FAQ
What is it with some people who were once on the telly that they think they can now make a gin or cheese or a sustainable plant-based chutney and the rest of us should flock to buy it?
Thank you for your enquiry. We are experiencing an unusually high volume of enquiries at present. Why not chat to us on line? Maybe later.
Why did you make your gin look like a bottle of medicine?
Because it is.
Was is the best glassware in which to serve gin?
Cylindrical is a good basic attribute of glassware for drinking gin and sealed off at the bottom, but open at the top.
Can gin be infused at home?
Technically no, because it's illegal unless you have a license. Also, you won't make a very good job of it. I know this because I have tried it at a distillery myself, and it's not quite as easy as it seems. You need to know about the balance of the botanicals and the juniper and the Angelica root and so on and so and all that stuff that Hugh is very good at. So you could try it but it's a bit like building your own computer. Why bother?
What are the best gin and cheese pairings?
There are no gin and cheese pairings. Gin doesn't pair with things. It's a drink to be enjoyed in its own right, as a cocktail, as a gin and tonic, or neat if you're a gin aficionado. Saying gin and cheese pairings is a bit like saying cheese and Alfa Romeo pairings. It doesn't make sense. Although, having said that, the Spider would go quite well with a bit of Manchego.
Gin Martini - stirred or shaken?
I don't believe there is any difference whatsoever between a shaken and a stirred Martini. It's performative, it's theatrical. If the line hadn't been added to a James Bond novel in 1956, nobody would even think of it. Nobody can tell. It makes no difference whatsoever. Do not worry about it.
How is boutique gin made?
‘Boutique gin’ is a way of saying this gin is made in very, very small volumes because not very many people like it and not very many people buy it.
How should you store gin?
I think you should store gin in your drinks cupboard and ultimately you should store it temporarily in your veins.
Why is gin better than vodka?
Gin is better than vodka because it's effectively vodka but having a party. It starts off essentially as a vodka, as a neutral grain spirit -and it is re distilled or rectified, to use the correct technical term with the botanicals, the things that give it the flavor, the things that make it gin, notably juniper. Vodka has no real taste and it has no character and it therefore obviously has no point other than to make you very drunk.
Why does gin make some people emotional?
I don’t actually believe that gin makes people emotional. I think people are emotional. And then those emotions are liberated by gin. It has a cleansing effect. It cleanses your intestines and it cleanses your thought processes. And with it, your soul.
Is it true that James Gin has already won numerous awards on various continents and scored consistently high ratings from buyers , despite being largely the work of amateurs and hobbyists?
Yes.
Can I refill my empty James Gin bottles with Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation gin? I’ve got loads of that stuff kicking around, but I don’t want my mates to know.
We cannot recommend this. Aviation Gin, pretending to be American, is imperial and will not fit in the modern metric James Gin bottles without coming loose and potentially causing injury or death..
