Hammer & Son Old English Gin

Old English Gin is a throw-back waaaay back to 1783 with a classic recipe, beautiful presentation, and proper execution.

Old English Gin is produced by Hammer & Sons. They currently have two products, both Gins: Geranium Gin and Old English Gin, and they could not be more different. Geranium Gin is styled modern in every way, and Old English Gin is a tribute to the earliest Gins and Gin-making. They are respected, small batch, craft distillers of the first order.

In every respect, Old English Gin is a throw-back … WAAAAY back to 1783. They use an antique pot still and hand-infuse their grain spirit with 11 botanicals according to an ancient, 18th century recipe. In their research they discovered that the first bottled Gins re-used empty Champagne bottle from France, so this Gin is bottled in the same kinds of bottles, hand corked, and then dipped in black wax to seal. It is quite the presentation.

They keep their special recipe of botanicals close to the chest, but the classic juniper, citrus, and coriander stand out, and there is an Earthy quality … perhaps dried mushroom? In any event, it is a serious craft attempt at a classic Gin formulation that works really well and deliver the “pins and needles” combo of sweetness and sharpness that you really want to taste in a Gin of this character.

SmartAss Corner:
In addition to the lovely, classic bottling, Old English Gin is available to bartenders in oak wood casks to pour from on the counter. How old-school is that?