Some say there’s ample historical precedent for ocean-inspired gins. So, bivalves and other sea creatures are fair game to flavor gin. regulations that says they must be plant-based. “Botanical”-a word typically relating to plants-is the catch-all term used, but there’s no specification in either the E.U., U.K. That’s right: While juniper must be included to label a spirit as “gin,” there are no restrictions on any other ingredients used to lend fragrance and flavor. Shell Shocked: Why It’s More Important Than Ever to Consider the Oyster “Gin has no rules, aside from the juniper,” observes Manya Rubinstein of The Industrious Spirit Company (ISCO), which is developing a gin infused with oysters and kelp. With all that splashing about, they’re each still considered gin. Unfortunately, not all are available in the U.S. Squid, a colorchanging novelty gin), lobster (Homard and Lobstar Gins, both from Belgium) and pinches of sea salt (Jin Môr Sea Salt Gin, from Wales). But many sea-inspired gins push harder than ever, from a myriad of gins featuring kelp, sea lettuces and other seaweeds to piscatory varieties made with oysters, squid ink (England’s Dr. In recent years, gin producers have really leaned into unusual botanicals beyond the boundaries of classic London dry. If that sounds very different from the usual pine- or citrus-forward gins, that’s exactly what these distillers have in mind. This is just one of a growing number of gins featuring oceanic botanicals designed to add subtle salinity and seaside breeziness to martinis and other drinks. Wild Icelandic kelp adds peppery, briny notes-“it smells to me like pure ocean,” Thomas says-while frilled purple leaves of Drillisk dulse seaweed, sourced from Ireland, are pungent, earthy, with an almost fishy exhale as I nibble a dried leaf that escapes the gin basket. But here was a reminder: visiting Halftone Spirits, located in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood and finding owner and head distiller Andrew Thomas measuring two types of seaweed to add a subtle umami flavor to his SVQ Gin, named for the airport code for Seville, Spain-a country on the other side of the Atlantic. It’s easy to forget that Brooklyn is bound by the Atlantic Ocean.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |