Last year, we all got excited at the appearance of Thomas Dakin Gin. Touted as Manchester Gin, it’s inspiration was Manchester, even down to the red cole botanical.
This year has seen a bit of an explosion in Manchester gin wise. Dakin has yet to open it’s city distillery (and we wait with baited breath for that), announcements were made earlier this month that finally the much whispered about distillery was to open at Red Bank, near Victoria Station, Faith & Sons has appeared and there are rumours of yet another quietly in the background.
But one that’s been around longer than all of the above is Zymurgorium. From the heart of a meadery in Irlam, sprang an idea and that idea became a craft distillery, creating vodkas, gins, liqueurs and even a honeyed rum. Yes, you read that right, rum.
I’m a big fan of their gin – though I’ve yet to do a formal review, having used the remainder of my only bottle for a gin tasting (rookie error), but with flavours of royal jelly, honey, and toasted coriander, there is quite frankly nothing else like it on the market.
So it’s no wonder when Aaron handed me a little tin of something only recently released into cocktails at Manchester Gin Festival, I got very excited.
Yes, you read that right.
Violet gin, which using a spherification process is turned into little gel pearls of deliciousness. With an almost jelly like texture and powdery violet flavour screamed Aviation cocktails at me. Which is a good thing, because I am very, very fond of an Aviation.
But with no Violette in my cupboard, I did the next best thing and found a bartender. Or two.
My first stop was to head over to Elixir and see Alex who decided to use the pearls as a garnish for a ginger and orange Aviation – a lightly sour twist on the original.
The garnish worked beautifully. In truth it’s been really hard not to just sit with a spoon and eat them until I’m quietly drunk and can’t get up from my stool. But these as a a garnish to the lightly astringent drink worked beautifully, their sweet perfume contrasting well.
Then I took my little tin to Dusk til Pawn for the original.
Just barely visible, but in the bottom of that glass are the pearls, taking the place of a sweet cherry – and it works incredibly well. At the start of the drink the lemon is more prominent, but as you slide slowly down into the glass the violet gets stronger and richer, leaving you with a mouthful of sweet violet.
Of course, that couldn’t be all, and Coop worked his magic.
A Ramos Gin fizz with raspberry and orange, garnished with the caviar. Of course, though it started as a garnish, in no time I’d tipped them into the drink to impart their sweetness and then sat there happily for quite some time, searching out the pearls with my straw through the dry lightly creamy froth.
I am a child sometimes.
These little pretties are still not officially available on the website – and they are only the start of a bigger range including rose gin caviar.
Personally, I need a bucket and a spoon please. And probably someone to catch me when I fall off my chair.
With huge thanks to the chaps for the sampler. More please.