4th December 2020 | Life at Virgin Wines | 3 minute read
Imagine classic Christmas aromas and flavours of citrus and spice captured in a glass. That’s what our Head Spirits Buyer, Dave Roberts, had in mind with his latest collaboration with the Masham Distillery. And that’s exactly what we get with the sensational Festival Spiced Orange Gin.
Following the success of L&C, back in the summer, Dave set his sights on crafting a gin for the winter months. So he and Master Distiller, Jake Wilson, got to working on a gin that would be ideal for the festive season.
Festival Spiced Orange Gin is the perfect gin for Christmas. With a festive palate of subtle cinnamon spice and orange zest, Dave and Jake have come up with a concoction that not only makes a beautiful citrus G&T, but is a great addition to a hot toddy.
Combining the cinnamon and orange peel with traditional botanicals was certainly a challenge for the dynamic duo, but after six months of trial and error, Dave and Jake finally struck the right balance and found the sweet spot for their winter spirit.
Working out of the Masham distillery in Yorkshire, they sourced only natural materials and went through countless distils to ensure that the final product would be the ultimate gin for the Christmas period. Once the recipe was nailed, it was all hands on deck to get the first batch of Festival Spiced Orange Gin bottled and ready to ship to our warehouse.
Everything from the botanicals right through to the label design was carefully thought about, with Dave being involved every step of the way:
“When we decided we wanted to make a festive-style gin, I went straight to Jake, without hesitation. His distilling know-how had already been put to the test on our previous project, the L&C Gin, and the results were absolutely fantastic. Our latest exclusive collaboration for Christmas marries together the zest of orange and the sweet spice of cinnamon to perfection.”
“For the label, we took inspiration from the natural ingredients used in the making of the gin, and I feel it really captures the spirit of what we wanted to achieve with this gin. I’m so happy with how it’s turned out and can’t wait for you all to try it!”
Of course, Festival Spiced Orange Gin make a superb classic gin and tonic, but a true Christmas gin also shines in a winter warming cocktail.
Festive Gin Hot Toddy
For a cracking hot toddy pour a single measure of Festival Orange Spiced Gin into a nice glass mug, add two teaspoons of high-quality honey, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and top-up with 15ml of boiling water. Stir and garnish with a twist of orange peel and a small cinnamon stick, and your delicious hot drink of citrus and spice is ready to enjoy.
