The following is an extract for an article I wrote which first appeared on Flaviar.com in September 2018. You can read the full thing here.
While it’s true that there are some things that probably shouldn’t be distilled into Gin (fish eyes, earwax, old socks…), it all comes down to personal preference, and without experimentation we’d all be drinking the same damn thing, anyway.
So keep an open mind while we take you through some of the most unusual ingredients you’ll find in Gin – from the fun, to the far-fetched, and even the down-right weird.
Actually, since the time of writing, I’ve tried a few other unusual Gins, but I suppose the distinction I haven’t made is what’s weird and brilliant, and what’s weird for the sake of it. I’m dubious that Anty Gin actually tastes good, but the latest limited edition offering from Tarquin’s Gin and GinFoundry.com is certainly the latter.
Tan Ha Mor, which translates to ‘fire and sea’ in Cornish, is outstanding. Devised on Polzeath beach, made with charred oak chips, whole grapefruits and oranges and infused in Tarquin’s Navy Strength Gin before being cut to bottling strength (50.5% ABV), it’s a thing of beauty. Salty, smokey, citrusy-sweet, spiced beauty.
Unsurprisingly, it’s sold out online, as only 500-ish bottles were made, but rumour has it there’s still some lurking around the distillery, and you can try it all this week (while stocks last) at the Gin Kiosk pop up in Old Street Roundabout (until 8th December).
