the flavours whoosh up your nostrils and make a raindance on the back of your tongue which leaves you salivating. When mixed with ice, a strongly quinine’d tonic and lime the flavours of the other aromatics burst through – the orangey citrus of the coriander is what I love about it. After your first sip you will notice the familiar earthy dryness which comes from angelica root. It really does taste better which poured straight from the freezer – it oozes over ice and you can really smell the juniper as it hits the glass. If you are younger, try having it in a pint glass, half tonic, half gin – but be warned, it will get you inebriated.

Plymouth gin is the reason I love gin, it is quintessential in its taste and holds many a fond memory for me.

Plymouth Gin in its native format – cold.

Price Paid

Not as rare as it once was – available in most supermarkets from £18-25.

Tastes Like

A cold smooth kiss from a once forgotten lover.

Would go well with

Playing The Witcher 3, especially the Blood and Wine DLC in the dark.

Recommended?

Yes, although if offered to a vir’gin’ drinker, perhaps go light on the gin and a squeeze extra of lime.

6th June 2018

Kitchenpox

Roald Dahl has a lot to answer for! I remember his books so fondly from my own childhood that I thought T1 and T2 were now of the age to appreciate great childhood literature. One of my favourite Roald Dahl books is George’s Marvellous Medicine and I knew the mischievous nature of this book would soon have my boys hooked. So much so we finished it in two nights.

Now what I wasn’t expecting was for T2 to take the main narrative of the book quite so literally! Waking up the following Saturday, things seem far too quiet and T1, T2 and the +1 are already awake and downstairs. Having learned from the Golden Syrup incident, I cautiously approached the kitchen door. From here I could hear a mad flurry of activity and whispers “quick daddy is coming, hide it”. To be honest, at this point I did contemplate going no further in to the kitchen, turning round, going back upstairs to bed and letting the wife “discover” whatever they were hiding. However, my gin collection is in the kitchen and I need to make sure its safe!

Taking a deep breath I walk in to the kitchen and find the fridge, table, floor, walls, cupboards, in fact pretty much everything, including the 3 kids covered in red dots of some wet powdery substance. The whole kitchen looked like it had chickenpox….kitchenpox! Ha!

Calmly and with a forced smile, I asked the 3 of them what had happened…….Silence. I ask again and T2 jumps in, “nothing, what do you mean Daddy?”. Sometimes you feel like pointing out the bloody obvious but I bite my lip and ask what the red spots are over everything. “What red spots Daddy?”….Umm the ones that now cover every bit of the kitchen and you and your brothers faces! No no no, keep calm and remember it’s only harmless experimentation. Where is the whatever it is you were playing with? T2 quickly replies “I don’t know”, but T1 says that he’s hidden it under the sofa.

Bending down to look under the sofa, I find a large bowl filled with some red goo and a spoon. When I ask what it is, T2 tells me it’s his potion. Ok, and what is in this potion!? “I don’t know”. T1 then informs me that there is bicarbonate of soda and vinegar in there. I enquire how much as there is a lot of this “potion”. “Oh the bottle and the pot are there Daddy”. Umm that’s a whole bottle of vinegar and a whole pot of bicarb, that’ll explain the explosion then and how it hit the ceiling!

Hang on, back up, this is red. What else is in here!? Now T2 can’t wait to spill the beans, all of a sudden he’s found his voice and like some crazed scientist he leads me round the kitchen telling me what he has added. Salt, sugar, suncream, hand wash. The list is endless, but none of this explains why it is red. Eventually we get to another cupboard and it contains the baking things, I’m not sure I like where this is going. Why is the lid missing from the red food colouring? That stuff stains my hands, how is this coming off the white ceiling!?

After explaining to them that some “ingredients” are probably not the best to mix together and can have nasty effects such as mini eruptions (queue sniggering and comments of that’s why we did it), but more importantly can burn your skin or damage your eyes, we promptly got them a subscription to a kids science experiment magazine to harness their curious chemistry interest. Why did we do this!? It seemed like the right thing to do, just like when we bought them a drum kit. Something tells me I’ll regret this further down the line. Watch this space.

Gin time! I’ll be upfront here, the creator of Tiger Gin was so confident I would like his gin that he sent me a sample. However, this is still a completely honest review just like all our others.

What I like about the story behind Tiger Gin is that it’s where a lot of us have been. JJ Lawrence took that interest and passion about gin, turned it into an obsession and created a beautifully balanced gin.

Tiger Gin has a smooth, well balanced yet complex set of flavours. The initial hit of juniper is softened quickly by a balanced sweetness from the liquorice and warmth from cinnamon. The citrus finish is perfectly coupled with the sweetness and freshness of a slice of orange. Tiger Gin is a very easily drinkable G&T and perfect for a sunny summers evening (or daytime!).

Price Paid

Sample from the very kind people at Tiger Gin.

Can be purchased for around £40 online and a list of stockists are available here

Tastes Like

It has a bit of everything, sweet, warm, citrus, yet smooth.

Would go well with

Tonic and a generous slice of orange

Recommended?

Oh yes! It’s so easy to drink.

8th May 2018

Golden Syrup Tsunami

The joys of having a toddler in the house! You turn your back for 30 seconds and it’s like someone has paused you for the last hour while your toddler destroys the house. To be fair to the +1, T1 & T2 also do their best to make sure the house looks like it’s been ransacked on a daily basis. However, tonight the +1 surpassed himself!

“I’m just going upstairs for a minute, keep and eye on your brother”, no response, but I know T1 has heard me as he kind of grunted back at me without taking his eyes off of Paw Patrol or whatever other program is flavour of the month. No sooner had I shut the bathroom door and I hear T1 calmly calling me from outside the bathroom, “Daddy +1 has poured the golden syrup out on the floor”. The way he said this, it was like it was an everyday occurrence, a “just for your information” comment.

I run down the stairs, through the lounge and stop at the kitchen door, pause and take a deep breath, preparing myself for a Ben and Holly (thank god we’ve outgrown that one now. Jake, you still have that delight) style Jelly Flood but with Golden Syrup. Well, it wasn’t quite that bad, he had confined the syrup to the worktop, the chair he had pushed over to climb up on, his clothes, his hair, hands and face, oh and the floor. The floor he had then walked on with his socks on and spread Golden Syrup right through the kitchen and into the lounge in lovely 2 year old size footprints. In my haste to assess the damage I walked through the syrup and added my size 11’s to the mix!

Cleaning the +1 was the easy bit, but his Golden Syrup squeezy bottle redecoration of the kitchen was another matter altogether. That stuff is stubborn! Mopping? – No. Scrubbing with soapy water? – Nope. Wet wipes? – Uh-uh. Our kitchen floor now reminds me of some of the oh so classy pubs and night clubs from my uni days (I’ve always wondered why the floors were so sticky when they were supposedly cleaned each night, now I think I know). Anyway back to the cleaning, here is the kicker, never think your toddler has done the obvious, because they always try that little bit harder to surprise you. Just when we think we’ve got it all clean, we find that he must’ve decided his cereal in the morning is just not sweet enough, as the little….angel (the wife reads this!), emptied a good squirt of syrup into the cereal box, then smeared it all over the outside of the box. Actually it’ll probably taste pretty good. I know what I’m having for breakfast.

And RELAX……..wait why am I sticking to the back of the sofa!!!??!

Smile, it’s nearly their bed time! Queue a double meltdown from T1 & T2. Argh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

G&T please!

After tonight’s delights, I’ve decided to get the big guns out! The gin that started my addiction……I mean collection.

Whilst on holiday in Portugal I ordered a G&T and was asked if I would like to try the local gin, why not I said. Curious I asked what the barman was mixing with it – orange peel, roasted coffee beans and home made tonic. After one sip I was blown away, this was not like any G&T I had tasted, it was incredible.

Nao (pronounce very much like “now”) is a British distilled spirit that is then exported to Portugal and cask aged in Port barrels to give it a golden colour and deeper flavour. Full of coffee and dark chocolate flavours with a subtle citrus taste, Nao is great with tonic or straight over ice.

The problem I have with Nao is it is moreish and up until last year it was impossible to buy in the UK so this meant either a trip to Portugal or pay the import fees (which were normally more than the gin!). Thankfully there are now a few stockists in the UK, but it does still have a hefty price tag for what the Portuguese (the ones I’ve spoken to) believe is not their premium gin.

And have I ever been back to that bar in Portugal? Yes, a number of times over the years and discovered other amazing gins from some of the most knowledgeable bar staff I have ever met.

Price Paid

Around £45 from online retailers.

Tastes Like

No strong juniper hit from this one, it’s mellow and sophisticated, just like me……..apparently………according to me!

Would go well with

Orange peel, roasted coffee beans and tonic.

Recommended?

Definitely

30th April 2018

Drink Up Thy Zider

I like to moan about the weather as much as the next Englishman, but this year it seems pretty miserable. Granted, we’ve just seen a bit of sun (that’s probably our entire summer right there!), but it always seems damp and grey at the moment. Roll on Summer!

Which got me thinking. As i stand in my kitchen looking out of the window I can see the grass starting to grow again (it was cut less than a week ago) and that means the inevitable “when are you going to cut the grass?” will soon start to ring in my ears. Looking on down the garden, I see my kids climbing in the old apple tree and building a den below it’s gnarled branches. It’s not the prettiest look tree, but given it’s age and the fact it’s been climbed and generally tortured by two families with young kids, it still produces a decent crop of apples. And this is where my journey into brewing and wine making began.

Lumbered with a huge crop of apples and thinking there is only so much liquidised apple I can give T1 and T2 (they were babies at this point!), I thought I would re-visit my west country roots and make some cider. After all, how difficult can it be? Well, in fact, very difficult if your expectation is that you will be producing the mass produced, sweet, sparkling, ciders that used to line the supermarket shelves. However, if you have the taste for a proper cider then it’s not actually too difficult at all.

Little did I know that this experiment would very soon turn into a bit of an obsession. Spurred on by both my father and father-in-law, that would see me brewing around 75l of cider, several batches of beer and over 100 bottles of varying hedgerow wines each year (that was until T1 and T2 were older and the +1 came along). We’ve never had so many visitors and each one normally left with a bottle or two! I’m hoping I can return to production once T1 and T2 are old enough that I don’t get funny looks from their teachers when they go in to school and tell them that they were helping daddy make cider/wine/beer last night.

In the meantime, my love of cider has and will most probably always be fuelled by Thatchers. They simply make some of the best ciders you will ever taste and the range really does cater for everyone. So when I happened to read on Thatchers’ Facebook page that they have made a limited number of Thatchers Orchard Cut Gin, I had to get my hands on a bottle. Fortunately my parents know my love of gin and cider and beat me too it, what a great present!

The gin itself is well balanced with no one botanical overpowering another and there is an almost sweetness from the Katy apples. Drinking this straight, the gin tastes ‘hot’, quite a strong alcohol burn sensation in the mouth. However, as that subsides the flavours are fantastic. Thatcher’s suggest drinking Orchard Cut mixed with Thatcher’s Haze cider. Who am I to argue with that combination!? However, for this session I mixed it with elderflower tonic and well, I was pleasantly surprised by this combination. My personal taste with gins is always slightly biased towards the citrus flavours, so to like a sweeter G&T was a bit of a revelation for me. Far too easy to drink!

Price Paid

Around £35. Available from Myrtle Farm (Home of Thatchers Cider) if they have any left!

Tastes Like

A crisp gin with a little apple sweetness.

Would go well with

Thatcher’s Haze cider

Fever-Tree elderflower tonic and a couple of slices of apple.

Recommended?

Yes – it contains apple so I think that’s one of my 5 a day!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: