Have you ever wanted to sponsor an episode of the Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure but you had no idea how?  Well, just do what what Gent Jason’s uncle did, and donate a bottle of your favourite liquor and see what they do with it!   It’s just that easy.


Turns out that Uncle Jack recently visited the multi award winning Sheringham distillery on beautiful Vancouver Island, and brought back a bottle of their Seaside Gin. What makes it especially “seaside” you ask?  Kelp!  Here’s what their website says about it.


SEASIDE GIN
Citrus, floral and notes of the sea make our Gin as refreshing as a seaside stroll.
Elegant for sipping and noble in your favourite cocktail…clean as the South Island surf.
Made from B.C. white wheat, B.C. malted barley, natural botanicals and sustainable hand-harvested local winged kelp (Alaria marginata).


AWARDS
WORLD GIN AWARDS WORLD’s BEST CONTEMPORARY GIN 2019
CASC GOLD MEDAL 2018
ALBERTA BEVERAGE AWARDS JUDGES SELECTION 2018
TASTE BC GOLD MEDAL 2018
SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION 2017 SILVER MEDAL
B.C. DISTILLED 2017 2ND PLACE GIN AUDIENCE FAVOURITES
B.C. DISTILLED 2016 2ND PLACE GIN AUDIENCE FAVOURITES
VISC WINNER 2016 GIN CATEGORY


Obviously, the Gents couldn’t wait to taste it, and they chose a recipe from the Sheringham website to try it out.


TAJ MAHAL SUNSET
By Terence Fitzgerald / Spirits Consultant / Maple Bay, B.C. 

​2 oz. Sheringham Seaside Gin
¼ tsp Turmeric
¼ - ½ of a Lime
2 oz. Ginger Beer
⅛" thick Lime Slice
Combine gin, ginger beer and turmeric into a shaker and give a good shake. Juice the lime into the shaker, add ice and shake again, making sure all turmeric has dissolved. Strain into a lowball glass and garnish with lime slice.


The only thing the Gents would do differently in this tasty recipe would be to stir the ginger beer in afterwards because when they shook it, the ginger beer fizzed up and shot turmeric tinted liquid out of the sides of the shaker!  To be fair, the Gents had doubled the recipe for sharing purposes so it’s possible that for a single serving, it would shake up just fine.  Give it a whirl and let the Gents know.   Please send all of your dry cleaning bills to “Terence Fitzgerald / Spirits Consultant / Maple Bay, B.C.”

That’s two more great drinks this time around.  If you’re in the greater Victoria area make sure you head over to the Sheringham distillery for a visit!  Tell them “The Gentlemen of Elegant Leisure” sent you.   They’ll have no idea what you’re talking about!   Big fun all around!

​Also, I’d you want to sponsor an episode, do what Jack did and send along a bottle.  It’s just that easy!

Two exciting drinks this week!  One with Aquavit and one with Akavit.  The Gents know they're the same thing but it makes it more exciting.

How about trying a a drink that makes you think of the Northern Lights?  Not because of it's dancing spiraling colours, but because it's literally called the Northern Lights!

Northern Lights

3/4 ounce aquavit
3/4 ounce Canadian whisky
1 tsp grenadine
1 dash Angostura bitters
soda water for topping up
lemon wedge and orange slice for garnish

Shake all the ingredients, except the soda water, together with ice, and strain into an ice filled glass.  Add the fruit garnish to the glass and top with soda.

There's a refreshing little sip.

But what if your bottle doesn't say "aquavit" on it?  What if it says "akavit"?  Then try this next one.

Midnight Sun

1 ounce akavit
2 tsp grapefruit juice
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar syrup
2 dashes grenadine
1/2 slice orange to garnish

Shake all the ingredients together with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Perch the slice of orange on the rim of the glass.

Wow!  Remember when you thought that first drink was a refreshing little sip?  Now what do you do? Try them both again and leave a comment below.