In 1751, artist William Hogarth published his
satirical print ‘Gin Lane’, which depicted disturbing scenes including a
gin-crazed mother, covered in syphilitic sores, unwittingly dropping her baby
to its death down some cellar stairs. From such gin sodden debauchery to the
glamorous Martini bars of ritzy hotels, London has been the spiritual home of
gin for centuries and the affair continues with a new generation of brands and
drinking establishments throughout the capital In the last decade or so
enthusiasm for interesting gins has grown, and with it, the number of small distillers
such as Portobello Road, a small outfit
boasting its own 'Ginstitute', a tiny room above the Portobello Star dedicated
to the history and scientific understanding of gin.
Mini gin distillery Sispsmith in Hammersmith has
open days and tasting evenings, although
I hear they are currently booked through into the new year
And last night I met another gin - Butlers’s Gin a new, British, artisan spirit
produced in Hackney Wick, East London. A smooth yet refreshing fusion of
juniper, lemongrass, cardamom and citrus notes, Butler’s Gin has a light, crisp
character which is set to become the drink of choice for the cognoscenti, bringing
something extraordinary to every occasion.
Ross William Butler is The Butler. A designer, brand developer and lifelong
gin obsessive, Ross spends much of his time on his speedboat Fletcher, enjoying
the waterways of South-east England. It was on Fletcher, whilst moored in
London's Docklands one summer, that The Butler developed his first batch of
gin. This small personal venture swiftly grew as friends and
acquaintances tasted its delectable aroma.
Originally inspired by a Victorian recipe, the gin is placed in a 20-litre
glass jar with infusion bags containing fresh lemongrass, cardamom, coriander,
cloves, cinnamon, star anise, fennel, lemon and lime. After infusing for 18
hours it is hand-bottled.
Ross was handing out the gin at the delightful Hackney Heart, a lovely
pop-up shop . gallery and creative space on hackneys Mare Street.
Originally intended as a medicine, gin became
suddenly affordable in Britain due to changes in the duty levied following the
accession of William of Orange to the throne. French brandy prices went through
the roof, a great many small-scale gin distilleries were established across
London and by the early years of the 18th century what had become known as the
Gin Craze was truly out of hand. In the first third of the 19th century,
advancements in distillation eventually allowed for the mass-production of pure
spirits using "continuous" stills. These spirits were then
re-distilled to make "London dry gin", the defining stipulations for
which are still in force today: it must contain no added sugar, be flavoured
primarily with juniper and a minimum of 37.5% alcohol by volume.
With the discovery that quinine was effective
against malaria the colonial officer class began to drink the new "tonic
water" enlivened with gin. Now enjoyed in fashionable circles, the
rehabilitation of mothers' ruin was complete, with the added bonus that the
antimalarial tonic water actually worked.
The perception of a link between gin and glamorous
living received another fillip in the jazz age. The drinking of cocktails and
the culture around them grew and flourished even during American prohibition,
and President Roosevelt's first act upon signing the paperwork which repealed
the alcohol ban was to mix a martini, using plenty of gin, vermouth and olive
brine. The growing popularity of gin cocktails provided the distillers with
another challenge: the fruity juniper and citrussy coriander seed flavours
which work so well with tonic water are not always ideal in a cocktail
