How to Make the Perfect Gin Cocktail by Sandy Kenneway
Sandy Kenneway is a purveyor of all things alcohol. And take it from us: one-time owner of one of the finest booze shops in Scotland really knows his stuff.
Sandy has run several boozy talks and tutorials at Glen Dye, constantly finding ways to make cocktails exciting with his homemade bitters, cordials and liquors always at the centre of his creations. The result?
Always delicious and always interesting.
Every new invention of Sandy’s is as enticing and original as the last, so who better for the job of creating a cocktail than Sandy?
We all love gin, don’t we?
I certainly do.
And it seems as if everyone and their mother has now fallen head over heels for the drink once dubbed ‘Mother’s ruin’.
But did you always love gin..?
I didn’t.
I had it pigeon holed as an overtly perfumed drink for grannies, frankly. But, as time went on, I persevered and was pleasantly surprised by the delights of The Gimlet, The Negroni, The Martini, The Red Snapper and many more delicious gin cocktails.
Throughout my journey, I learnt that gin was a canvas more structured than vodka that, when painted with the right combination of partners in crime, could create outstanding drinks.
Look at a well-made gin and tonic, for example. It’s a thing of simple perfection.
I had obviously misjudged gin, drinking in its baggage and fashionable status without really understanding what it was.
Think about what your favourite drinks are, and why you like them. I often hear people say they don’t like this or that spirit (especially whisky or brandy), but with so many brands, distillers and mixing potential, surely there is one out there you will love?
We don’t judge all cheeses by the taste of Kraft slices or Dairylea, so why dismiss the light, creamy whisky made in Brechin because the intense smokiness of Islay malts wasn’t for you?
Below, I’ve created a gin cocktail especially for The Good Life Society.
For the nippers and those who prefer to go booze-free, Seedlip Garden 108 or Lyre's Dry London non-alcoholic spirit are good substitutions.
A word of warning:
Non-alcoholic spirits don’t always transfer seamlessly – so you might need to do a little bit of tweaking. If you find that your non-alcoholic version has less body than you think an alcoholic one would have, try adding spiced sugar syrup.
The Ingredients
For a great spiced sugar syrup:
Water
Sugar
Any spices that you think might add flavour
Remember, sugar syrup is a brilliant blank canvas that you can add to anything.
The Method
Add equal parts water and sugar into a pan and throw in your spices of choice.
Bring it all to a simmer and then leave to cool.
Strain out the goo and use 5-10ml in each drink to start with, adding more until you reach a desired taste.
A good cocktail will often contain some kind of liqueur. But, in the spirit of doing it ourselves, we’re cutting out the middleman and making our own Gin-Jam.
The flavour of jam that you use is up to you, but remember that what you pick will heavily influence the final flavour of the drink.
I like using strawberry or raspberry jam, but lime and orange marmalades are equally tasty options.
Don’t go mad on price when choosing a gin for this. Remember, the idea is to boost the flavours in your more standard gins. As a guide, a price point of around £10-15 for a bottle will promote experimentation without fear.
For the Gin-Jam
You will need:
250g gin
100g jam
The Method
Add all ingredients to a jar & mix well.
Leave overnight, shaking again whenever you remember.
Repeat until most of the solids have dissolved into the solution.
Strain it and bottle it up.
You can use the jam pulp on scones, swirled through cream or custard.
This is easily scaled up or down, depending on how much gin or jam you have.
Now time for the fun part!
The Cairn O'Mount Mule
In an ice-filled glass add:
50ml Gin-Jam
10ml lemon juice
Top with 100ml of ginger beer
This article has been extracted from our Hand Book, which we created in 2021 as a way to keep our community engaged with The Good Life during those event-free months and waves of covid.
