I get excited about
all of the distillers table events, but Mexico was particularly close
to my heart. Myself and the long suffering wife spent some time
exploring Mexico earlier this year and fell in love with the country.
I couldn’t recommend it more, it is such a magical place, the food
is to die for, the people are super welcoming and the Mezcal is so so
tasty.
We spent new years
in Mexico city which was pretty wild, contrary to the rumours it felt
pretty safe as a city to visit and we will definitely be going back
soon, for the tacos alone if nothing else! We then flew down to
Oaxaca, which is now my favourite city to visit, I can’t quite put
my finger on it was that I fell in love with but there is just
something about the city that you really need to experience, and in
all of my travels I’ve never eaten better. We then grabbed a hire
car and spent a few days exploring the Yukatan and checked out pretty
cool old stuff and ate more tacos and drank more Mezcal! The trip
definitely inspired the cocktails for this instalment of distillers
table.
Everywhere we drank
in Mexico we were served great snacks and so we had to put some food
out to go with the cocktails. We served home made guacamole, pico de
gallo and corn chips to get people in the mood.
We kicked the drinks off
with our take on a classic Mexican cocktail, the Paloma. I went with
Woden gin for the big grapefruit hit and spice notes from the fennel.
To the gin I added fresh grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, agave
syrup and soda and served it long, with a chilli lime salt rim. A
nice refreshing drink to kick things off and wake up the palate for
what was to come.
For our second
cocktail I wanted to use flavours I found in the markets of Oaxaca,
(quite literally as the chillies came back in my hand luggage). I made
a rich, bright sour with Aqvavit, avocado and a smoked arbol chilli
syrup, lime juice and Mezcal.
As
a fun little
palate cleanser we served up a shot of tequila with a verdita chaser
which is a green spiced juice made of pineapples, coriander, jalapeños
and some secret ingredients. Whilst serving the verditas Steph and I
donned our wrestling masks and got our luchador on in the
garden. No surprise but Steph was victorious.
For the finale I
wanted to use some of the flavours of the Mexican spiced chocolate
mole sauce, but in a subtle way. So I made a Negroni - Martinez hybrid
of gin, vermouth and a spiced chocolate and orange syrup.
We of course drank
much Mezcal and Tequila as the evening progressed to help us get in
the true Mexican spirit, what better way to spend Cinco De Mayo.
We are on the look out for the right person to come and join our distillery family. We have a new position available for a distillery apprentice. The position involves working with the teams at both of our distilleries, learning on the job as well as through external accredited courses in distillation. There is no experience necessary, but there are a few attributes that will certainly come in handy. Attention to detail, computer literacy, an interest in science, a driving license and a good head for numbers would all certainly help. However the most important things we are looking for are a desire to learn and a passion for flavour. The role is based on 30 hours a week of work and 10 hours a week of independent learning leading to internationally recognised qualifications. We are a living wage employer, we have some great perks and we pride ourselves in being a good employer. We will genuinely consider all applicants. If you're interested, then email a C.V. along with a cover l
How long have you called bristol home? I’ve called Bristol home since 2012. Although I first moved here in 1994 then went on a 12 year working holiday to Brighton in 2000. What do you love about it as a city? I love that there is, now, lots of really good independent bars, cafes, restaurants etc to spend my time in and work in... along with the usual trappings of a large city... galleries, museums, music venues and the like. I also love that one can walk pretty much everywhere....even if it is up a cursed hill! Where are your favourite places to eat? There are many places I like to eat, but if pushed I’d say that I very much like Cargo Cantina, for the nachos. Asado, for the burgers obvs, & Souk kitchen, for the everything. Also pi shop pizzeria, for the “quality check”. Where are your favourite places to drink? As far as drinking goes I’m a big fan of small bar...beer and I have a very special relationship. A special mention also goes to The
You will have noticed that we only serve three types of drinks in the distillery; Gin & tonic, Martini and Negroni. Its not just because we like to keep things simple (although we do) its because to us these are the holy trinity of gin drinks. Gin and Tonic Arguably the most popular way to drink gin and possibly the most famous booze pairing ever. Everyone's recipe varies according to taste but in the distillery we serve ours: 50ml gin, 100ml tonic, in a tall glass with a long stick of ice and garnished with fresh citrus. The history of the G&T really begins with British colonial India, when the British troops would mix their medicinal quinine with their gin ration to make it more palatable. The rise of the G&T as a drink can clearly be traced back to the early days of Queen Victoria and the return of the expatriates from the Indian colonies who had developed a love for the concoction. Martini Made with gin and vermouth, the Martini is arguably one of the mo
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