Round 6 – Yeah! Swe/can
After drinking my Negroni, whilst listening to some more live music, it was almost time to go and therefore definitely time for my last cocktail. I’m not going to lie, by this point I was feeling quite jolly for a Sunday and definitely excited by the long lie which I had on Monday…first official day of the summer holidays and all that!
So, Round 6, offered up by Swedish Tonic and Hernö Gin. I had saved the Yeah! Swe/can until last for good reason. As it was Hubby’s first cocktail of the day, I’d had the opportunity to have a cheeky taste earlier on and I knew I liked it. A bit like when you’re eating a meal, and you save a small bit of all the best components for your last mouthful, just so you know you’re not going to be disappointed, well, this is basically what I’d done. Not only that but I was really excited by their gin pairing, Hernö, we have a bottle of this at home already because it is so delicious! Using eight botanicals; juniper, coriander seeds, fresh lemon peel, black pepper, cassia, meadowsweet, vanilla and the Swedish favourite, lingonberry, and a German copper pot still called Kierstin, this gin offers a fresh, zesty and sweet start, followed by a peppery finish. As for the quirky backstory…When the Hernö Gin Distillery was founded in 2011, it was Sweden’s first dedicated gin distillery AND the northernmost gin distillery in the world! Sweden in a tin can…unsurprisingly this was Hubby’s ultimate favourite, he loves all things Scandinavian!
Sadly, when collecting my cocktail, I found out that there had been a problem getting the Hernö through customs, and the boys from Swedish Tonic were instead using Gunroom Gin. Now if I’m being perfectly honest, I bet the people at customs took the gin because they knew how blinking amazing it was and they probably just wanted it all to themselves!!! They obviously haven’t yet cottoned on to the delights of Swedish Tonic yet.
So now we have Gunroom, I hadn’t heard of this gin, so a little bit of research back home was needed, please excuse me if this next bit is a little clinical. Gunroom is a London Dry gin which uses the botanicals, juniper, coriander, angelica root, orris root, lemon peel, sweet orange peel, liquorice, savory (from the mint family,) cassia bark, almonds, nutmeg and cinnamon. On their website it says “gin is then matured in ex whisky barrels…(which) gives the gin it’s distinctive soft round finish and sweet vanilla hints” Tasting notes for Gunroom Gin from Master of Malt says “Rich vanilla compliments the soft, sweet juniper. Enjoyably spicy at its core.” There are similarities between the two gins and I’d definitely be interested to try this cocktail using Hernö to see just how different it was.
Swedish Tonic is a tonic syrup, which is designed to be combined with carbonated water. Each beautiful bottle provides approximately 10 servings, depending on just how strong you want your flavour. Taking inspiration from the original tonics of the 19th Century, their tonic syrup is thicker and more cloudy than the tonic water many of us are used to and does need to be used carefully, so as not to overpower any gin, or other spirit it’s being served with. This syrup is a great alternative to using standard tonic water and apparently makes a mean cocktail…or so I was about to find out, technically for a second time, but this time I was going to drink the whole lot!
Served in a quirky, branded, tin can with a garnish of lemon, rosemary and mint, this cocktail combines Swedish Tonic, gin, elderflower syrup, prosecco and carbonated water, click here for the recipe.
The result was fabulous, so fabulous in fact that it took almost 30% of The Ginpourium votes and was crowned as winner of the first Ginpourium Gin Fight. A great balance of flavour and fizz, and what girl doesn’t like fizz? Personally, I’m not a fan of rosemary, I find the scent and flavour a little too overbearing, so when I make this cocktail again…which believe me, I will…I’ll probably leave the rosemary garnish out and also use elderflower liqueur rather than elderflower syrup.
Warmed from the inside, this was my road gin…a gin to be consumed on the move. Thank you to Swedish Tonic for creating such a lovely, well balanced cocktail and rounding my day off perfectly!
There was only one question remaining…who should I vote for?
For a full rundown of my day out at The Ginpourium please click here
Gin Obsessions 