Providing ginspiration!

Hello fellow gin lovers! (If not already, I hope this column will convert you!).

I’m Emma, and I love all things gin; reading about it, buying it, writing about it and, of course, tasting it!

There’s not much that beats delving into your personal gin collection (however big or small) and treating yourself to a G&T. I’m delighted to be able to share some hints and tips in this month’s Earth Wit and Style to help you either start out or build on your current collection.

The Gins

This seems like a good place to start!

The market is awash with amazing gins from all over the world but I like to start in Yorkshire as our wonderful county has so much to offer. I would mix and match your collection, contrasting juniper heavy gins with fruity varieties against ones with aromatic or more savoury botanicals. This allows you to cater for guests’ tastes as well as widening your own.

Here’s a picture of my trolley to show a diverse example.

Portobello Road Gin is a fantastic place to start; affordable, easily available and a great mixer in a classic G&T. For a more savoury gin, go for Rare Bird, a relative newcomer from Malton that uses rosemary and green pepper amongst its botanicals. Fabulous served with Indian tonic and a sprig of rosemary.

My final Yorkshire gin brand is Sloe Motion and I’d recommend their sloe gin. This is beautifully complemented by the sharpness of Fever Tree lemon tonic with loads of ice.

Moving on and storming the market is Silent Pool from Surrey. I am a sucker for bottles, and this one’s a stunner. Silent Pool is juniper driven, laced with lemon grass and rose making it fragrant and very individual.

To finish I’ve chosen Pinkster. This will suit those who like a fruity gin, using raspberries in the botanicals. It’s delicious with Indian tonic, fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint and well suited to the arrival of Spring!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this introduction to building a gin bar at home and look forward to covering tonics and serves in my next column.

You can find me on Instagram as @morethaniceandaslice ….thank you for reading!