Notes from a gin dog
In the latest edition of the Ruddles gin report, our faithful gin dog has been sniffing out some news that you might find ginteresting. Winter is not his favourite time of year and lockdown hasn’t helped. He’s been keeping himself busy scouring the world’s media for the gin stories you might have missed. And here’s what he’s come up with!
What goes around comes around
Apparently, there’s a Japanese brewery that has found a way to recycle beer that’s going to waste in bars during lockdown and turning it into a pretty decent craft gin. Restaurants sell their unsold beer to Kiuchi’s facility in Tokyo. There, it is distilled into gin, bottled and sent back to the restaurants in question. A great idea. Who knows, it might even catch on on this side of the world. In fact, recycling has been going great guns over the last 12 months.
Recyclable gin pouches and aluminium tops
Scotland’s Rock Rose are now offering gin refills in recyclable pouches to cut down on their environmental impact. And it looks like several other distilleries are following their lead. Even Beefeater are having a go at it with their latest move towards sustainable packaging. Their new gin bottles are made with recyclable glass. Their PVC labels have returned to the old fashioned paper ones and their plastic tops are now made of recyclable aluminium. Beefeater estimate that this will reduce their plastic waste by 410 tonnes every year. Yes, please!
Ginfusions for all (and a Philippines love affair!)
And as the gin revolution continues apace, more and more people are starting to infuse their own gins. Not surprising in the midst of all this lockdown boredom! Here’s a great little article that gives you a handy guide to infusing your gin. It’s also got some excellent recipe ideas for you to make at home. Just follow the instructions. Seemples! If you were ever wondering which country drinks the most gin, you might be surprised to learn that it’s the Phillipines. Check out this interesting article about how an English drink became popular amongst Spanish settlers and the Filipino elite and how their love affair with gin began. You’ll learn some interesting stuff about Tagay culture as well.
What does the year ahead hold?
As we enter a new year, we have lots of gin things to look forward to, but without a crystal ball it’s hard to know what excitement lies ahead of us. So here’s a little article that tells us about the 6 gin trends that you simply must know about for 2021. It will definitely keep you ahead of the competition in those gin conversations that we know you’re going to have this year.
Gin taster required – apply within
And finally, for any of our North American friends interested in a career change, there’s a distillery looking for full time gin tasters – paid. If this sounds like the dream job for you, read the full story here. And because Ruddles always likes to end up on a positive note, he’s added an interesting piece on how his favorite drink has become the star of many classic movies. From Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Casablanca and from Casino Royale to The Great Gatsby. We’ll drink to that!
That’s all for this month’s Ruddles gin report – hope you enjoy it. We’ll sniff out more like this next month, so stay tuned!
Written by Steve (with a little help from Ruddles, the gin dog!)
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This gorgeous fusion of East and West was developed by Dee after she won Diageo’s “
T
Contrary to popular opinion, 
A sweet style that developed in the 19th century this gin got its name from its secret history. In order to avoid paying taxes on gin, a certain Captain Dudley Bradstreet from London started selling bootleg gin. He advised people to look for it under the sign of the cat, where he had cleverly placed a lead pipe attached to a funnel on the inside. Customers would put money in the slot and he would dispatch their gin down the pipe directly into their glass, bottle (or even mouth!). Over time, the practice caught on and others started to change their door knockers or signs to feature an Old Tom Cat. 
Smoother than its London relative this is generally produced in the south of England and is a lower strength gin than its big city neighbour. Juniper is less dominant in Plymouth gins, making it a great gin for drinking neat or in a Martini. 
The gin revolution that blew in earlier this decade has resulted in a contemporary international selection that could have only been imagined a decade ago. Now, contemporary gin makers are dispensing with tradition and experimenting with new flavours and techniques that are challenging everything we thought we knew about this traditional drink. From the UK to Spain and from Japan to Latin America there’s something for everyone – you are only limited by your imagination.
