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.
Honestly, I’m glad I did! Mare is made in a fairly unique way with the botanicals being macerated for over 36 hours and distilled individually then blended by hand to create a finished gin. The citrus elements (lemon, orange and mandarin) are steeped in alcohol in clay pots for over a year and added to the other distilled elements creating a product that is balanced and full flavoured.
On the nose the juniper comes through first but is equalised by the rosemary and thyme aromas. These are followed by deep citrus notes and a complex spice over a slightly savoury vegetal note which I assume comes from the olive element. The overall effect is pleasant if slightly unusual as it brings to mind aromas I associate with cooking rather than drinking.
Moving on to the flavour there is an upfront sweetness and the pleasant juniper and pine notes I look for in a gin, but just as they’re emerging, the palette opens up to intense herbal notes of rosemary and thyme. There is a hint of bitterness as a savoury earthy flavour comes through along with a saltiness that makes you think of the sea. As the other flavours fade away you are left with an aftertaste of fresh basil leaves that stays with you.
There is no doubt that this is a well made and well balanced product but it leaves me pondering the ever growing gin category. This is not a classic gin by any means, but is that a bad thing? To me this highlights that the category is still developing, with an array of new spirits which are based around gin, but showcase other flavours. When this is done well, as is clearly the case with Gin Mare, it opens up a new range of possibilities for cocktails.
To my mind Gin Mare has stayed true to the basic concept of gin but has taken the much loved flavours of Spain and used gin as a vessel to showcase them. I guess when you look at gin’s history, this is what it has always been about. First you had Dutch Genever; which the English took and put their own spin on, to create what we now consider gin to be. Over the years trends moved the spirit from Old Tom style gins through to modern gins. The London Dry style is actually just an adaptation or development that remains faithful to juniper, but in a style all of its own. Mare has taken another step and used London Dry style as a building block to hang the great flavours and aromas of the Mediterranean on and have created a new style of gin in the process.
I still love gin to taste like traditional gin, but having tried this well-made product I can see how there is room behind the bar for more adventurous gins that play with unusual ingredients. The key of course is that they must be made well with an end product is well-balanced and pleasing to drink.
So as Gin Mare draws its inspiration from the flavours of the Mediterranean, it seemed only fitting to create some cocktails in keeping with the theme, and as the flavours that define Mare are herbal and savoury I took inspiration from the b&t herb garden and raided the fridge and combined my loot with appropriate ingredients from the drinks cabinet to create some drinks that hopefully accentuate that Spanish influence.
As there are flavours that I associate with a classic martini present in the gin I thought that might be a good place to start. Martinis are often garnished with an olive or a lemon twist and both of these flavours are evedent in Gin Mare, but playing on the savoury notes I decided to try a garnish that would change the flavour of the drink as you ate it.
MARE-TINI
75 ml Gin Mare
20 ml Noilly Prat
3 basil leaves
In a mixing glass bruise the basil leaves and add the liquid ingredients along with plenty of ice and stir the drink well to chill and dillute. Give the drink a good churn to work the basil flavour through the drink and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a selection of antipasti such as sunblush tomato, artichoke, manchego cheese, olive and jambon. Eating the elements of the garnish between sips draws out different flavours from the gin.
Next up was a collins, and to accentuate the basil finish of the gin I worked some into the drink along with a floral note from rose syrup. It’s a simple drink but really refreshing and the herbacious not from the basil really works with the sharpness of lemon.
BASIL COLLINS
50 ml Gin Mare
15 ml rose syrup
juice of 1 large lemon
8 basil leaves
Put the basil leaves and rose syrup into a collins glass and bruise using the flat end of a barspoon, then 3/4 fill with crushed ice and add all the remaining ingredients. Churn well and top with more crushed ice before garnishing with a large basil sprig.
Last up was another twist on a martini only with a splash of Campari for sharpness and a rinse of yellow chartreuse to intensify the herbal notes in the gin. This created a surprisingly complex drink with the thyme and rosemary from Gin Mare coming through beautifully.
JARDIN DE HIERBAS
75 ml Gin Mare
10 ml Noilly ambre
10 ml Noilly prat
5 ml Campari
2 dashes orange bitters
In a mixing glass, stir all ingredients with plenty of cubed or cracked ice before straining into a chilled, yellow Chartreuse rinsed cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail onion and an orange twist.
For those of you in the UK drinks industry make sure to check out Gin Mare at Distil from the 18th-20th of May, 2010.distil-london.com/ not only can you try it and form your own opinion, you can also enter their competition to win a trip to Barcelona! We’d love to hear your thoughts when you try it.
Comments
This gin rocks! They have
This gin rocks! They have made a great liquid, great package, the lot!
olive as a botonical?
who would have thought olive could work so well as a botonical? totally agree with you though, this is a really great product that deserves some success here in the UK!
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