What a wintry blast we have all had across the country. It is not fully over yet for some and many things are not yet back to normal. Roads, deliveries, transport, appointments to name but a few! The majority heeded the travel warnings and some who didn't, ended up in a bit of a pickle. Our doctors, nurses and other health professionals deserve a special mention, travelling in appalling conditions and some even sleeping in the hospitals to ensure being at work the next day! Incredible commitment and a wonderful example of putting others before themselves. Full credit too to the peopl ..read more

My full sympathy to anyone who has just battled the horrible bug! What a nasty strain and how long it lingers!  I hope you have all enjoyed your dry January or your Ginuary, whichever one you opted for. Mine has been a bit of a washout as the flu made its way through the family. I really knew I wasn't feeling myself when the thought of a gin was not good! Three dry weeks in total, in spite of the fact that it is birthday month in our house.  As January draws to a close and I feel like writing, I thought it was about time I revealed our top Gin choice in the 12 Gins of Chris ..read more

We're on the final countdown now! Apologies for this being brief and to the point, but there is a lot going on at Christmas. I am sure that by now there have been many gin tipples and fizzes all over the world. What a thought! Well chin chin to our final three. Coming in at third place is the lovely Cork Dry Gin. I've been enjoying this gin since the 1980's and it truly is timeless. If you are visiting the Irish Reublic be sure to give it a try, as it can be very hard to find in the U.K.  NB Gin is our number two, which comes from North Berwick near Edinburgh. This Gin has ..read more

And so to Gins 5 and 4 in our countdown.  Gin number 5 goes to Opihr from G and J Distillers in Warrington. This really is one for all you spice lovers out there. Oriental Spiced on the label prepares you for a great hit of cardamom and pepper, alongside cumin and coriander. Other botanicals include cubeb berries, ginger and grapefruit peel.  Gin number 4 is a nice Christmassy one for you. We've already had Edinburgh Gin earlier on, but I couldn't resist this little Christmas favourite.  Edinburgh Gin's Raspberry Liqueur is a very tasty little festive tipple. The berr ..read more

Gin number 7 in our list is the delicious Plymouth Gin. The Black Friars Distillery opened in 1793 and by the end of the nineteenth century was supplying over 1,000 casks of Navy Strength a year to the British Navy. It has notes of soft juniper, citrus, menthol, sage and a delicate sweetness. Other botanicals include coriander, angelica, orris root and cardamom.  Number 6 in our 12 Gins of Christmas is the very popular Hendrick's from William Grant and Sons. This is a Scottish Gin that has been with us since 1999. The distillers remain family-owned and independent. The distilling process ..read more

Some of you may be wondering what has happened to the big gin countdown! Apologies, but I have had a problem with my site for the last few days so here comes number 10, 9 and 8 all together. Coming in at number 10 is the wonderfully popular Edinburgh Gin. If you like your G and T highly aromatic and on the nose, then this is for you. The nose is lightly confected and fruity, with bold citrus notes. The palate is sweet with some raspberry and cherry blossom that lead onto herbal elements.  Ideas for Christmas can include trying this Gin as a Negroni cocktail which is made f ..read more

My chosen gin coming in at number 11 is Pickering's Gin from Summerhall Distillery in Edinburgh. Pickering's Gin is based on an old Bombay recipe, handwritten on a fragment of paper dating to 1947. It was kept as a family secret for over 66 years and it resurfaced in 2013 when they began distilling. This spectacularly smooth, refreshing and flavoursome gin was launched in 2014 with tasting notes and bold flavours of citrus and juniper, giving way to warming spice of cardamom, coriander seed and clove. Perfectly served with ice, tonic and a slice of grapefruit.  It would not be possible t ..read more

The countdown is really on now. I hope all you gin fans and fanatics are getting very festive and feeling very happy. The Gin Blogger's household is truly getting into the spirit of things and one of my children is the original Mr. Christmas!  I can only imagine that you are all enjoying the contemplation and purchase of many bottles of delicious gin and gin goodies. Perfect presents for under the tree and stockings, as well as the odd bottle to crack open before the big day!  Anyway, I hope you enjoy my Christmas Countdown. I would like to stress that these are my re ..read more

Visiting a place you once lived can be like visiting an old friend or it can make you feel like a tourist. London ticks both these boxes as it has many familiar areas and still undiscovered treasures too.  Don't worry, I'm not going to bore you with details about my recent trip, but thought I would tell you about a couple of lovely gin experiences. Luckily my close friend and travelling companion is also a fan of gin and is enjoying discovering lots of new brands too.  We only had two full days to explore, so to make the most of this we wrote down our top choices of ve ..read more

There is never a better time to put down your thoughts, than when you get to the last drop in the bottle and have truly savoured every bit!  I must admit to being in the habit of preferring to taste a gin before buying a whole bottle, but this time I decided to take a gamble as the offer was too good to miss. The gin I am talking about is a delicious bottle of Warner Edwards Harrington Dry Gin, which comes in a very beautiful blue bottle. The offer was with the Gin Parlour and seemed to sell out very quickly. No wonder with so many craft gin fanatics around these days. I can highly r ..read more