IWSC judging today: 61 gins in the classic/traditional category, mostly from Europe but some also from Oceania. Was judging with industry legend Charles Maxwell - quite the treat!
Standard was high. We had about 5 golds. Only 1 non-medal. Rest fairly evenly split between bronze and silver.
"The reason a Gin & It works so well is that gin and sweet vermouth share a botanical affinity. When you pair them well it can be hard to tell where one ends and the other begins."
"The reason a Gin & It works so well is that gin and sweet vermouth share a botanical affinity. When you pair them well it can be hard to tell where one ends and the other begins."
I like #puddles , pools, ponds, so this is a great time of year for me- #SpringMelt ! + since we keep alternating melting #weather with snow (more to come in the next few days after 18-19C/64-66F today) the puddle season is extended! Not so fond of mud, but oh well!
I shot this icy puddle the other day, where there'd been a much larger pool a week or two back- on viewing on the screen, I realised there was a face, then 2! Not creepy, I think they are #winter#spirits saying goodbye! #animism
Spring has truly come in (even though the chill is sticking a bit longer). Flowers, trees, animals, elements and more dance the season into being. What's more, the old teachers I had thought were done with me have returned. The support being offered to me by the spirits and deities at this time is deeply felt. However, the internal animal part of me wonders what this could all about. I hope this year is a good one.
Jaguar (and black panther) were one of my first teachers/protectors when I was just starting out. I find them coming back into my life and bringing with them a fierce inspiration and new lessons to learn.
I feel inspired by the content I have been taking in (The Seven Generations and The Seven Grandfather Teachings by James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw & The Manitous by Basil Johnston). Envisioning the spirits dancing, being adorned in eastern woodlands regalia.
Today I'm #Drinking#Pisco. I love it. Cheaper than french brandy, and better. It's a relatively cheap spirit that's nice neat, amazing as a sour, and mixes well with hot chocolate. Lots of light raisen notes.
One remarkable ancient artefact, a Babylonian world map from the Sixth Century BCE, marks the beginning of this obsession. The map, inscribed on a clay tablet, shows how ancient people imagined the quadrants of the earth: it describes lands of serpents, dragons, and scorpion-men, the far northern regions “where the sun is...
Drinking an Adonis, made with equal parts (45 ml each) fino sherry and sweet vermouth plus 2 dashes of orange bitters. I used Tio Pepe and Cocchi.
You’re meant to serve it up but I’ve misplaced my Nick & Noras so I went for a casual serve on the rocks, big ice sphere and an orange slice instead of a twist.
It’s delicious: light, dry, fruity and a little bit nutty.
Lower ABV too as there are no spirits here, just two fortified wines.
My latest article for Club Oenologique has just been published. This one looks at the best Scottish gins for celebrating Burns Night. (I also snuck in a peated French gin!)
Beefeater is launching a 0.0% spirit (just in Spain for now) that "maintains the brand’s iconic citric and juniper-forward profile but without the alcohol." It's made at Pernod-Ricard's new production line in the south-east of France which opened last autumn. RRP €15.
I need(*) $120k USD & a stupid amount of additional funds for taxes, restoration, and fancyin' up an abandoned asylum halfway between Duluth & the Twin Cities for my cult.
Gib me money and you can survive the #ClimateWars with me in a #haunted af building.
The timeless allure of ruins (article) (www.bbc.com)
One remarkable ancient artefact, a Babylonian world map from the Sixth Century BCE, marks the beginning of this obsession. The map, inscribed on a clay tablet, shows how ancient people imagined the quadrants of the earth: it describes lands of serpents, dragons, and scorpion-men, the far northern regions “where the sun is...