Last Monday I popped along to Juniper Club at the super cool Graphic Bar in Soho. For those who don’t know, Juniper Club (formerly the Juniper Society) is held fortnightly at the specialist gin-meets-art bar, with a different brand showcasing its wares each time.
Last week was the turn of Spanish brand Gin Mare (42.7% ABV). Starting with its signature serve (1724 Tonic (named after the height at which the quinine is picked on the Inca trail – but that’s another story all together), orange peel and rosemary), brand expert Sarah Moorhead took us through the history of Gin Mare, which took over three years to develop. Made with eight botanicals from across the Mediterranean – Spanish juniper, Arbequina olive, three different types of citrus, basil, rosemary, thyme, coriander and cardomom – each of which is individually macerated (rather than being stilled together), it’s a truly unique spirit.
The citrus is heavier on the nose than the palette, which is why the orange peel in the signature serve works so well and helps to lift the almost oily texture. Rosemary is the stand-out flavour for me, although in a Martini, the olive comes into its own.
In a nutshell, this is a quality, smooth and versatile spirit which tastes fab with savoury flavours and really packs a punch. Make mine a double.