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Would it be bad form to celebrate another Royal baby with a cocktail? What if the cocktail was created to honor the Queen Mother? Portobello Road Gin, which launches in the U.S. on April 20 (which happens to be the date the Royal baby might make an appearance), named a new cocktail for the late Queen Mother who was said to be a big fan of both Gin and Dubonett, say the men from Portobello Road Gin. “She lived to be 101,” they add. “Of course, we’re not saying this drink will help you repeat that feat," say the men from Portobello Road Gin.
The Queen Mother cocktail was created especially to showcase the virtues of Portobello Road Gin : the character of the gin is meant to shine despite the fact that there are so many other strong flavors in the drink. “This is partly due to our use of nutmeg and cassia bark in the gin which gives it a long, warm finish which lingers pleasantly on the palate,” the men note.
Portobello Road Gin was developed and distilled in London by the team of experts behind the famed Portobello Star pub and The Ginstitute at 171 Portobello Road. Its debut in the United States will begin in New York and Pennsylvania with additional markets to follow.
Queen Mother cocktail features Portobello Road Gin, makies its Unites States debut on April 20.... [+]
One of London’s fastest growing gins, it’s said to be leading the current gin renaissance with a London Dry Gin whose juniper-forward profile is balanced by eight additional botanicals. The result is a spirit that successfully stands on its own and blends beautifully in cocktails from bone-dry Martinis to the classic gin and tonic and Negroni-bespoke creations.
Portobello Road Gin was originally created at The Ginstitute, on the top two floors of the Portobello Star, a 19th-century public house on London's world famous Portobello Road. London’s smallest museum and gin symposium lab, The Ginstitute, houses a unique collection of gin-related memorabilia including Bartender Jerry Thomas’ business card and is home to a 30L alembic still, named Copernicus the Second. Of note, The Ginstitute hosts history classes on gin where Ginterns can create their own bespoke gin and walk away with a full size bottle of their own signature gin while their recipe is kept on file to reorder.
It was while putting together The Ginstitute that the partners, veteran bartenders and restaurant owners Ged Feltham, Jake Burger, Paul Lane and Tom Coates decided that if they were going to provide this experience to consumers that it wouldn't be complete without a gin that could call The Ginstitute home. Nine months of experimentation followed and the character of Portobello Road Gin was slowly created just like all good chefs create anything ~ trial and error. With a little more of this, a little less of that, this one makes a nice Martini, that one makes a nice Negroni, so the balancing and blending went. Slowly but surely a product that they could be proud of emerged and the Portobello Road Gin was born.
“We wanted it to work in a host of different styles of cocktails and still create a premium gin that wasn’t in the premium gin category in terms of price,” says Tom Coates, Portobello Road Gin’s brand director. “It needed to be affordable for consumers and something that’s an educatory gin. Something that had a traditional element, but tells the story of London Dry Gin and London’s history with gin.”
The team traveled to Tuscany and beyond to source the ingredients that produce a superior drinking and mixable gin. The combination of the nine botanicals is what, they say, sets Portobello Road Gin apart and what has sold it into over 3,000 bars and restaurants in England.
Portobello Road Gin has a generous slug of juniper, the mid palate has a sustained, fresh citrus character from the use of lemon, bitter orange and coriander. It then develops into a sweet peppery finish, achieved by the use of licorice and nutmeg, while cassia bark (also called super cinnamon) lends a sweet spice note that enables the drier elements to shine through. Bottled at a punchy 42% ABV, these ingredients combine to create a uniquely versatile gin.
With Copernicus the Second being somewhat diminutive in stature and volume, the decision was made to find a larger distillery and somebody with the knowledge, talent, artistry and wherewithal to distill Portobello Road Gin on a larger scale. The team tapped Charles Maxwell, ninth-generation distiller and former chairman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers. As the owner of The Thames Distillery in South West London Maxwell, whose family have been involved in distillation in London for over 300 years, Maxwell was the perfect partner to help Portobello Road Gin grow.
Portobello Road Gin is already gaining fans in the United States, recently taking home the Gold Medal from the 2014 San Francisco Spirit Awards.
If you're ready to celebrate the Royal baby's arrival, head to Evelyn Drinkery in New York City to enjoy the Queen Mother or create your own cocktail using the recipe below.
Queen Mother
- 1 oz Portobello Road Gin
- 1 oz Dubbonnet
- 3/4 oz Aperol
- 1/5 oz Myers Jamaican Rum
Stir, strain, garnish with grapefruit peel.
