GIN-BASED COCKTAIL MASTERCLASS WITH COTSWOLDS DISTILLERY
DATE: Saturday 8th June, TIME: 12-2PM, ADMITTANCE: FREE
PLACE: Robert Welch Studio Shop: Lower High Street, Chipping Campden GL55 6DY
Our recent gin cocktail masterclass, held in early June, was a great success. Expert mixologist Ollie Morris of Cotswolds Distillery gave an fascinating introduction on the history and origins of gin, and explained how the distillation process works using a miniature model of a still.
He gave some tasting notes for Cotswolds Dry Gin, explaining its flavour profile in depth. The foundation is a blend of nine carefully considered botanicals, including juniper, coriander seed and angelica root, before fresh citrus, grapefruit and lime zest, are added, as well as local ingredients, such as Cotswold lavender. The distillery peels several hundred limes and grapefruit a week to make their gin, by hand!
Ollie demonstrated a few different cocktails as he spoke and invited guests to taste them as well as gin on its own or with tonic. He noted Cotswold Gin’s characteristic cloudiness which occurs when the spirit is combined with chilled tonic or ice.
This pearlescence is an important aspect of the signature cocktail he has created for Robert Welch. A modern twist on a 1930s recipe from The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock, which he recreated for the event and which we will use to mark the 70th Anniversary of Robert Welch in 2025.
Ollie remarked: “The Campden Cocktail boasts a harmonious blend of juniper-forward notes, balanced with citrus undertones and subtle floral hints, while the addition of triple sec introduces a vibrant burst of sweet orange flavour, elevating the cocktail to a refreshing and complex flavour profile that is both smooth and invigorating.”
CAMPDEN COCKTAIL
30ml Cotswolds Distillery Gin
15ml Triple Sec
15ml Lillet Blanc
Add all ingredients to a mixing jar, 20sec stir for dilution, fine strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Embellish with Orange Peel.