Last Updated on February 25, 2024
An Island Gin that blends Earth and Sea Botanicals and Devil’s Own Cocktail
One of the more fascinating aspects of artisan gin for me is how the botanicals invoke memories. Not always, of course. But, with a heritage that takes my roots back to Skye and Mull, I was keen to try an Isle of Skye gin, 57° Skye Earth and Sea. With a distillery and visitor centre in Broadford, at the foot of Beinn na Caillich on the Isle of Skye which opened in 2022, while I can’t quite claim it’s the taste of home, it is where my grandfather and great grandfather’s family lived. Just to keep things in the family, the horn in the photos was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law’s wedding – looking out to sea on the banks of Duart Castle in Mull. They served mead during their wedding ceremony. If there was ever a next time, I’d suggest switching to Skye Gin!
Seumas Gorman, the head distiller is a native of the Isle of Skye, who has used his unique heritage to explore the fusion of new botanicals, native sea weeds and kelps, while the owner of the business, Séamus Ó Baoighill, is also a native of Skye and a world renown Gàidhlig Musician. On my list for the next time I am heading North, I’d love to find out more about the distillery and visitor centre.
57 degrees (the GPS coordinates of the island) has a blend of botanicals that include the classics (juniper, coriander, angelica, lemon and pomelo peel, ginger root, orris root, liquorice root, almond and pink pepper) with some unique local ingredients (rowan berry, heather, malted spring barley and both dried and smoked laminaria digitata, along with heather blossoms).
The resulting gin is actually quite sippable in the manner of a fine whisky or brandy. If you haven’t ever tried nosing and sipping your gin before you add tonic or use it for a cocktail I urge you to rethink. The point of a good artisan gin is to understand the terroir, just like a fine wine. So, please sip and enjoy before you serve any other way. Then try with a good quality tonic and a garnish that you think will complement the gin (I’d suggest a slice of orange). Finally, you may like to indulge in a cocktail.
This gin has a fresh citrus sweetness and is full of flavour – juniper melded with peppery notes from the earth and umami from the sea.
I’m almost reluctant to make it into a cocktail but I do think this particular serving, with no tonic to dilute the fine gin and with Cointreau to complement the citrus notes in the gin, is an excellent way to enjoy 57° Skye Earth and Sea that precludes any idea of driving after a mouthful! The Devil’s Own cocktail was created in Great Britain in 1937 by Colin Symons and first published in the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book, Coronation Edition, itself an anthology of the popular cocktails of the day compiled by the head bartender at the Café Royal, William Tarling. The original called for equal parts of gin, vermouth and Cointreau but today’s serve has more gin making it less sweet though no less intoxicating.
Apart from having all the necessary ingredients to hand, I really enjoyed this very simple to put together and elegant drink. Served in a classic coupe glass it made an excellent aperitif for a winter’s evening – but would work equally well after a meal as a digestif.
Gin and Cointreau cocktail from the 1930s
- 45 millilitres Gin
- 30 millilitres Cointreau
- 30 millilitres Dry Vermouth
- 1 dash Angostura Bitters
- 1 slice Lemon
- Ice
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Fill a mixing glass with ice
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Add the gin, vermouth and Cointreau with a dash of bitters
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Stir well
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Strain into chilled coupe glasses
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Serve with a slice of lemon or a twist of orange peel.
You can buy 57° Skye Gin from their website. They currently have two expressions – 57° Skye Earth and Sea, the London Dry which I have used here and a Cask finished gin which I haven’t tried, but which I suspect will be perfect for sipping as it has been rested in French Oak Casks which previously contained Banyuls liquor. Both gins are award winners and both are available in a range of sizes.
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