GORDON'S Gin® at the Cutting Edge
Geraldine Coates, editor of Gintime, takes a look at the new Gordon's Distiller's Cut.
Nowadays you just can't keep gin out of the limelight. After years of stagnation it is a remarkable recovery that is evident in energy and innovation across the category with new brands launching on the market on a regular basis. It's particularly good news for gin lovers when one of the oldest and most respected brands in the business comes up with something completely new and different. That's why the arrival of the new Gordon's Distiller's Cut has been greeted with delight all round.
Now owned by Diageo, Gordon's® Gin has been around since 1769 and is one of the gins that contributed to the creation of the London Dry style. And, for many years, right up until the 1950s, Gordon's Gin, like other gins at the time, came in different flavours - orange, lemon, grapefruit and so on. But this is a new departure for a revered brand and it's different because, rather than simply adding flavour to a standard gin recipe, it is reinventing the recipe itself. Quite right too. For far too long gin has been stuck in a rut so it's refreshing in more ways than one to see it dust itself down and become the life and soul of the party again.
Gordon's® Distiller's Cut is described by its' makers as the '"latest work of art in The Gordon's Collection'. Normally us cynical drinks writers take this type of statement with a very large pinch of salt and just think "hmm... PR agency working over time here". But, I have to confess that I had already got the low down on Distiller's Cut from my friend Patience Gould, editor of Drinks International, who very rarely raves about anything. So I was looking forward to trying it out myself. And it certainly does not disappoint.
At 40% abv Distiller's Cut is distilled four times and adds lemon grass and ginger to the botanicals mix. The thinking has been to create a new product that will introduce a broader range of taste flavours to gin and to inspire new ways of drinking gin. On both levels it's working already. Here are my tasting notes: lemon grass and ginger combined with less strong juniper than the standard Gordon's recipe has created a robust yet delicately flavoured, clean, aromatic gin with a spicy, lingering finish. The presence of an exceptional quality grain base spirit is evident in its smoothness. Already the style crowd love it and Andres Masso, Diageo's 'Exquisite Taste' Bartender of the Year, has created a number of new serves for Gordon's Distiller's Cut that bring out its unique flavour - recipes given below.
In its stylish, clear glass packaging with the distinctive Gordon's D-shaped bottle Distillers' Cut look good too sitting pretty on shelves alongside other family members, Gordon's Gin's and Gordon's® Sloe Gin. It will be sold initially at selected Sainsburys and Tesco stores with a RRP of £13.29 for 70 cl. Since it only launched in October it's too soon to get sales figures and consumer reaction from Diageo but my guess is that Distiller's Cut will do very well indeed. Why not try the recipes below and tell us how you get on - we welcome all your feedback.
DISTILLER'S CUT SERVES
FRESH CUT STRAWBERRIES
Fill a highball glass with plenty of ice and pour in a 35ml measure of
Gordon's Distiller's Cut gin. Top up with fresh tonic and drop in fresh
cut strawberries. Leave to infuse for a moment before drinking to
enhance the warm and sweet ginger notes in the gin.
PINK GRAPEFRUIT
Fill a highball glass with plenty of ice and pour in a 35ml measure of
Gordon's Distiller's Cut gin. Top up with fresh tonic and squeeze in
the essential oils from a slice of pink grapefruit zest, and drop in
thin slices for a truly eye catching, drink with a tangy, sharp citrus
bite.
LEMONZEST & MINT
Fill a highball glass with plenty of ice and pour in a 35ml measure of
Gordon's Distiller's Cut gin. Top up with fresh tonic and garnish with
a fresh sprig of mint. Enhance with a chunky strip of lemon zest and
spray the essential citrus oils in the drink before dropping the peel
in. This serve allows the green herby and citrus notes in the gin to
come through.
ORANGE ZEST
Fill a highball glass with plenty of ice and pour in a 35ml measure of
Gordon's Distiller's Cut gin. Top up with fresh tonic and garnish with
a slice of orange zest. To enhance the intensity of flavours, firstly
spray the essential citrus oils from the zest in to the drink before
dropping it in.
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