WHAT WHERE WHO HOW WHEN .... yes you are still on EmmaEats blog. As well as eating I do like to have the odd drink or two (well I am Irish after all 😂). So when I got an invite to head along to a blogger event hosted by Darnley's Gin at the Spiritualist, I jump at the opportunity. I had never been to the Spiritualist either so I was looking forward to seeing what it had to offer.
On arrival we were given a welcome cocktail called 'A view of the Port' - this cocktail was created by the Spiritualist and contained the following - Darnley's Spiced Gin, Ruby Port, fresh lemon juice, homemade cinnamon syrup and cranberry and orange relish. Served over crushed ice and garnished with fresh berries, orange peel & mint. This drink was delicious and way too easy to drink. It was so light and refreshing.
After our welcome drink we were seated at a table where Emma from Darnley's Gin & Dale from the Spiritualist spoke a bit about the gin and the food pairings. The reason for this event is the fact that Darnley's Gin is launching a new chapter - the gin has been rebranded from Darnley's View and loads of new and exciting things are either taking place or are going to happen soon. But where did it all begin? - it began as a Wemyss family adventure in 2010 with the original gin, and now has expanded with 2 additional gins - the spiced gin & the navy strength. Darnely's Gin are also building a new distillery in Fife - the gin is currently being distilled in London so this is such an exciting move. I believe the distillery in Fife is due to open during the summer.
It was finally time to have a taste of the gin ... up first was Darnley’s Original Gin which is inspired by the elderflower growing wild in the grounds of the Wemyss family castle in Fife, this elegant gin uses a distinctive blend of six botanicals including elderflower, coriander and lemon peel, creating a classic juniperled gin which is fresh, floral and vibrant. Bottled at 40%. I really enjoyed the taste of this gin - it had a little hint of spice which I liked. The dish that was paired with this was cured Scottish smoked salmon with elderflower and lemon cream cheese roulade. This was really tasty and the elderflower really complimented the dish.
Up nest was the Darnley’s Spiced Gin, now this intrigued me as I'm a big fan of spiced rum so I was looking forward to seeing how they made this work with a gin. The Darnley's Spiced Gin was sparked by the Wemyss family’s spirit of adventure, this gin uses a distinctive blend of ten botanicals including cloves, ginger and grains of paradise. Contemporary in style, it is full and rounded with warm spice notes from cinnamon and nutmeg, followed by a lingering peppery finish. Bottled at 42.7%. Oh I loved this gin - it had such a warm feeling to it. I felt it had a lovely soft taste of orange to it. The dish that was paired with this gin was Darnley's Spiced Gin and bramble jellies with cinnamon madeleine. For me - this was my favourite dish of the night. It was just so flavoursome.
Ok so when I heard the next gin was navy strength I will admit I was unsure as to whether or not I'd taste it as I reckoned it would be way too strong for me. However, I decided to just have a little sip of it and to my surprise it wasn't as strong as I thought it would be. Darnley’s Spiced Gin ‘Navy Strength’: During their time at sea, ships’ officers used to enjoy a daily ration of gin which had to pass a gunpowder test to prove it was over 57% alcohol and therefore ‘Navy Strength’. This gin uses the same botanicals as Darnley’s Spiced Gin, with a touch more juniper and an increased proof for a bold gin with intense warming spice flavours. Bottled at 57.1%. This gin was paired with pan seared saddle of highland venison with Darnley's Navy Strength Gin & juniper sauce. Garnished with pomegranate seeds. Again this dish was very tasty.
So I think I'm converted to spiced gin ...
I had such a lovely night and I would like to say thank you to all at Darnley's Gin, The Spiritualist and Burt Greener Communications.
Date of Event: Monday, 8 May 2017
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Thanks a mil for reading.
Emma mai xx
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