Best of Taste of London: vodkas and gins

Last week, Taste of London returned for its winter weekend at Tobacco Dock. It's a showcase of the city's best restaurants alongside some of the country's best producers, from small distilleries to prime butchers. It's a riot of sights, smells and tastes and hugely difficult to not get distracted by everything on offer. I ended up going to the Thursday and Friday evening sessions (it's also open on Saturday and Sunday) and had the opportunity to sample some pretty impressive wares.

I came away pretty inspired by everything I tried and everyone I talked to and thought I'd do a few posts of some of our favourites. And with Christmas just around the corner, you may just find a few ideas for presents...

First up are the vodkas and gins. Four British spirits with some serious punch.

Black Cow 
We first caught sight of Black Cow when they were mysteriously crumbling cheese around their little cups of samples. Never ones to shy away from unusual combinations, we just had to check them out. Black Cow make the world's only vodka made from milk from grass grazed cows in the West Dorset coast. This means it's unbelievably smooth and creamy without any of the harshness that comes from vodka distilled with water passed through minerals. Whey is fermented into a beer then transformed by yeast into alcohol before being distilled, triple filtered and finished. And the curds? Used to make their tasty, crumbly cheddar that are ideal stocking fillers. The vodka is fab in cocktails because there's none of that back-of-the-throat-bite (check out some perfect recipes here) and you can find where to buy the perfect pair here.

55 Above
Despite having a name quite similar to another vodka (ahem), 55 Above is a completely different kettle of potatoes. Established in 2014, they make the vodka by hand from British potatoes and distil them in the smallest commercial copper pot stills in the world, producing a few hundred bottles at a time. They were showcasing their range of vodkas - three flavoured and two pure - and invited us to try a couple. C and R were drawn to the pineapple and the toffee respectively while I tried the coconut which was light rather than too sweet and I imagine an interesting alternative in a pina colada. But what intrigued me (surprise surprise) was the 56% vodka, diluted with less water for a stronger, more intense flavour. As well as the large bottles, they also sell smaller mix & match kits of three so you can try and find your favourite.

Half Hitch Gin
Forget what you think you know about gin, the guys at Half Hitch are rewriting the rule book. Bringing history back to life on the former Camden site of London's traditional distilleries, they take a different approach with their flavours. Think less juniper, more bergamot. And black tea, English wood, pepper and hay. Resulting in a slightly smokey, slightly spicy gin that is a world away from some of the headblowers on the market both in taste and dusky appearance. Each year they reblend their tea to add depth to their distilling and beautiful with Fevertree tonic. They've put together a few suggested cocktails here which are begging to be tried out and invite you to post photos of your concoctions over at #TheGWithTea. If you're looking for a gin with a difference, these guys should be top of your list.

City of London Gins
You'd be forgiven these guys have been around for a while. From their coat of arms to their traditional glass bottles modelled on St Paul's, you wouldn't suspect that they've only been distilling since 2012. There are five gins to choose from (helpfully numbered and named), each with different combinations and balances of botanicals. Their No.2 Christopher Wren gin has been designed by Tom Nichol, the former distiller at Tanqueray, and boasts juniper, coriander and angelica root for a slightly sweeter, complex taste. But the City of London Distillery know that finding the perfect gin can be like finding a needle in a haystack so for your fussiest family members and friends, they offer you the chance to design, distil, bottle and label your own gin. And prop yourself up at the onsite bar for a sample or two.

Next up: the best whiskies.

Tanqueray Drawing Rooms

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Step into Tanqueray’s Drawing Rooms at Six Fitzroy Square and you’d be mistaken for believing you’ve stepped back in time as men in braces and fedoras and women with feathers in their hair sweep past you into wood panelled rooms, or beckon you up the staircase. This is 1930s London and Tanqueray’s blossoming success following Prohibition over the pond is infectious.

It’s an intimate set up with male styling experts on hand to dress you for the occasion, whilst A sensual and silken-voiced songstress warms the room with smooth jazz. We made a beeline for the bar - keenly watching the talented mixologists upstairs whip up a frenzy (quite literally) and bring classic cocktails to life using the finest London gin. My favourite was the Lyle’s Lavender Collins, created by World Class UK Bartender of the Year 2012 Andy Mill. Combining lavender and camomile infused Tanqueray, Lyle’s golden syrup, lemon, egg white and soda, it’s aromatic with a kick that has you reaching for a second helping. Or fifth.

There was a vintage headpiece masterclass taking place behind us with masks, beads and feathers flying. Curated by the Indytute, it harked back to the tradition of party hosts providing guests with personalised gifts and tokens. We were a little more modern and spent some time dressing up in the #tonightwetanqueray photobooth - I’m now convinced I could rock a pipe.

We were led downstairs to the secret martini room for a Tanqueray tasting with the UK Brand Ambassador Tim. He explained how the four key ingredients (juniper, coriander, angelica root and liquorice) of their famous London Dry which was originally launched way back in 1830 all play a key part in the smell, taste and finish of the spirit. The baby brother, Tanqueray Ten, adds camomile to the mix. We, of course, had to put this to the test and demanded the martini master do his worst. A classic gin martini and a Venetian (Tanqueray Ten, peach liqueur, Riserva Carlo Alberto Bianco vermouth with grapefruit and peach bitters) later and we were sold. And the key point to take away? Martinis should always be stirred and never shaken - you’ve got it wrong, Mr Bond.

Graphic

There's something about the weeks after a Bank Holiday Monday that seem to throw you out of kilter and slip by torturously slowly. Even though it's been a four day week, I feel that I've been working forever and my head can't get round that Tuesday was Tuesday and not something else... So the only way to remedy this, naturally, is to partake in Thursday-is-the-new-Friday drinks.

We headed down to Graphic in Golden Square. Suitably busy, finding a spot to stand in outside was a game of cat-and-mouse but it was far too nice an evening to waste it indoors. Instead, we ducked in and out of the busy industrial-style bar and soaked up the last of the sunshine until darkness drove us inside.

Graphic is host to over 180 different types of gin - apparently the biggest collection in the UK - and they even host a fortnightly Juniper Club, offering tastings for all you gin afficionados out there. Despite being faced with a huge bank of bottles to choose from, I went for mojitos - starting with a traditional one, then raspberry and finally a spiced version that I used to make.

After dark, we headed inside and took residence in one of the comfy sofas as a DJ mixed Prince with Chromeo, Luther Vandross with Daft Punk - I was in my element. It's a really laid back place with a creative vibe matched by the crowd and the decor provided by revolving urban artists. It's one of those 'on trend' industrial style places that seem pretty popular at the moment, but don't let concrete and metal grilles put you off, this place is all smiles with a three out of five.