Ruddles has been at it again.

As the hairy “face” of Barcelona Gin, he’s very easy to like – and his opinions carry weight. He’s lent his marketing power to a few Barcelona Gin posts recently and every time, they beat all our records for engagement. We think he’s our secret weapon. That’s why, in addition to his current role as Newshound, we’re giving him a promotion to Marketing Director. Or should that be Barketing Director?
Either way, he’s continuing to sniff out the gin news you want to hear. This month, he’s found some interesting stories for us all to enjoy.
Algorithm confirms: curry and gin are a perfect match

Ruddles has sniffed out a great story about a Japanese firm that has employed Artificial Intelligence to confirm what we all knew already: that curry is a good match for a gin and tonic. Fascinating article, but we didn’t need a robot to tell us that. The research was commissioned by Bombay Sapphire owners Bacardi and apparently gin comes out as curry’s best mate. No more pints of lager required, just a large, civilised G&T (and maybe a separate glass of iced water!).
The question is which gin goes with which curry?
Keep an eye out for next month’s article on the 5 best gins to drink with a curry.
It’s hot stuff!
Virtual reality: the world’s coolest gin labels?

The folks at McQueen gin up in Scotland have come up with something equally unique. They’ve added a full augmented reality (AR) experience for each of the six bottles in their core range. Just point your phone at the label and scan it for an immersive gin experience like no other. You can take a virtual dive into their black cherry and vanilla gin pool. You could even learn about the spirit of Ben Ledi, the beautiful mountain that overlooks the distillery itself.
Welcome to the world’s coolest gin labels.
When is a gin not a gin: how low can you go?

Plus, there’s some trouble brewing over alcohol free gins. Some people are getting upset that low alcohol spirits are passing themselves off as gins.
By definition, a gin has to be 37.5% ABV (and have juniper as its dominant flavour) to be given legal recognition as a gin.
Low alcohol versions clearly don’t measure up to these requirements but some are still being sold as gin. That’s misrepresenting our favourite spirit (and potentially damaging its reputation).
The good news is that the Gin Guild is taking up the challenge on behalf of the industry.
“Downton Abbey” distillery: 31 international gin awards in first two years

Last year saw a flurry of gins released by the various royal households, including Buckingham Palace Gin and Highgrove gin.
Other members of the establishment are also getting in on the act now. Highclere Castle (otherwise known as Downton Abbey) is only in its second year of distilling, but it’s celebrating with a big smile on its face. In the 16 months of its existence, it’s already won more than 31 international spirits awards and is forecasting sales of 20,000 cases during the course of this 2021.
Not bad for a young one.
Gin-soaked raisins – is this the secret for a long life?

Here’s one to inspire you. Are gin and raisins the secret to a long and happy life? Meet 105 year old Lucia DeClerck from New Jersey, who’s been nibbling these little gin treats for almost a hundred years.
She eats exactly 9 gin-soaked golden raisins every day and she attributed this habit to giving her long, healthy life. There must be something in it – she’s lived through two world wars, survived the Spanish Flu and she has outlived three husbands and one son. And now, she’s one of only a few centenarians worldwide to have survived Coronavirus.
So much better than cornflakes!
Silent Pool gin: ending on a high

Always good to end on a high note.
Last year, the folks at Silent Pool distillery launched their first CBD infused gin. It’s called Colorado High and it was receiving great reviews.
CBD is legal for sale in the UK and Europe these days and they’ve sold thousands of bottles without complaints. So, they were a bit frustrated when a complaint was passed to the UK’s Portman Group (one of the UK’s regulators), who challenged the packaging.
Despite being a totally legal product and with no references to cannabis on its labels or packaging, they found it to be in breach of rules.
They claimed that it created an “indirect connection” with illegal drugs.
This is a claim that the folks at Silent Pool deny consistently and they are challenging the decision with the Portman Group itself. Silent Pool aren’t backing down and have launched a cheeky marketing campaign to make their point.
Drugs or drink. What do you think?

Written by Steve (with a little help from Ruddles, the gin dog!)
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