Spotlight on the Spirit’s of Spain
Write up by Chris Nolan
Xoriguer Mahon Gin
Where better to start a whirlwind trip around the spirits of Spain than with a gin specifically designed for British palates. This is Xoriguer, pronounced Sho-RI-gair, hailing from the island of Menorca in the Mediterranean Sea off Spain’s West coast, halfway across to Sardinia.
Rum is the spirit that is usually associated with the British Royal Navy but this was a drink for the sailors, officers drank brandy from either Spain or France, (depending on who we were at war with at the time), or they drank gin!
The Royal Navy had a presence on the island of Menorca from 1708 to 1802. Instead of relying on imports from England which could easily be delayed by poor weather or war. (Do a search for the number of conflicts between Britain and Spain during this time period, there seems to be more war than peace!) With all the instability, it just made sense to make gin on Menorca to slake the thirst of the heavily armed sailors, absolute no brainer really!
Offered in its striking bottle, Xoriguer these days is a cult gin. It is still made in the exact same way as it was in the 18th century and to the exact same recipe. It is distilled in old fashioned pot stills using a closely guarded recipe of botanicals which has never been disclosed but is thought to contain juniper berries, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, aniseeds, bay leaves and lavender flowers.
The result is a refreshingly old-fashioned gin that is surprisingly punchy and oily on palate. The juniper brings waves of pine and spruce with a refreshing citrus burst. Perfect for kicking back with a sundowner, simply add a splash of tonic or even dare I say it, lemonade.
Gin Mare
From the old-fashioned to the decidedly modern gin. This is the bartenders favourite, Gin Mare. Gin Mare started making waves in the UK at the beginning of the gin craze and despite the downturn in the gin market, is still a favourite.
Distilled near Barcelona in a thirteenth century chapel, located in an ancient fishing village between the Costa Brava and the Costa Dorada. Gin Mare was certainly the first modern gin I ever came across showcasing a full Mediterranean medley of flavours.
Arbequina olives, thyme, basil, rosemary, Valencian orange peel, Seville orange peel & Seville lemon peel meet the more traditional gin botanicals of juniper berries, coriander seeds & green cardamom.
The result here is a more savoury gin than the Xoriguer. The main flavour profile is that of herbs and spice with the olive coming through as an almost brininess making this the perfect gin for a martini whether you like it dry, wet or even dirty! As a G&T, the recommended serve for this gin is Mediterranean tonic garnished with a sprig of basil and a green olive, in the shop we have the wonderful Franklin & Sons Mallorcan tonic which is magic with this gin.
El Bandarra Al Fresco
Great looking bottles don’t always contain great tasting liquid, but this one does! Oh, and it’s a full litre bottle too! El Bandarra make some lovely vermouths in the heart of Barcelona. The design is a tribute to the nostalgic golden age of vermouth in Barcelona when bars painted the tapas they offered on their windows with colourful handwriting to attract passers-by.
El Bandarra make some great vermouths which are available when drinking in our bar. This Al Fresco is not a vermouth and is instead an Aperitif. Think of this as a Spanish Aperol, although it less aggressively sweet meaning you can drink a load more of it! Good job that bottle is a full litre...
So, this is a blend of spirit with Mediterranean herbs and spices. The main flavours are grapefruit and herbs and it is best enjoyed as a spritz when with sun is burning into your forehead! Serve in a large, iced wineglass with 1 part Al Fresco, 1 part Cava and a splash of soda water. Garnish with a wedge of pink grapefruit and a mint sprig.
Siset Vermut
Vermouth has a long history in Spain, it is one of the nations cultural institutions. La hora del vermut, (the vermouth hour), is the time to drink it, with a few cubes of ice, a slice of orange and an olive. Simple perfection. Fashions wax and wane but we are fortunate that at this moment in time, we are seeing a renaissance in Spain’s Vermouth scene.
The Siset is a new vermouth for us, only coming in just before Christmas but it has already become our staff favourite. Made in Catalunya in “Mas Miquel” a former property of the Cistercian Monastery of Santes Creus, Siset is made using Parellada grapes. Parellada is one of the key grape varieties used in the production of Cava and is perfectly suited for the arid climates of Catalunya’s vineyards.
Beautiful mahogany in colour with the unmistakable aromas of aromatic herbs and spices. A sweet but balanced flavour profile with an elegant bitterness means that this is great for mixing as well as just drinking by itself. For a lower ABV drinks option, try serving this long with soda water, tonic water or even with ginger beer as a slightly rogue choice.
Cardenal Mendoza Brandy De Jerez Solera Gran Reserva
Brandy de Jerez is one of the overlooked gems of the spirits world, in this category you can find some absolute bargains when you compare the brandies to those of France. The great brandies of Cognac are made with the grapes; Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanche, some of you may have heard of them? The brandies down this end of the Iberian Peninsula are made with what was, until very recently, the most planted grape variety in the world; Airen. Have you ever heard of it? Airen, Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanche all have a few things in common, they can all produce large volumes of neutral flavoured wine. Most of this wine sits somewhere between dull and undrinkable as a table wine itself but is fantastic for distillation where you don’t necessarily want a flavourful wine whose fresh fruit would diminish during long aging.
Airen is perfectly suited to the searing heat of Andalucia. The grape requires a very low nutrient content in the soil to produce high yields at harvest. This combined with a good resistance to both drought and diseases allows vignerons to farm the variety with little intervention and involvement.
Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva is made in the city of Jerez by a classic old sherry and brandy producer, Sanchez Romate. Founded by Juan Sánchez de la Torre in 1781, it is one of the few remaining wineries in the Jerez DO which is still in the hands of local owners. Traditional production with distillation in copper stills and aging in American oak ex-sherry casks utilising the Criaderas y Soleras system, (periodically topping up casks with slightly younger brandy from the previous row, the bottom row will contain a consistent blend of brandies of different ages).
The final product is a brandy averaging 15 years old with it’s full maturation being in Sanchez Romate’s own ex-oloroso and ex-pedro ximinez sherry casks. Warming and decadent with notes of prune, date, raisin, coffee and chocolate. Perfect for watching the sun slip below the horizon.
