Blood Monkey Irish Craft Gin 70cl

Product Information

Eight Gold medals gave the flight a boost, with awards going to Inverclyde Old Thom Gin with “lots of raspberry”, and “well balanced with a good aftertaste” OP Anderson Distillery Old Tom Gin. An Dúlamán is a savoury gin in a world gone sweet, a definitive gin of the sea,” says Moira. “Unapologetically savoury, it is my love letter from the Donegal coast. We try to capture ‘draíocht na farraige’ – the magic of the sea – in our classic if off-beat London dry single-shot gin with 11 botanicals – six conventional and five seaweeds, 10 macerated in the still and only carrageen moss vapour infused through a flavour basket in the lyne arm. Our production is ruled by the moon and we only harvest the shyest of the seaweeds, pepper dulse (the truffle of the sea) on the lowest tides of a full moon.”

There are few things as profoundly pleasing as a proper gin and tonic. While, yes, gin did once seem to be a spirit best left for ageing aunts and martini-swilling secret agents, the gin boom of the last decade-plus has gifted the world with some of the best gins ever produced. So good, in fact, that I’ve become partial to sipping a few of them straight. and Co London Dry Gin was awarded a Master medal after the judges enjoyed its “lovely balance, sweet, citrus and juniper notes”, while Hernö Swedish Capital Gin took home a Master award for being “really good with liquorice, angelica and spice” flavours. Preparation: Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with rosemary and candied ginger.

As might be expected, it is juniper-forward, but also has interesting green herbal notes. It's crisp and fresh on the palate with a long smooth finish."

Welcome to May’s Gin Box, and my have we something wonderful this month. Another celebration (which we’re really enjoying) of all things Irish. A serial drinks entrepreneur from Malahide in North Co Dublin is behind this month’s Gin, Blood Monkey. Jason Kidd worked for many years with Diageo, Heineken and Fosters all over the world, but he wanted to come home to Ireland. Ten gins proved they have what it takes to win a Gold medal in the following flight: Organic. Swedish producer Hernö continued to grow its medal tally in this heat, adding four Gold medals to its name. Awards were given to Hernö Dry Gin and Hernö Pink Btl Gin, among others. Blood Monkey Gin is the creation of entrepreneur Jason Kidd, who began his career with multinationals Diageo, Heineken and Foster’s in Australia before moving home to Ireland. He is also part owner of London craft brewery Anspach & Hobday in Bermondsey. Blood Monkey is not an ingredient but a reference to sailors who drilled into a barrel to steal the liquor inside, known as “bleeding the monkey”. Four Master medallists got the Navy Strength segment off to a very strong start. Another Master joined the growing collection earned by Hernö Gin Distillery, as a Master award was given to the brand’s high-proof expression. Hernö Navy Strength Gin won a Master award for being “well-balanced, with plenty of juniper and a long finish”. Grace O’Malley gin was created by the team at Inis Tine in Westport, Co Mayo, who are also responsible for the award-winning whiskies. The gin is inspired by the many stories from Granuaile’s long and fascinating life and to ensure her great, rebellious heart is never forgotten. Celebrating female leadership through rebellious spirit, the brand honours Grace O’Malley, regarded as not just one of Ireland’s but the world’s most inspirational and extraordinary female trailblazers.

In 2018 I started to explore gin and realised that they all seemed to follow a similar path. The only differential was the provenance and the botanicals, but most had a similar taste profile. Coming into a growing market with a lot of brands already present, we wanted to be different – both with our brand and the flavours of our gin. Outcast Brands, the company behind Blood Monkey Irish Craft Gin and Two Shores Rum, has announced a partnership with bbb drinks for the distribution and brand activation of their premium spirits in the UK market. Grace O’Malley gin was launched four years ago and is already being sold in 20 countries around the world. “We won a gold medal at the San Francisco Spirit Awards recently,” says Stephen Cope, the owner of the distillery,

Gin is typically made by distilling a neutral grain alcohol with juniper berries and a range of botanicals. The botanicals used are often “secret” to each gin maker, as the slightest shift in spice or florals can have a significant effect on the flavour of the gin, but the majority of British gins use juniper, coriander and angelica.

Syrups/Purees

Old Tom gins, on the other hand, tends to be more citrus-forward. The recipe, which first found popularity in 18th-century England. In modern times, is distilled to be slightly sweeter than London Dry, with a richer, malty mouthfeel. Many modern Old Tom producers also play with cask- or barrel-ageing their gins. Sliabh Liag produces two whiskies under the Silkie name as well as a vodka flavoured with rowan berries and gorse flowers. But for the moment, it is all about the gin. There is Santa Ana, aged in used Rioja barrels, and An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin, which was awarded a gold medal at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The Craft & Co’s Navy Strength Gin also won a Master medal for being “very warm on the palate, with heavy, fresh curry-type spices”. The final Master in this heat went to Sky Wave Gin Navy Strength Gin, in which the judges thought the “high alcohol strength was exceptionally well made”. In the Old Tom category, a pair of Master-worthy gins were sipped and savoured. Eccentric Spirit Co demonstrated its Master qualities with Young Tom, which had notes of “lemon sherbet, anise and caraway finish”. Tonic water, ice and a slice of pink grapefruit, a simple combination that brings out the crisp fresh flavours in the gin, and the citrus burst gives it the perfect finish. WEST CORK DISTILLERS

Perrett was “pleasantly surprised” by the flight. “Experimentation was slightly restrained in a way,” she noted, “taking you beyond classic, but in a good way.”With the price-point categories done and dusted, the biggest flight of the competition was presented next: London Dry. The judges were thrilled to see so many terrific gins in this segment, awarding Master medals 14. Jason Kidd of Outcast Brands is one of the more interesting gin producers, specialising in “giving people new ways to enjoy gin beyond tonic”. His latest creation is Blood Monkey Spice Storm gin, flavoured with orange and cardamom. Forty Spotted Gin also won two Master medals. Forty Spotted Wild Rose received a Master for its “excellent rose aromas” and “very juniper- and rose-forward palate”, and Forty Spotted Citrus & Raspberry won a Master for being full of “delicate fresh fruit, citrus, and long-lasting finish”.