Bar Convent Berlin, Geranium Gin, Henrik Hammer and his brother MC

The last few months have been extremely busy for myself with both Evo-lution and my bitters being involved at numerous events around Europe.



October in particular was hectic from start to finish; at the start of the month I hosted the drinks reception for the private launch of the Lewis Chessmen exhibition at Aberdeen Art Gallery, attended the opening and closing parties for London Cocktail Week, had dinner with Chico and MC Hammer (see bottom of blog), took part in CLASS magazine's UK Bartender of the Year competition (where I finished third behind Justyn Bell and the winner Joey Medrington), attended the SLTN Awards dinner where I was nominated for Mixologist of the Year (finishing runner up to Mal Spence) and hosted a presentation on the history of bitters with Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck of The Bitter Truth at Boutique Barshow Edinburgh.

The month didn't end there, or should I say, that's not where the month started. The 4th and 5th saw me fly out to Berlin to take in the delights of Bar Convent Berlin for the first time.



Brought to you by Helmut Adam, Jens Hasenbein and Bastian Heuser of Mixology magazine, and now in its fourth year, BCB has grown into what is arguably the most important bar show in the World. The roll call of speakers is like a who's who of the drinks industry, and dotted all around the rooms are the great and good of the bartending circuit, whether they're exhibiting, networking or just checking out what's happening across the globe. I couldn't possibly list everyone that I had the pleasure of sharing a drink or talking shop with, but it was an honour and privilege to be in such good, and esteemed, company. If you haven't already done so, get your tickets booked for the 2011 show...



On my first night in Berlin I planned to attend the Travelling Mixologist's Unofficial Opening Party (try saying that after a Martinez or three) but also hook up with Jimmy Olsen, brand ambassador for Geranium Gin. I first met Jimmy earlier in the year at the Imbibe Barshow in London where I also had the chance to try Geranium for the first time. After hearing loads about this relatively new gin I jumped at the chance to get myself a taster, a sample bottle (which I had to leave with some random bloke at Luton Airport) and to chat with Jimmy about the bottling. Jimmy is a top, top guy and a fantastic ambassador for the product.



Prior to BCB I learnt that Henrik Hammer (pictured, and the man behind the brand) was also going to be at the show. Shortly after I landed in Berlin Jimmy called to say that I should join him and Henrik at Hotel Amano for some drinks before the opening party. Not one to miss the chance of a few beverages and to meet the people behind a brand, I got my glad-rags on and hopped in a taxi.

Having not been to Denmark before I can't vouch for Danish hospitality, but if it's anything like what Jimmy and Henrik extended to me that night then my next stop will definitely be Copenhagen. I hadn't even sat in my seat before a gin & tonic was thrust in my hand, and upon admitting I was a little hungry the next thing I knew I was tucking into a platter of cold meats, olives and breads. Washed down with some more gin of course. And then there was Champagne. Lots of Champagne. It was great to chat with them in detail about the gin and their plans for the future, but most of all it was great to spend some time with them outwith work-mode. Brilliant guys with a promising future.



Before leaving to head home I managed to grab another bottle from Jimmy to let bartenders back home try it and to also write up this blog posting.

Henrik had been working with gin for a number of years as an accredited judge in international spirit competitions and found that the flavour spectrum of gin was very narrow. With that in mind he set out to create a gin in the true London Dry style that pushed the boundaries of the category.

Geranium was something that always cropped up in Henrik's mind as the aroma of the leaves reminded him of gin & tonic. On top of that, geranium has been used for centuries due to its medicinal properties and also by chefs in kitchens to purify the air and flavour food. This history has stark similarities to that of juniper, the heart, lungs and spine of any quality gin.



Chemical analysis of geranium found the oils present (geraniol, geraniol formate, linalol, rose oxide, citronelol) were identical to the oils in many fruits, vegetables and spices. This discovery showed that in a roundabout way, the essence of geranium was already prevalent in most gin with common botanicals such as juniper, lemon, coriander and angelica possessing these oils.

The challenge for Henrik was to then extract these oils by way of distillation which would then give birth to a new breed of London Dry gin. Fortunately for Henrik his father (who sadly passed away before the first batch was bottled) had decades of experience as a chemist, having worked with essential oils in the food and perfume industry. It was with this expertise that they found a way to extract exactly what they needed...

As Henrik always wanted to create a gin that stayed true to London Dry, he set-out to enter into partnership with a company in England where the history, knowledge, expertise and equipment could already be found. After spending some time with their chosen distiller to perfect the recipe, they eventually perfected the bottling that is available to us all now.



Produced at the Langley Distillery just outside Birmingham, Geranium is made up of ten botanicals that include juniper, geranium, lemon peel, coriander, cassia, orris root, angelica root, liquorice root and two secret botanicals that can not be revealed.

These botanicals are matured for 48 hours in 100% pure grain spirit (English wheat) before being distilled in a beautiful 100 year old copper pot still called Constance (pictured). The gin is bottled in London at 44%abv.

Let's sip some and see what happens;

Colour: Perfectly clear.
Nose: Fresh citrus, juniper and floral notes.
Palate: Clean and complex with a punch of juniper alongside citrus, rose and a subtle hint of eucalyptus.
Finish: The floral notes hold for a long finish that combines with violet and a hint of pine.
Thoughts: Exactly what Henrik wanted, a gin that is London Dry at heart but with just that little extra something.

Pouring myself a large, and quite delicious, Geranium & tonic (the true test for any gin) I pondered as to what cocktails would really bring out the best of Geranium. The first that came to mind was a Bee's Knees, a combination of gin, fresh citrus and honey.

Little is known about this libation other than it appeared sometime during Prohibition and was originally made in equal parts, undoubtedly to mask the flavour of the bath-tub gin that would've been doing the rounds at the time.

Thankfully the gins produced nowadays are of a much higher quality so the need for the equal parts ratio has been nullified.

50ml Geranium Gin
25ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice
5ml Freshly squeezed orange juice
20ml Honey syrup*

Method: Add all ingredients to mixing glass fill with cubed ice and shake hard for ten seconds
Glass: Chilled cocktail
Garnish: N/A
Ice: N/A
Thoughts: As suspected, this is the perfect cocktail to showcase the nuances of Geranium, so much so that I added it to the drinks listing at Mim Lounge, the first Geranium gin cocktail on any drinks menu in Scotland. The floral notes of the gin combine wonderfully with the honey, the citrus elements are lifted by the addition of fresh lemon juice, and through all that the juniper is still knocking on the door.

The majority of Bee's Knees recipes don't call for fresh orange however I opt to use just a touch as it offers a little more depth to the drink.

*Honey syrup is easily made by combining equal parts honey and boiling water. Allow to cool then transfer to clean glass bottles and refrigerate. Using honey in this way ensures that it is easily worked into drinks.

After quickly working my way through this drink I wanted to try it out in a cocktail that was all spirit. Remembering what Henrik had told me about the essential oils in geranium also being prevalent in fruits, vegetables and spices, I turned to drinks with vermouths and bitters (no surprise there). At BCB Angus Winchester had been presenting for Tanqueray and mixed a superb cocktail called a Zabriskie that originally called for Boker's Bitters. As a fan of Manhattan and Martini style drinks (when I say Martini I am talking about a drink with spirit, vermouth and bitters, not those bastardized concoctions that bare no relevance to the original) the Zabriskie now features highly in my favourite's list.

It is first referenced in Jack's Manual in 1876 when Boker's were still at the height of their fame. Consisting of gin, Italian vermouth, (also referred to as sweet, with French vermouth being of the dry variety), a touch of Maraschino and Boker's Bitters, on paper this was only going to give one result with the botanicals in all three products working in harmony.

60ml Geranium Gin
20ml Carpano Antica Formula
Dash Luxardo Maraschino
4 Dashes Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Boker's Bitters

Method: Add all ingredients to mixing glass fill with cubed ice and stir for 15-20 seconds.
Glass: Chilled vintage cocktail
Garnish: Lemon twist
Ice: N/A
Thoughts: Not much to say here other than, WOW. This is highly recommended.

So there you have it, a new world gin with old-school values. For lovers of true London Dry that are feeling a little adventurous this should be the next bottling you pick up. Thankfully the liquid more than lives up to its back-story and we've all hopefully learnt a little more. Even if it's just that I really need to invest in a light-box...

Geranium Gin
44%abv
www.geraniumgin.com
70cl available for £23-25
Distributors

At the dinner with MC Hammer and Chico I asked if anyone had the time. It was absolute carnage.

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Adam Elmegirab
Bar Consultant / Compounder
Evo-lution / Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Bitters

E-mail: adam.elmegirab@evo-lution.org
Web: www.evo-lution.org / www.bokersbitters.co.uk
Facebook: Adam Elmegirab / Evo-lution Bar Consultancy / Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Bitters
Twitter: @AdamsBitters