Boozy Gin Brownies - Recipe

Oh gin, you popular wee thing you. The boom in this particular drinks trend is far from over, and with more than 70% of all gin in the UK now produced in Scotland, it's no surprise half of us have gone gin mad. 

It just so happens that I've now decided to eat the stuff, never mind consume goblets of it at the weekend.

Not the most experienced of bakers, I wanted to incorporate one of my favourite spirits into a simple recipe which bakers of all levels would be able to tackle. And with a slight addiction to chocolate, I opted for my very own Boozy Gin Brownies.

There are of course numerous different ways you can make brownies, and if you've got your recipe nailed then that's totally cool. But for those who don't, I've pulled together a recipe for simple, slightly gooey brownies below.

And as well as gin, I've also added some white chocolate chips and mini marshmallows for those who really want to have fun with this recipe.

To make the boozy gin brownies you will need the following...

Ingredients:

• 200g dark chocolate (I used Bournville)
• 100g unsalted butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs (or five medium)
• 60g cocoa powder
• 3 tsp vanilla essence
• 60g plain flour
• One handful of white chocolate chips
• One handful of mini marshmallows
• Any premium gin (I used Cocoa Gin from Hotel Chocolat)

You will also need one square/rectangular baking tin lined with grease proof paper to bake the brownies in.

Below is the step-by-step method you will need to follow - however I've left out the gin and tonic I'd poured myself to drink whilst baking.

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C and line your baking tin - set tray to the side.
2. Break the dark chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Melt the chocolate gently over simmering boiling water in a pan, or microwave the chocolate in bursts of 30 seconds. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
3. Put both the butter and the caster sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one after the other. Add in the vanilla essence and beat well.
4. Slowly pour some of the melted chocolate into the mixture and mix it in. Do this until all of the melted chocolate has been added. If you would like, feel free to add white chocolate chips and marshmallows at this stage - or any other confectionary you would like.
5. Sift in the cocoa powder and flour and gently stir into the mixture ensuring it has completely combined.
6. Pour the mixture into the lined baking tin and put into the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.
7. Once cooked, place the brownies on a wire cooling rack. Leave the brownies to cool for about 8-10 minutes and then, depending on how strong you would like your brownies to be, pour/drizzle your favourite gin over the brownies. The mixture will soak up the gin. For this recipe I used Hotel Chocolat's Cocoa Gin which is infused with cocoa shells.
8. Cut into pieces and serve.

To confuse things a little, I decided to make two batches when baking these brownies - both containing gin, however only one contained the mini marshmallows and white chocolate chips.

These brownies are a great fine piece to take to any tea party and can be made with numerous other spirits including rum, reposado tequila and even a dark beer. I used Hotel Chocolat's Cocoa Gin due to it being infused with cocoa shells, but next time I'll definitely think of using a more floral gin or one with lots of botanicals from the sea, as I think they would work extremely well. I can imagine the Gin Bothy amaretto gin liqueur would also be a winning combination too.

Enjoy your boozy baking folks, but remember, please bake and drink responsibly.

  For Now...

Just Julia

Fentimans - World Gin Day

Celebrate World Gin Day in style with these awesome pre-mixed alcoholic gin drinks by Fentimans Ltd.

Perfectly balanced and ready to serve, these gin and tonics, and alcoholic gin beverages are great for any celebration and are easy to serve. Just grab a glass of your choice, add a few cubes of ice, preferably the right garnish and voila - gin served within seconds.

Living a busy life it's sometimes just that little bit easier to grab a pre-mixed bottle and bang it in a glass - as much as I do love to play around with the hundreds of gins on the market to find out what their perfect serves are. The convenience of these drinks is really beneficial, especially if you're looking to grab something from your house quickly before venturing over to a friends - and these drinks are great if you're not the most organised of people, especially when in a rush.

Having been established for over 110 years, family-run business Fentimans have grown their product offering from ginger beer and soft drinks to tonic waters and pre-mixed alcoholic drinks.

The rose lemonade and bloom gin is exceptionally sweet, as I had anticipated having tried the rose lemonade on its own. I could easily have one or two of these on a summers night, but I think after a while a drink so sweet would need to be swapped out for a good ol' regular gin and tonic. Oozing with floral tones - something I quite enjoy about this drink - the bloom gin and rose lemonade make this marriage a very sweet one.

The gin and tonic was completely different and much more crisp on the tongue. Bloom London Dry gin and Fentimans have partnered to bring their edition of the perfect gin and tonic to their customers in the easiest of fashions. Again, with slightly floral notes this gin is very much to my taste, but it's  the Fentimans tonic water which softens the sharp blow of gin creating within this beverage, making a  very delicious drink.

Both drinks are 275ml, a great size for transporting about, and for drinking of course. The ABV on both is 6.5%.

The only company in the UK to utilise botanical brewing is what makes Fentimans stand out with unique 3D flavours, the drinks have a depth of texture and a distinctive feel in your mouth and every drink takes seven days to brew using a combination of infusion, blending and fermentation of the natural ingredients. The best thing, none of their drinks have artificial sweetener, flavours, colours or preservatives All of the flavours are produced by hand from Chinese ginger root to rose oil from the Rose Valley in Bulgaria.

Also, the tonic waters were really tasty, and I really enjoyed the pink grapefruit tonic water. Having been served Rock Rose gin with a wedge of grapefruit, I partnered the Scottish gin with the pink grapefruit tonic water which went extremely well together. The slight bitterness of the tonic water complimented the sweet notes of the Rock Rose, creating a delicious partnership. I also tried the tonic out with Lone Wolf gin too and it worked really well.

The rose lemonade can be rather overpowering at times due to its pure sweetness, but partnered with a more earthy gin like Gordon Castle which also boasts notes of lavender I think this gin would go quite well with it. Any other earthier and more dry gins would also go really well too.

I decided to pair the original tonic water with Porter's gin and Esker gin as I felt these gins would be best suited to a plain tonic, and I was so right. Finish off with your perfect serve for each and you're definitely off to a winning combination there.

Whatever gin or alcoholic beverage your drinking to celebrate World Gin Day this year,  remember to raise a glass to the most fashionable spirit of the moment. And please, drink responsibly.

  For Now...

Just Julia

Esker Gin Tasting at Cognito Deli

Delving in a few gins, or being around gin in some shape or form seems to be a regular occurrence for me at the moment. Whether it's writing gin articles at work, creating new gin of the month features for the blog, or just going out and enjoy a tipple or two I can't seem to get away from the stuff. Nor am I trying to.

A few weeks ago myself and food bloggers Lost in Food (Michelle and Lesley) headed along to Cognito Deli for an Esker Gin tasting. After sampling half of the food menu before the event, we were looking forward to finding out more about this intriguing Aberdeenshire gin. Prior to the event kicking off we managed to squeeze a few gins in, Lussa gin, a newbie to the Scottish gin scene, Isle of Harris gin and Stirling gin too.

Coupled with a lemon slice, Lussa tasted divine. It was super refreshing and much more appealing than I had originally anticipated. Isle of Harris gin is always a strong choice, and with a nice big wedge of grapefruit it was a firm favourite. The Stirling gin with basil leaves in it was nice, but my palette prefers a more sweeter gin/garnish combination, so this was just a tad too savoury for me.

The event was anticipated to kick off at 7pm, however, with everyone ordering drinks as soon as they arrived and catching up, things didn't really get started until 7.30pm and we'd been enjoying our gins way too much to even notice the time. Everyone seemed in high spirits and with that Lynne and Steven Duthie took to the floor.

First up we were presented with an Esker Gin on the rocks. It wasn't until the gin started turning opaque that everyone questioned the couple on what was happening to the gin. It was really interesting to find out they has questioned just that so many months ago, and realised it was due to the silver birch sap used in their gin. When partnered with ice, it begins to turn the gin a cloudy, opaque colour which I would never have realised had they not said.

The brainchild of husband and wife team, Steven and Lynne Duthie, Esker Spirits was established in October 2015 after the gin loving pair had been experimenting with botanicals for fun and had managed to create their own gin. The botanicals in Esker Gin were carefully selected, focusing on the outstanding larder the duo had at their fingertips in Deeside, Aberdeenshire. After months of testing out different botanicals they eventually perfected the gin's recipe to something the couple were pleased with.

Both working in the oil and gas industry, the duo initially had no intentions on turning their passion of making gin into a business, however, as the markets changed, Plan B, turned into Plan A and the rest is history...

Turning to the branding and the name of the gin, the duo talked us through the process behind it.

"Esker is the ridge formed by the movement of a glacier, and where we live in Deeside our house looks out over an esker and we thought it worked really well.

"The branding very much focuses on the Deeside area, incorporating mountains, rivers, silver birch, juniper berries, tartan, castles and many more Scottish influences. The electric blue with its geometric line designs stands out from the crowd, and the clear bottle also shows off how pure the gin is." said, Lynne Duthie.

Steven Duthie, said: "There are over a dozen botanicals in the gin including pink peppercorn, cassia, silver birch sap, heather flowers, milk thistle and rosehip to name a few. We're the only gin in Scotland to use silver birch sap as a botanical and our jumper is sourced sustainably from Northern Italy. The reason we don't use Deeside juniper in our gin is purely down to its quality, as sadly, it isn't the best and it isn't readily available in abundance so we didn't want to damage the local ecosystem either.

"The silver birch trees are a main feature of Deeside and we are very lucky to be able to use the trees from the Kincardine Estate to get our birch sap. The trees can only be tapped once a year in Spring, so this will be the second year we will be tapping the trees, they haven't been tapped since last Spring. All of the botanicals have been chosen carefully and we're really proud of our product."

Handed an Esker gin and tonic partnered with a twist of orange zest, the couple went on to explain their distillation process.

Steve, continued: "We use a 100L copper still was flame fired on a naked flame. Some of the botanicals are in the pot for about 24 hours, and others are distilled in the vapour pan, it really just depends what each individual botanical needs."

Announcing their exciting news of moving into their first distillery in Deeside in the next few weeks, it is clear that the Esker brand has grown into something both Steven and Lynne could never have imagined it to. And, it's the only gin to be distilled in Aberdeenshire.

Throughout the evening small canapés were served to guests, although I think the team had cut back on giving us much due to the amount of food they had seen us  previously inhale. The food is delicious, it couldn't be helped. Guests were treated to meat and cheese boards, a selection of handmade breads and numerous amuse bouche.

Overall it was an excellent evening, and a great opportunity to catch up with some inspiring gin distillers. It really goes to show you that you can turn a much-loved passion into a business. There was a strong sense of doing what you loved that evening, so I did just that, I ordered another gin.

   For Now...

Just Julia

Cognito Deli: Aberdeen's latest foodie hot spot

I'm a bit of a creature of habit, especially when I find somewhere which ticks all the boxes. Funky interiors, a great food menu, a comfortable setting, friendly, knowledgeable staff and most importantly, an extensive gin list.

Opening a few months ago just down the road from the flat, I've frequented to Cognito Deli one too many times. If and when a loyalty card becomes available, I'll be first in line. What attracted me initially to Cognito Deli was it's stunning interior design, as well as its menu concept which is great if you're looking for foods to share. The added bonus of it's impressive gin selection is well, just that, a massive bonus.

Using locally sourced foods and making its own homemade breads in house, there's something to suit all tastes be that for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Whether you're a fan of the Instagrammable bruschetta's, the picture perfect meats and cheese boards, or the oh-so-gooey Cognito melting pot, I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. Having visited a few times now, I'd like to say I'm quite familiar with the menu having tried various dishes.

With the gin trend growing increasingly popular, the eatery has cleverly jumped on the band wagon and has incorporated gin flights into their drinks menu. From Scottish gins, to gins hailing from around the world the knowledgeable team can guide you through the menu and find the perfect tipple for you.

All of the gin flights available include three gins and a premium tonic flavour of your choice. The Junior Jet Club costs £11 and the Mile High Club is priced at £14. Cognito Deli also has its Cognito's Choice, which is a 50ml serving of your favourite gin in a goblet glass with a premium tonic water flavour of your choosing. All of the gins are served with delicious garnishes to compliment the flavour.

Admittedly, I've tried multiple gins on the menu, always sampling a new one every time I'm there. Unless it's first thing in the morning for breakfast, I don't want the other locals talking about me. There's also a vast drinks menu available featuring everything including prosecco, wine (red/white/rosé), Scottish craft beers, beers, cider, other spirits and an array of soft drinks and hot drinks too.

Turning attention back to the food offering, must have dishes are without a doubt the melting cheese pot and the bruschetta's. Featuring a mix of the deli's cheeses, served melted fondue style with warm bread and focaccia, I can't even begin to describe how good this dish is. Another winner, the bruschetta is great I especially like the fresh tomato and basil with shaved serrano ham option. Big enough to share I'd get one of each and split it with someone else. If there's a big group of you grab a few different bruschetta's, a cheese board, a meat board and a melting pot. It's guaranteed to fill you up. They've also got a great selection of open sandwiches and their brunch menu is pretty envious too.

If it's just a cake and coffee you're looking for, then I've got good news. The tea's and coffee's come with the cutest (and most delicious) wee empire biscuit. I'd pay a visit just for one of those without a doubt. The eatery also boasts some great cakes which are perfect for a quick pick-me-up. Most of their desserts and cakes are from Highland Patisserie, and boy are they tasty.

As well as offering the perfect pit stop to refuel, or indulge in a new gin or two, the deli also has a great selection of local artisan food and drink products you can purchase to take home. From a wide selection of gin bottles, to locally sourced eggs, to sauces and condiments, it showcases a real taste of Scotland, allowing customers to pick up bits and bobs at their convenience. 

If you haven't already popped in to this awesome gem then you absolutely must. It's a pretty busy wee place so I'd recommend booking ahead to ensure you can get a seat. There are sometimes restrictions on how long you can reserve the table for, but give the staff a call I'm sure they will do everything they can to accommodate your needs. The team are awesome and boast great knowledge of the food and drink they have on offer.

  For Now...

Just Julia

The Five Gin's of Aberdeen

Dry January is over which means now is the time for me to unpack my spirits collection, or more to the point, my gin collection.

Over the past year or so, the Aberdeen gin scene has grown dramatically, with five stunning gins gracing our palettes from across the city and shire. From the lowlands of the outskirts of Inverurie, to an underground room in one of Aberdeen's finest speakeasy's, the gin market is taking Aberdeen storm, and I'm loving every minute of it. Being extremely lucky in managing to grace the presence of all of the gin distillers behind the gins listed below, I wanted to highlight what makes these gins so special and why they'd make a cracking addition to any gin lovers collection. 

Gin has become the most fashionable drink of the moment, with it now being one of, if not the most popular spirits to purchase. Quicker and easier to make than whisky, gin is becoming the more favourable spirit to distill and with over 70% of the gin consumed in the UK coming from Scotland, - we're clearly on to something good.

No mater how much I learn about the process of distilling gin, or the best garnishes to accompany the many gins out there with, I cannot commend the individuals behind these delicious drinks more for the incredible lengths they go to to please our palettes.

So here's to putting Aberdeen on the gin map, one gin at a time....

Photo rights belong to Porter's Gin

Porter's Gin:

Born from a passion and love of good food and drink, Porter's, which was launched in December 2015 by three young gintrepreneurs, was the first gin to be distilled in Aberdeen city for over 100 years. With the help of the UK's oldest gin distillers, G&J Distillers, Porter's was brought to the market and is now available across the UK.

The classic London Dry style gin prides itself on its unique blend of traditional and modern  distillation techniques, utilising cold distillation methods to take advantage of the botanicals flavours which produce lighter notes when distilled at cooler temperatures. With the ethical sourcing of their botanicals at the heart of the business, every individual botanical has been used for a reason, and that reasoning, has resulted in the exquisite taste Porter's boasts today. The gin is well-known for using Buddha's hand and pink peppercorn botanicals in its recipe.

Porter's boasts a citrus flavour with a warm touch to finish on the palette. It is decadent and light, and is very flavoursome for being a London Dry.

Porter's Gin is 41.5% ABV.

Recommended serve: premium tonic water, ice, and orange peel/also cracking in a gin-based cocktail

Photo rights belong to The Teasmith

The Teasmith:

The first Scottish gin to be distilled with hand-picked tea, the gin, which the original recipe originates from rural Udny, Aberdeenshire, takes its inspiration from the rich heritage tale which links Aberdeenshire to the international tea trade. Distilled in the Strathearn Distillery in Perthshire, The Teasmith is the brainchild of Emma and Nick Smalley, who launched the gin at the end of 2016.

Main botanicals include; juniper, coriander, pure liquorice root, hand-picked tea and orange peel. All of its botanicals are distilled not once, but twice, and bottles from the second batch are now currently available to purchase.

The Teasmith boasts a unique flavour due to the tea leaves used, however, it doesn't overpower the other ingredients meaning it has a nicely rounded off finish.

The Teasmith is 43% ABV.

Recommended serve: premium tonic water, ice and a sprig of mint

Photo rights belong to Esker Gin

Esker Gin:

Created in Royal Deeside by husband and wife team, Steven and Lynne Duthie, Esker Gin was born from a loving passion for the alcoholic beverage, so much so, the duo decided to produce it commercially after 18 months of fine-tuning the recipe.

What's unique about Esker, is the botanicals it uses, especially its signature botanical, silver birch sap which is collected from the trees from the Kircardine Estate. The trees can only be tapped for sap in Spring, which means Lynne and Steve have to collect as much as they can before the season ends.

Esker is a refreshing, light, sweet (in my opinion) gin, which warms the palette and is slightly floral on the end. The artisan gin is distilled and bottled in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire.

Esker Gin is 42% ABV.
Recommended serve: premium tonic water, ice and a twist of orange zest

Photo rights belong to House of Elrick

House of Elrick:

The newest addition to the Aberdeen gin family, House of Elrick originates from the lowlands of Aberdeenshire at the House of Elrick estate which is oozing in rich in history.

The hand crafted, artisan, small batch gin boasts an array of citrus botanicals, as well as heather, sweet fennel and rose petals. The only gin to be made using the water from the most famous loch, Loch Ness, the taste profile of the gin is fresh, and slightly earthy. Advocates for championing the use of local farmers and suppliers, House of Elrick ensures quality is at the core of its product.

House of Elrick is a delicate gin, boasting a sweet, slightly floral finish, with a hit of an earthier taste profile added as a result of the botanicals and water used.

House of Elrick is 42% ABV.
Recommended serve: premium tonic water, ice and a twist of orange zest served as a helix (also rim your glass with the orange zest)

Photo rights belong to Indian Summer Gin

Indian Summer:
Another gin created in Aberdeenshire, this time in Huntly, Indian Summer gin uses one of the world's most expensive spices by weight - saffron - which is infused into the gin, giving the gin a warm, rich, aromatic flavour.

The gin presents a golden-yellow hue to it, unlike any of the other Aberdeen gins, and is bottled at a much higher ABV than the others too.

Indian Summer is a much spicier gin than the others, and boasts a more exotic taste due to using botanicals from across the world. It is the only Aberdeen gin to boast any colour hue to it, which makes it very different from the others above.

Indian Summer is 46% ABV.
Recommended serve: premium tonic water, ice and either a wedge of lime or a slice of lemon

I'd be really interested in hearing what your favourite Aberdeen gin is, and what garnishes you prefer to use in the different gins - I love adding a handful of berries to my gins and  also enjoy adding strawberries with black pepper to certain gins. If you haven't tasted any of the Aberdeen gins, what gins do you love the most? 

I'd also love to find out if anyone has ever used flowers as a gin garnish? I've been thinking of trying out rose petals or lavender in gin serves but I'm unsure if this would completely ruin the taste. I'm thinking about the whole sprig of rosemary concept with this idea.

  

  For Now...

Just Julia

Beer @ The Barn - The drinks you need to know about...

It's only a few weeks until Beer at the Barn kicks off at Woodend Barn and I don't know about you, but I'm very much looking forward to raising a glass to another year of awesome festivals in Aberdeen.

An avid lover of a good drinks selection, Beer at the Barn, which is organised my MFGF Events - the guys behind Banchory and Inverurie  - always boasts a pretty generous drinks offering. From Scottish beers, to English ciders, to everything in between, they cater for all tastes, and have even created their very own bespoke tonic with Summerhouse Drinks especially for the festival.

The event takes place over two days and runs from Friday 10 to Saturday 11 of February 2017. A scaled down version of the outdoor summer event, the indoor winter festival boasts three sessions with fantastic live music taking place throughout the sessions.

A Beer at the Barn first, this year will see the addition of prosecco to the drinks list which is a welcome addition for those who aren't the biggest beer fans I can imagine.

I've been lucky enough to get a sneaky peak into the drinks offering these guys will be serving up, and boy are you guys in for a treat...

All the beers (and ciders):
Local:

• Fierce Beer - if their Cranachan Killer is available, DEFINITELY try it out. Their newly launched Tropical Twist sour is also pretty bangin' too, but I'd highly recommend trying out these guys - love their pack-a-punch full of flavour brews!
• Six Degrees North - these guys do some pretty awesome Belgian beers, and they're from Stonehaven, what's not to love!?
• Deeside Brewery - handcrafted beer brewed in Royal Deeside.
• 7 Brewing - coming locally from Durris, these guys brew up small batch, traditional craft ales.

Not-so-local:

• Alchemy Brewing - an Edinburgh brewery turning grain into gold. I've heard their sour cherry black IPA is worth shouting about.
• Black Isle Brewery - all their beers are organic meaning they must be good for you, right? They'll also have a gluten free one for everyone to try too.
• Cromarty Brewery - highly recommend Rogue Wave and Happy Chappy 
• Top Out - a small independent Edinburgh based brewery brewing unconventional beers - sounds perfect for BATB.
• Beavertown - these guys have some pretty neat artwork on their cans - here's hoping they're beers are just as funky!
• Thistly Cross Cider - OH EM GEE, gimme all their ciders right here, right now...especially their strawberry and elderflower flavours!
• Pulp - an English cider company, I'm looking forward to trying their cider out - it's rhubarb flavoured!

All the gins:
Local:

• The Teasmith - an awesome new gin. If you're a fan of something a little different I'd definitely recommend this Aberdeenshire beauty.
• House of Elrick - this gin tastes delicious with a premium tonic and some orange peel and some zest on the rim of the glass. Might just have to go treat myself to one now...

Not-so-local:

• Steampunk - their pirate gin is rascal strength - now that could be dangerous!
• Whittakers - never tasted before, but the pink peppercorn botanical sounds delicious. May have to pair with some fresh strawberries and some cracked black pepper.

Rum:

Local rum distillers Dark Matter will be taking centre stage on all things rum. Delicious with ginger beer and a sprig of mint.

Prosecco:
A selection of prosecco will be available to try out.

Festival tonic:

The festival will also see a brand new tonic which has been specially created for the Beer at The Barn event. Partnering with soft drinks mastermind, Claire from Summerhouse Drinks, the team have created a Earl grey tea flavoured tonic. The tonic water is designed to go with all types of gins and is definitely worth checking out.

Tickets are now on sale here from £17.50.

Session times are below:
Session 1: Friday evening - 5.30pm - midnight
Session 2: Saturday afternoon - midday to 5.30pm
Session 3: Saturday evening - 6.30pm to midnight

For more information on the festival or future events, please visit their website here. And do let me know what drinks you're most looking forward to/try out at the festival once it's over!

  For Now...

Just Julia

Gin of the month: Porter's Gin

Gin and myself have been good buddies for over a year now. We've had some interesting experiences - cue memories of slightly underage drinking (I wasn't that much of a rebel) meaning I ended up completely hating the stuff by the age of 18, to sophisticated cocktail evenings with a few of my favourites enjoying gin in a fruitful way, oh, and let's not forget those cosy nights in front of a warm, open fire with a goblet or two. The goblets usually sporting a handful of berries or a sprig of rosemary or mint in them of course. It's been an intriguing, exciting friendship, if anything else, and it always seems to astonish me how every damn one tastes different.

With 70% of the UK's gin now produced in Scotland, you'd think the brains behind the operation would run out of ideas. Nope, not a chance. And nevertheless, mother nature continues to drown us in her delectable offering giving those looking to distil gin, a word-wide larder to pick from. From the rare Buddha's hand which is used in Aberdeen's very own Porter's gin, to sugar kelp from the Outer Hebrides used in the Isle of Harris gin, the many changing faces (or ingredients) of gin is quite fascinating.

It's a straight forward process (or so I've been told), if you know what you're doing that is. It's balancing the different flavours and key notes which is the tricky part...so with this in mind, I've decided to do a monthly spotlight on some of my favourite gins. Yes I'm not a gin critic, correct, and no, I'm not trying to set myself out to be one. I'm a girl, who love gin, and wants to share my personal experiences with it with you. Simple. Think something along the line of a student's version of a gin review, if you can handle that then we'll get along dandy...

PORTER'S GIN

Oh these guys! Can we just take a minute to appreciate the detail of this bottle please? With a bespoke design created to showcase the two show-stopper ingredients, Buddha's hand and juniper berries, in the flask in which the gin is created, there's a real sense of attention to detail here - and that's just the bottle.

A semi-local of the bar the gin was created in, Porter's has been close to my heart since the very first time it touched my lips. The launch night for this gin last year was heaving, there were so many people out in force to support the creators, Ben Iravani Josh Rennie and Alex Lawrence, and obviously eager to try the gin. With lots of hype around the trio, who are well-known in the drinks industry, it was very exciting to experience the start of something amazing.

The gin itself is very refreshing, and quite citrusy. Boasting orange, orris root, lemon, Buddha's hand, and pink peppercorn's, its no wonder it has that zesty taste to it, with a light spice to finish of course.

At 41.5% it's a lovely London Dry gin, not bitter on the tongue, very smooth in my opinion. I'm not too keen on gins which dry out your mouth, and Porter's certainly does not do this. Suggested serves would be premium tonic (usually Fever Tree or me) and a lime wedge. I also tried the gin with a sprig of mint and orange peel which was incredibly tasty. Although, I've never quite got my Porter's to taste as good as the guys at Orchid make it. It's so bloody tasty.

The gin is also cracking in cocktails and is becoming more and more popular with bars across the UK. A gin created for bartenders by those who understand and have worked within the industry over a decade now, it's no surprise it's proving so popular. I can hands down say this gin is a great addition to any gin-based cocktail.

Created with old and new techniques, this marriage of tradition meets innovation is a great love story. By utilsiing a unique homemade(ish) rotary evaporator and one of the UK's oldest gin distillers, the wonderful gin, my local gin, Porter's, is a delicious affair of mature and modern coming together.

A gin with a full body and a larger than life character, I really enjoy Porter's and love the team behind it. Bursting with industry passion, the brains bringing Porter's to the market have already nailed down a deal with Harvey Nichols, have managed to get the gin featured in Vogue's 100th Anniversary edition, oh, and did I mention the gin was recently awarded a top industry accolade too? Yeah, when Aberdeen do it, we do it damn right.

Available in most Aberdeen bars and bottle shops, get your hands on one of these bottles. It would also make an excellent gift, so if you're Christmas stocking is slightly weighty this year, expect great gin things.

For Now...

Just Julia

North Hop Aberdeen: Top 10 tasters

So after recently visiting my very first Brew Dog AGM earlier this month and sampling a number of BrewDog's craft beers, which I surprisingly enjoyed (not a massive beer fan), to say I am excited for North Hop Aberdeen is an understatement. I love gin, cocktails and quirky foodies - I'm a little obsessed with finding some of the best foodies in Scotland - so whenever North Hop is on, I'm there in a flash.

Over the past two years I've been to every festival and have loved them all for different reasons. So when I found out that North Hop was retuning to Aberdeen for a second year I just HAD to check out what exhibitors were going to be there. With a capacity more than three times bigger than last year's festival, I was convinced the offering would have increased, and boy has it done so!

The festival, which takes place this May holiday weekend on Saturday 30 April from 12 noon - 5pm and 7- 12 midnight, and Sunday 1 May from 12 noon - 5pm at the AECC (Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre), is said to welcome around 3,000 people through it's doors. So to keep you guys on your toes, I've decided to pull together my top ten exhibitors you should definitely check out.

1. Crema caravan

The UK's very first Crème Brûlée van will be making its debut to North Hop in Aberdeen. Serving up some delicious Crema Catalana and Crème Brûlée with some of the finest, wackiest toppings you'll ever see, these guys know how to handle the heat and produce fantastic desserts. Served burnt to order, you won't miss them in Florence their retro Renault van!

Photos from Crema Caravan's Facebook page

2. Six°North

With all their beers unfiltered and carbonated naturally through secondary fermentation - they don't filter anything - nope, not their beer, style, brewers or venues for that matter, natures intent is left intact. Born form a passion for Belgian beer these Belgian brewers of Scotland brew their finest beers in the North-east, six degrees North of Brussels - do you like what they did there?

Photos from Six°North website 

3. Porter's Gin

Aberdeen's first gin to be distilled in the city for over 100 years. A premium gin with a traditional bold juniper body, this is a bottle full of ginny delight that you just have to take home to show off to your friends. Located in the cocktail lounge, join the Porter's Gin team for a sample or two and take home some special gin bottled cocktails created specially for North Hop too!

4. Stew n' Drew's

The Willy Wonka's of ice cream, this fantastically talented duo have nailed the creation of quirky ice cream on the head. With their own ice cream shop now open in Hopeman, these guys continue to wow festivalgoers with their wacky ingredients and funky flavours. From whisky ice cream, to cider sorbet, these guys will certainly sort out those sweet cravings. They're stationed in the Cocktail Lounge incase you're wondering...

Photo from Stew n' Drew's Facebook page

5. The Bay on the Road

Yabadabadoo do the infamous The Bay Fish and Chips have a treat for you! Established in 2006, The Bay has been serving up thousands of portions of sustainable Scottish fish and chips filling many happy tums, and winning a ridiculous amount of accolades along the way. 
For the first time ever, The Bay on the Road will be fishing out the best fish and chips, bringing something completely different to the festival's offering. If you haven't tried their insanely tasty fish and chips or homemade tartar sauce yet, then this is a top must try recommendation from me. GET IN MY BELLY!

6. FreshMex

When I saw these guys were attending North Hop I squealed a little. Since launching last year I have been a massive fan of the dishes this fiery dup have been producing. Serving tex-mex style cuisine, the duo behind this successful business have teased the tastebuds of the North-east using locally sourced, fresh ingredients. 
Customised to your liking, these guys are guaranteed to hit the spot. Pair with a craft beer or two.

Photos from FreshMex's Facebook page

7. Thistly Cross Cider

Onto my favourite Scottish cider, Thistly Cross Cider! With flavours like strawberry, ginger, elderflower, whisky and traditional cider, their fresh, tasty and oh-so-delicious ciders are a winner with me. If you're looking for something sweet and not a massive fan of craft beer then, I suggest you try out the strawberry or elderflower flavours, you won't be able to stay away.

Photo from Thistly Cross Cider's Facebook page

8.  Juniper | Gin Festivals and Events

My tipple of choice, the team behind the Juniper Festivals are hitting up the North-east especially for North Hop, showing off their delightful selection of craft gins from all over Scotland. With the opportunity to try an old, traditional flavour, or pursuing something different, there is a whole range of gins to discover in lovingly made cocktails and serves.
Try them neat, with premium mixtures or cocktails, it's up to you.

Photo from Juniper Gin Festival and Events Facebook page

9. Eden Mill

Scotland's first and only distillery/brewery combined. With everything they do small and craft and just a stones throw away from the home of golf, St Andrews, there really is nothing quite like the set up Eden Mill boasts. Beer, whisky or gin, just go try them all.

Photo from Eden Mill's Facebook page

10. Cue Barbecue

Last but not least a smoky affair with a side of serious meat sweats can only mean one thing, Cue Barbecue is attending. If you have a love for the deep South and enjoy Southern US and Latin American styles of barbecue then you're in for a treat. Never sampled them before? Well I can guarantee you'll want to after just smelling the food. 

Would recommend trying out with a craft beer again or a sour gin-based cocktail, be warned, if you're sampling their Angus & Oink sauces the Voodoo Mango sauce is hot, hot, hot. The one to try in my opinion is the BBQ sauce - now that's a winner for me.

With over 30 different exhibitors to chose from, there's something for everyone at North Hop Aberdeen. Whether you love traditional fish and chips, or are looking for the next big thing on the gin scene, or maybe you're looking to sample some of Scotland's finest craft beers, or put your tastebuds to the test with experimental ice cream, everyone will be catered for at the festival. Just try it all, you've got nothing to lose and soo much to gain!

As an added extra for Aberdeen festivalgoers, North Hop, alongside some of the fantastic exhibitors, has created a festival gin and a festival brew which will be exclusively available at the festival. The festival gin is a limited edition chilli and ginger gin created by Eden Mill. This will be available to sample at their bar, or in a perfect serve or cocktail at the Juniper bar. There are only 200 bottles (20cl) available to get your hands on, so you better be quick!

The festival brew is a 6.7% cask American pale ale brewed by Spey Valley Brewery using the Holy Cragg which Dunnet Bay Distillers utilised in their Holy Grass Vodka. So of course it only seemed right to call it Holy Spey APA!

For the full list of exhibitors and for tickets to the event follow the North Hop website link: 
http://northhop.co.uk/festivals/aberdeen

  For Now...

 Just Julia