September’s Gin Box
SUL GIN
The Hamburg Gin with Portuguese roots
We’ve tried to support Irish producers and products over the last few months and we continue to do so, with a little Mediterranean influence this month. We love Ireland, but every now and again, I catch myself daydreaming about the warm sea breezes of the Algarve. If we can’t go there, surely it can come here!
Although not from Portugal, Gin Sul was inspired by a holiday in the Algarve, and it’s crafted in tiny batches in Hamburg with lemon and Rockrose from Portugal. Like so many gin stories, quite simply, Stephen Garbe loves gin. He was on a sabbatical in Portugal in 2013 when he was inspired by the many natural botanicals around him – Lavender and Rockrose (a sticky plant covered in highly scented resin, which maintains the intensity of flavour in the gin for a long time). Rockrose is used in herbal medicine and remedies and is a hard to source, relatively rare plant. The result is a distinctive gin, which is more intense in flavour than many others. Stephen encourages people to use less Gin, 2/3 of a measure rather than a full one, to give the same level of flavours from a gin and tonic.
Gin Sul is stored in clay bottles, namely to preserve the freshness and intensity of flavour and avoiding sun contact. Gin Sul is one of Germanys top distilleries (and there are over 1000!). Since the GinBox.ie was founded, this is the third time we have included a 50cl bottle, usually opting for 70cl bottles. Gin Sul is only made in 50cl and we felt it was worth bringing it to you. It is more expensive to produce and its retail price is €49.95, so pour delicately with tonic aplenty and you can still expect wonderful flavours.
Our own testing has yielded a gin and tonic that is best served with a curl of a lemon rind, a fresh sprig of rosemary and a Schweppes 1783 light tonic water.
Schweppes created 1783 Tonic waters in response to a demand for naturally flavoured tonic. Unknown to us until recently, Schweppes is Irish, and it is made in Ireland too, so we can still proudly quench our thirst whilst supporting Irish. We have included some Light tonic water from this collection for you to enjoy. To celebrate the range becoming known officially as ‘The Premium Range’ of naturally flavoured mixers from Schweppes in the coming weeks, they have come onboard to offer all GinBox.ie members a set of crystal Schweppes Gin and Tonic glasses so you can make the perfect Gin and Tonic.
There was a little space left in this month’s box after all of the above, so we were able to cram in a box of Lemon Polenta biscuits from The Lismore Food Company for another burst of citrus and a wonderful crunch. They are made with Mediterranean lemons, golden polenta and the finest Irish butter. As always, we would love to hear your thoughts and see your tasting pictures on our social media channels (@theginbox.ie) if you are not too busy prepping and enjoying!
Thanks for your support.
From the Gin Box Team
BOTANICALS
Pomelo Fruit: Citrus Grandis –this is an ancestor of the grapefruit and gives the gin its zest and zing! Cassia: Cinnamonmum Cassia –the bark of a tree from the laurel family with a strong flavour which give the gin its tang, Nutmeg Mace: Myristica Fragrans –the cinnamon and pepper flavour from the nutmeg mace as well as Cardamon is what gives the gin its unique spice.
TASTING NOTE
Nose: Citrus elements of pomelo with notes of cardamom and cassia
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel with spice of nutmeg mace, sweetness of cassia and subdued elements of juniper with citrus of coriander and lemon.
Finish: Long dry finish with small hit of nutmeg mace spice
PERFECT SERVE
The perfect serve for Maharani is with pink grapefruit and mint leaves. We loved it and felt the mint just gives a nice balance between flora and spice on the palette. So fill your glass with stacks of ice, pour over your Maharani and garnish with a good wedge of grapefruit and a sprig of mint if you have it – enjoy!
