Drink me! –
“There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at any rate a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes: this time she found a little bottle on it, (`which certainly was not here before,’ said Alice,) and round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with the words `DRINK ME’ beautifully printed on it in large letters.”
The above, of course, comes from Lewis Carroll’s magical Alice in Wonderland. It is also the first thing I thought of when I picked up a bottle of The Lakes Gin at my local supermarket and spotted the paper label bearing the same words – encouraging me to immediately place the bottle among my groceries with a smile on my face.
So what did I think of my impulse purchase? For a start, The Lakes Gin has scooped a Gold Award at the World Gin Awards 2019; it was the only classic gin in the UK Category to receive the award for its excellence…perhaps a little of the Carroll magic led me to that end of the supermarket shelf? It is delicious and surprisingly subtle given its strength.
“We steep the botanicals overnight in the finest English wheat spirit, along with pure Cumbrian water, sourced from the River Derwent. Our traditional, handmade copper pot still – Chemmy – then works its magic, as the spirit is gently distilled for up to eight hours, resulting in an exceptionally smooth gin.” The Lakes Distillery.
“TASTING NOTES: Fresh and Fruity with vibrant notes of juniper, orange peel and lemon citrus.”
The Lakes Gin contains 13 “carefully selected botanicals,” including Cumbrian Juniper, one of the county’s oldest plant species; it is also infused with bilberry, heather and hawthorn, which are similarly native to the Lake District National Park.
It’s fruity, very refreshing and lemony, with a crisp and smooth a finish as you could wish for at 43.7%. The Lakes Distillery promises tonic water and a slice of pink grapefruit will offer the perfect serve.
And I promise: even though we might call it a ‘short’, unlike Alice you won’t shrink to 10 inches tall from imbibing Lakes …
“perhaps a little of the Carroll magic led me to that end of the supermarket shelf? It is delicious and surprisingly subtle given its strengtH”
