Collins

Great gin, and it won't cost you a monkey*

July 9, 2012 - 9:14pm | by Daniel Priseman

 

Last month I wrote about how difficult it can be for small brands to compete in a crowded spirit marketplace, especially when they often compete against larger companies with big budgets. Well when I bumped into Alex Stein at Imbibe Live last week, it reminded me that there’s another way for a brand to become successful, and that’s to buck the trend and put quality above cost in their list of priorities. You see Alex is the mastermind behind Monkey 47 Gin, a brand that is fast becoming a firm favourite with bartenders in the UK and across Europe. The more you learn about Monkey 47 though, the more you realise that no compromises have been made in the name of cost savings, which is pretty rare when it comes to spirits.

Having spent a couple of days in the company of Alex and his master distiller Christoph Keller, I’ve seen how they have set out to create the best gin they possibly could, regardless of cost, and the result is a high-end gin that’s worth paying for. All too often when it comes to ‘super premium’ spirits, I’ve felt that you’re paying for a fancy bottle and a lot of expensive marketing, but in the case of Monkey 47 I think you might just be getting value for money.

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Teaching an old dog new tricks

March 28, 2011 - 4:18pm | by Daniel Priseman
I’ve expressed my opinion here before about making cocktails at home; in times gone by the home ‘cocktail party’ was a regular occurrence, and any home worth it’s salt had a well stocked drinks cabinet, if not a full bar. I’m an advocate of making drinks at home and believe that it’s well past time for this tradition to be revived, so when Bombay Sapphire sent me an invitation to a ‘cocktail master class’ I thought there might be a chance to try something a little different. The guest list for this event was made up of food and drinks writers and bloggers, but maybe just maybe Bombay would let me send in a consumer to infiltrate the evening.
 
 
Of course they kindly agreed to let me send along a complete novice, so here was my chance to find out if a regular consumer could learn the art of the cocktail in just one night and be inspired to try making drinks at home. The only question was which ‘old dog’ to try to teach ‘new tricks’? I needed someone who likes a drink or two but has no clue about making them himself… enter my friend Alex!
 
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it's gin but not as we know it

May 11, 2010 - 4:39pm | by Daniel Priseman
 
My opinions on the subject of gin have always been pretty clear, I like my gin to taste of juniper! I am on record as saying that I have a problem with many of the new wave gins that seem to hang themselves on an unusual ingredient and forget that gin is primarily about juniper balanced against a range of botanicals which add complexity and structure to the spirit.
 
 
So you might be able to guess my reaction to getting a sample bottle of the new Gin Mare, a Mediterranean inspired product that uses olive, basil, rosemary and thyme. But in the interest of fairness I put my preconceptions on ice and give it a fair trial.
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