THE TEMPLES OF THE COCKTAIL MARTINI

The '409' Gin

Having tasted dozens of 'classic', 'modern', 'botanic', 'London', 'Old Tom' gins and many 'customs', I decided to make my own gin. Planning it, I stuck to the words of my old, late and much lamented friend Ferruccio Lamborghini when he said, in 1963:

“In the past I have bought some of the most famous Gran Turismo cars, and in each of these magnificent machines I found faults. Too hot, or uncomfortable, or not sufficiently fast or not perfectly finished. Now I want to make a GT car without faults. Not a technical bomb. Very normal, very conventional, but a perfect car.”

 Now I didn't really want to challenge Hendricks', No3, Martin Miller 'Westbourne Strength' or the like, but I didn't want to suffer the indignity of having to drink some really sad gins without trying to react to the trend towards soft, sweet, aromatic products. In each one of those I found faults....so I wanted to make a gin without faults. Not a distillery bomb. Very normal, very conventional, but a perfect gin. I think (hope?) that old acquaintance LJK Setright would have appreciated it.

Now guess why my 'private' gin is called '409'....