Top hotels get into bespoke, premium gins

During successive lockdowns, hotels, restaurants and bars turned to creating myriad new drinks to offer their online customers. Adare Manor in Co Limerick has collaborated with the Midleton Distillery in the past, releasing two single cask whiskeys. Now the two have come together to create Adare Manor Fig Gin.

Inspired by the botanical fruits, herbs and figs in the walled garden on the estate, this is a once-off bespoke gin, and yes, it is flavoured with figs, alongside 16 other botanicals, including black lemon and gorse flowers.

Adare Manor Garden Gin Fig Edition starts off with strong citrus peel with floral notes. The palate is earthy, creamy and textured with a touch of honey, and a distinctive spicy finish. There are also notes of fig and juniper in this warming and very attractive gin. The suggested serve is 40ml gin, 120ml Mediterranean tonic water, half a ripe fig, three basil leaves and a lemon grass stick, served with plenty of ice. The gin is available from shop.adaremanor.com for €95.

The Westbury Hotel in Dublin has also released the Sidecar Dublin Dry Gin, made in collaboration with Stillgarden Distillery in Inchicore. Botanicals include wild lemon verbena, nettles and herbs foraged locally as well as ginger, bitter orange and the essential fresh lift of juniper. This is a subtle, carefully crafted gin. Created for the Westbury's cocktail bar, it is available online for €50 from shop.doylecollection.com.