Created by industry legend Simon Ford at The 86 Co. and master distiller Charles Maxwell, Fords Gin had been described to me by Mike Enright as exceptional, so my expectations were high.
Ford set out to create “A gin to be used as a workhorse for the cocktailian bartender.” By collaborating with Charles Maxwell he guaranteed that Fords would be more than just another gin.
Maxwell is a legend in the gin world. As Master Distiller at Thames Distillers (who make a huge range of gins: Portobello Road Gin, Ish and Oxley to name a few) there is little Maxwell doesn’t know about gin including which botanicals work and which don’t.
Fords Gin has 9 botanicals: juniper, coriander seeds, lemon, orange and grapefruit peel, jasmine, orris, angelica and cassia.
The flavours balance well and in spite of the jasmine which I anticipated to be overpowering, the juniper leads. Fords Gin will work well with citrus based cocktails, while the oiliness means it makes a great martini. I used it in a Gibson Martini and it was excellent. Given the 45% ABV I was expecting it to have a bit of a kick but the mouthfeel is more reminiscent of a lower proof gin.
The bottle, specially designed with the bartender in mind, features a groove in the middle to prevent slippage and measures engraved on the side so it can be reused. I also like that Ford hasn’t taken everything too seriously and there are a couple of funny things on the label that are a tongue in cheek stab at some of the guff written on other gin labels.
Country of Origin : Distilled in UK, Bottled in US
ABV: 45%
Price: High
5 comments
Caroline,
This is good in a Martini (“Dirty” or as a “Gibson” too) and is perfect in an Aviation Cocktail. Not sure what the cost is for this Gin in Australia but in the US it is a little under $30 US Dollars making it a keenly priced tipple.
Regards, David Schofield.
http://www.the-complete-gentleman.com
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