Boodles British Gin is a brand of gin bottled and distributed in the United Kingdom by Proximo Spirits.
Type | Gin |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Cock Russell & Co. |
Distributor | Proximo Spirits |
Country of origin | England |
Introduced | 1845 |
Alcohol by volume | 40% (UK) and 45.2% (US) |
Proof (US) | 80 (UK) and 90.4 (US) |
Colour | Clear |
Flavour | Juniper and Coriander |
Website | boodlesgin.com |
History
editBoodles was named after Boodle's gentlemen's club in St. James's, London, founded in 1762 and originally run by Edward Boodle. It was reputed to be the favourite gin of the club's most famous member, Winston Churchill,[1] though the same has been claimed for Plymouth Gin.[2]
Boodles was created in 1845,[3] becoming one of the gins to shape the flavor of the modern London Dry style of gin, which is essentially a vodka-like spirit infused or otherwise flavored with a blend of botanical herbs and spices.[4] It was originally produced by Cock Russell & Company,[5][better source needed] and was first bottled in the United States by Seagram's. In 2001, Seagram's assets were sold to several companies, including Pernod Ricard, which took over Boodles.[6] In 2012, Boodles was purchased by Proximo Spirits of New Jersey.[7][better source needed]
In October 2013, Boodles Gin was released in the UK, with a redesigned bottle and an alcoholic strength of 80 proof. The botanical recipe for the gin remains the same.[3][5][8] Boodles has always been made in the UK, but had previously only been available for purchase in the US and Japan.[9]
Description
editBoodles is bottled at two strengths: 45.2% alcohol by volume (90.4 proof) for the US, and 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof) for the UK market.[7][10] It is produced at the Greenall's Distillery in Warrington, England,[11] in a Carter-Head still.[7]
Boodles is known for its distinctive floral nose and lingering juniper flavor, with a clean finish.[1][12] It contains a blend of nine botanicals: juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, angelica seed, cassia bark, caraway seed, nutmeg, rosemary and sage.[7] It is made in a vacuum still, a process that allows the gin to retain more of the flavors of its botanicals.[12] Unlike other London Dry gins, Boodles contains no citrus ingredients.[3]
Honors and awards
editWine Enthusiast magazine gave Boodles a score of 90-95 in 2004. It received a rating of 93 (Exceptional) from the Beverage Tasting Institute in 2013, and a silver medal at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.[13][14]
References
edit- ^ a b Nick Passmore, "These are a few of my favorite gins…" Forbes, July 18, 1998.
- ^ Robin D. Rusch, "Plymouth Gin," Archived 2007-08-08 at the Wayback Machine Brand Channel, February 12, 2001.
- ^ a b c Sarah Bristow, “Boodles Gin: Churchill’s Favourite Tipple Comes Back to the UK,” Archived 2014-02-20 at the Wayback Machine Esquire, October 11, 2013.
- ^ Eric Asimov, “Take On Summer With Gin From Experienced Hands,” The New York Times, June 12, 2012.
- ^ a b David Smith, “Cocktails with… Boodles British Gin,” Summer Fruit Cup, May 25, 2012.[self-published source]
- ^ Michael Bord, “New Name, New Brands, New Personnel for Pernod Richard USA,” Beverage Dynamics, March/April 2002.
- ^ a b c d David Smith, “Boodles is Back – Cocktails with The British Gin,” Summer Fruit Cup, June 14, 2013.[self-published source]
- ^ Olly Wehring, “Product Launch – UK: Proximo Spirits’ Boodles Gin,” Archived 2014-02-14 at the Wayback Machine just-drinks.com, September 25, 2013.
- ^ Richard Siddle, “Boodles Gin hits the UK with multiple premium on-trade listings,” Harpers, January 14, 2014.
- ^ Jeremy W. Peters, “Campaign Solves at Least One Issue,” The New York Times, February 28, 2012.
- ^ “Boodles British Gin,” Master of Malt. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
- ^ a b Robert Plotkin, “Boodles British Gin,” Archived 2014-10-12 at the Wayback Machine American Cocktails. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
- ^ “BOODLES British Gin,” Archived 2014-08-05 at the Wayback Machine Tastings.com. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
- ^ "Buy Boodles British London Dry Gin Online". Proof66 LLC. Archived from the original on 16 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2013.