Katy Riddle discovers the intense flavours of the Isle of Islay without leaving Manhattan, thanks to The Botanist dry gin.
I’ve always been drawn to gin when craving an inventive cocktail or thirst-quenching spirit-and-mixer combo, so I jumped at the chance to learn more about The Botanist and the source of its distinctive complex taste. The first and only dry gin from the Isle of Islay, The Botanist features a unique combination of 22 hand-foraged local botanicals and offers a rare insight into the heritage and heart of this remote Scottish island.
On a freezing cold night in Manhattan, the 1 Hotel Central Park provided the ideal cosy venue for our masterclass with Adam Hannett, The Botanist’s Head Distiller, and professional forager James Donaldson. The aptly-named “Ginger Spice and Everything Nice” welcome cocktail with fresh lime juice, ginger syrup and sage leaves was both refreshing and warming at the same time, exactly what was needed to forget the weather outside and a fantastic first demonstration of The Botanist gin’s versatility.
Founded in 2010, The Botanist is radical not only as a pioneer of the craft gin movement but also as the spirit’s slow simmer distillation takes place at the Bruichladdich whisky distillery. It was fascinating to smell and touch all of the gin’s 22 foraged botanicals, including aromatic wild thyme, sweet gorse, floral hawthorn and grassy red clover, which are hand-picked locally and sustainably on Islay across the entire growing season, then combined with nine berries, barks, seeds and peels to create an intense aroma and alluring layered flavour.
After sampling the smooth spirit on its own, we then had the opportunity to #BeTheBotanist and see how this beautifully balanced gin complements a diverse range of other ingredients when fixing up a boozy tipple to suit our personal preferences. I was amazed to taste how various additions like blood orange, basil, raspberry and even chilli pepper each enhanced different elements of the gin’s impressive botanical profile to result in a totally original drink every time, leaving me with so much inspiration for future cocktail-making sessions at home.
For more details about this Islay dry gin (RRP $39.99) and recipe suggestions to #BeTheBotanist, check out thebotanist.com
1 Hotel Central Park is located at 1414 6th Avenue, New York, New York, 10019.
