Hands up if you like Gin?

I didn't used to like Gin mainly because it was so harsh, sharp and really didn't agree with me. My husband is the one that got me into it eventually, he started trying lots of other flavours and mixers apart from the normal selection of Gordon's Gin, i started on Hendricks with the right garnish and mixer it tastes really fruity, then a few years ago i bought a membership to the Craft Gin Club. Every month we were sent a bottle of Gin, garnishes and mixers with a magazine. This opened a whole new world of Gin with Nordes Gin being my favourite lovely sherbet twang to it.

I have a few friends in the restaurant/ bar industry and i started to see Forest Gin popping up here and there and noticed it was locally made in the northwest in Macclesfield. I'd been meaning to try it for ages but didn't get round to it, until last year in a little tapas bar in Holmfirth, I'm also always swayed by a nice bottle whether i like what's inside or not. I love the ceramic Gin bottle of Forest Gin and the little weasel on its logo, it stands out from the others which are mainly in glass bottles.

Gin originally came from Holland (some argue it was Italy) originally like many spirits was used for medicinal purposes, it came over to the UK in the 1700's when it got its name as mothers ruin as it literally ruined mothers. It's only recently the boom in Gin has started again. So yesterday me and the husband went over to Macclesfield Forest to hunt down the infamous Forest Gin as we had booked the Distillery tour.

The Gin was created by chance by Lindsay & Karl Bond who literally started in a garage experimenting with different ingredients around 3ish years ago they now supply Harvey Nichols !!!. The team welcomed us in to the perfectly sized Distillery with a Gin and Tonic whilst everyone else on the tour turned up. The distillery is situated in an old cow shed, with rustic beams and brick walls just what i would expect from a Gin crafted in bespoke and hand painted bottles. With a brief history of Gin and then into the story behind Forest Gin and a few more Gins in the bag we all had a nosey at the Distillery which considering its size still manages to churn out a few bottles, which are all bottled by hand, there is no machinery !!! The ingredients literally come from the surrounding areas of Macclesfield forest. The time and effort that goes into Forest Gin is commendable....so all i can do is highly recommend the Tour or at least go try the Gin especially the earl grey one which is in the blue bottle......Did I mention they won two separate double gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirit Awards. These awards are the highest accolade within the spirits industry and Forest Gin the only Gin to have been awarded this....... needless to say its not a bad Gin....... Cheers