Folks, the gin drinking is BACK ON!!
Hang on, that kind of makes it sound as though I’ve been tee total since the day I got preggers, but that isn’t strictly true. More than a few G&Ts have passed my lips since Bailey was born, in fact, I credit them entirely for me not losing my mind during the sleep regression weeks truth be told. But these days Bailey DOES sleep, and I have my evenings back, meaning I can actually take a little time out to ENJOY my nightly G&T rather than just knocking back the nearest one that comes to hand in the hopes it will take the edge off a fraught night! And so I thought it was high time I started writing about them again, especially now that you are allowed to sample them in pubs again, and since many of you may have even taken up gin drinking as a new hobby throughout lockdown – gotta get through those awkward Zoom calls somehow, right?? (Please don’t drink gin while you’re working folks. It’s not cricket. Unless you are a professional gin sampler. Also, how do I get that job??)
Anyhow, with Autumn creeping in and everyone getting all excited about pumpkin spiced lattes and falling leaves, I thought I’d feature the seasonally appropriate Tyke’s Apple Blossom Gin. Yeah, ok, blossom is more of a Spring thing, but since we weren’t allowed a Spring this year (thanks, Covid!), lets just focus on the appley part…
The Expert’s Description…
According to the folks at Master of Malt:
‘Granny Smith apple sharpness, balanced by woody juniper and a waft of fragrant coriander.’
The Layman’s Description…
It tastes of apples. No really, actual apples! I’m not being sarky, I just wasn’t expecting it. See, usually fruit flavoured gins are actually liqueurs, making them a little sweet and syrupy. This, though, despite it’s slightly green hue, is a full strength gin so I was expecting a subtle hint rather than a full hit of apple, but it’s definitely there. It still tastes enough like gin to keep me happy (often those fruity liqueurs are tasty enough but don’t have enough of that juniper goodness to satisfy my ginny needs!) but the tart apple tang is a great addition to a classic G&T and I have to say, I’m a huge fan!
How to drink it…
Tyke’s recommend pairing with an elderflower tonic, which I happily tried, along with a slice of apple, just because… why not? It was a perfect combination that always makes me think of sunny afternoons in the countryside (which is pretty much exactly what they claim as their inspiration on the back of the bottle, so top marks to them for creating a vision I say!) though a little on the sweet side so I also tried it with a classic tonic too, which was equally delicious when I fancied something a little more crisp. They also recommend trying with a warming ginger ale which is next on my list – sounds like a perfect way to take things into the Autumn!
So there we have it. A gin that works just as well in a sunny beer garden as in front of a roaring fire? I’m in! How about you?
Love,
Picking the Day 