ONCE you get to the stage of the evening when you’re enjoying poached pears served with blue cheese and walnuts, with ginger and cardamom, plus chocolate mousse cake with cream, you’re pretty much ruling out a wine match. You’ll need a lot of character to sit beside such a flavoursome dish.
So, I say … why not go back to the gin? Small-batch boutique gins are all the rage at the moment and they can be surprisingly food-friendly. You may need to move away from the pure classic London Dry style, but there are so many options at the moment and you don’t need to limit yourself to a Gordon’s and tonic.
Eden Mill in St Andrews, under the watchful eye of Paul Miller, is producing really tasty and interesting gins (as well as decent beers and soon to be ready whiskies). I’m really excited about their whiskies, but I’ll save that chat for a future column.
The range of Eden Mill gins is available in a number of forward-thinking supermarkets and department stores, as well as online, but you’ll find them all in Inverarity One to One at the bargain price of £27.49 for a 50cl bottle.
Eden Mill Love Gin. This is my favourite in the range, using a variety of botanicals including juniper, coriander, angelica root, rhubarb root, rose petal, goji berry, elderberry and raspberry leaf. In addition, after the distillation, hibiscus petals are added creating a lovely floral note and a wee pink tinge to the spirit. Keep this in the fridge and enjoy it straight or with tonic.
Eden Mill Oak Gin. This gin is aged in oak casks previously used to age beer. I know it sounds odd, but trust me, it works. In some respects, it’s how whisky used to taste in ancient times … a flavoursome spirit, with infused botanicals and a lick of oak.
Eden Mill Golf Gin. Being based in St Andrews, it makes sense that Eden Mill would have a “golf” release. This lovely gin, featuring the usual botanicals as well as lemongrass, has been stirred during distillation with a priceless antique four-wood club once wielded by Bob Ferguson himself. (This is not strictly true, but you get the idea).
Eden Mill Hop Gin. This is the perfect balance between brewing and distilling, the result being a zesty spirit that will sit happily alongside Shirley’s pear dish. Enjoy it straight, of with a wee splash of ginger ale.
Pete Stewart is Glagow director of Inverarity One to One, 185a Bath Street, Glasgow (0141 221 5121) www.inverarity121.com
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