Thanks to Oliver Wise as host, the Campaign for Real Gin met at Boodle’s to close its fortieth year with its annual dinner.
A convivial gathering enjoyed pre-prandial gins in the Billiard Room, before being summoned to a beautifully presented dinner.
Grace, delivered by Steve Marriott, was the harbinger of a delicious meal. Afterwards the customary toasts were made. Nick gave us ‘The Queen’. Bob reviewed the main events of the Fortieth Year, before toasting twin Fountainheads, Foxdenton and RealGin. Charles Penney went through an A to Z of Absent Friends, before Oliver reviewed the cricket club season, leading a rendition of the CRG Calypso, including the new verse to commemorate the strange ending of the Helmes Vagabonds match in 2018.
The CRG’s Founder, Marvin Faure, led the CRG in a chorus of ‘Nevers’, and Dead Ants made a welcome reappearance.
Magnus led us in the favourite Swedish drinking song of King Carl Gustav (forget which one!). A stirring ‘Music Man’ was then followed by performances of AA Milne’s ‘Disobedience’ (“James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George Dupree…”) by Alex Hunt, who definitely WAS present, and Oliver’s The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God. All agreed that this may have been Oliver’s finest performance, doubtless assisted by being on home turf.
Finally, we repaired to Boodles’s ‘Ladies’ Side’ for a final post-prandial.
A fitting end to our Fortieth Year, and momentum set for our Forty-first…
2018 Annual Dinner, Boodle’s (click any photo to open slideshow)
On 29th November, CRG members and guests gathered in the Picture Room of the Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall, as guests of ‘Bottletop’ Tony Trace.
The occasion was to be a tonic tasting, tutored by Tony’s son-in-law James Mowbray-Pratt, National Account Manager for Fever-Tree. Strangely, though, gin got involved, and James was joined by Chris Bryant-Mansell, brand ambassador for Hayman’s Gin. Together they put on a fun, fascinating and sometimes eye-opening show, offering up 12 gins designed to deliver an insight into gin through the ages.
Starting with the 16th century, Bols was presented as a representation of how original Dutch genever may have tasted. Moving into the 18th century, the next gin demonstrated the origins of ‘Dutch Courage’, and the type of brew that may have fortified troops of the time. We were then treated – and we use the expression loosely – to ‘Parliamentary Brandy’, a concoction brewed up specially (in micro batches, we hope!) to give an insight into the roughness of the gin being consumed in quantities during the ‘gin craze’. Fortunately, we were taught to ‘reset’ our palates by smelling the back of our hand…
We then moved to the sweeter ‘Old Tom’, as revived in recent years by Hayman’s, through ‘gin cups’, mixtures involving various added herbs, spices and flavourings (Sipsmiths London Cup used as an example), and sloe gin.
Then on into the 19th century, and coining of the expression ‘London Dry’, as greater regulation and standards were put in place, and the new column still enabled more consistent production. Hayman’s was used to represent the London Dry style, and also navy strength (57.2%), represented via two brands, ‘Navy Strength’ and ‘Royal Dock’.
We were then fast forwarded to more modern times, to gins that have led the way in some of the new techniques that have helped spark the new ‘gin craze’: the vapour-infused Bombay Sapphire, pioneers of small batch distilling Sipsmith, dual distilled and flavour-added Hendrick’s, and Pink Pepper, vacuum-distilled by an Australian in Cognac.
Throughout the evening we were asked to score the gins, and maybe the results will become known. But it is hard to imagine that the Grand Champion of the evening was not gin number 12. Jonathan Jeyes explained the direct links between Roaring Forties, our 40th-Anniversary gin, and those produced for our 10th and 25th anniversaries. And then we tasted, and all marked our scorecards (at least) 10/10.
A massive vote of thanks to Tony, James and Chris. This was a memorable and imaginative evening in exquisite surroundings, in great company.
For the final event of the CRG’s 40th year, we remain in Clubland, moving around the corner, to Boodle’s for our annual dinner…
CRG Gin and Tonic Tasting, Athenaeum Club November 2018
A new milestone has been added to Anglo-Portuguese relations. In time, we feel that the significance of the Campaign for Real Gin’s visit to the Real Gin distillery at Pegões will take its place alongside previous notable landmarks such as:
1147 AD: the appointment of monk and Crusader (an early Campaigner?) Gilbert of Hastings as first Bishop of Lisbon; Gilbert commenced work on the Sé cathedral.
1386: the Treaty of Windsor, followed by the marriage of Philippa of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt to John I of Portugal; the Treaty is recognised as the world’s oldest recorded allegiance between two nations.
agreement between Oliver Cromwell and John IV to establish an English Cemetery in Lisbon.
1662: the marriage of Catherine of Braganza to Charles II, bringing with it Bombay and Tangiers as part of her dowry.
the establishment of numerous English-owned Port houses.
1807: protection of the Portuguese Royal Family as it fled Napoleon’s attack on Lisbon for Brazil.
Ongoing: the soap opera that is/was ‘The Special One’.
The CRG Team
A party strong on quality was despatched by the CRG to Lisbon, consisting of Founder Marvin Faure and Emmanuelle Faure; Mr and Mrs Hon Sec, Nick and Helena Ellis, Official Chronicler of the Fortieth Year Bob Gibson and Lynne Gibson, and Pathfinders Tim and Sarah Smee.
Centrepiece of the weekend was a magnificent day organised with the help of our newest member, Jacinto Policarpo, one of the team of four behind Real Gin.
Adega de Pegões – Wine Tasting
The day started with a visit to the Agricultural Cooperative of Pegões, to learn about and taste their selection of wines. It was fascinating to learn of the origins of the cooperative, on land colonised under a settlement programme directed by the Salazar Government, donating land to thousands of agricultural workers and directing the plantation of 830 hectares of vineyard. The Cooperative was formed in 1958.
Our tour explained how the grapes are brought in from the 96 farms, strictly by variety, and are then graded and assessed for the likely quality of the finished wines.
Average annual production is around 12 million bottles, of which around 35% is exported.
We were treated to an extensive wine tasting, taking in the relatively new sparkling wine, crisp whites, high-end reds and the delicious Moscatel.
The Wine Society speaks highly of winemaker Jaime Quendera. Both the Moscatel and Colheita Seleccionada (described as “popular, food-friendly blend of chardonnay and four local varieties aged briefly in oak for a velvety, creamy texture”) can be ordered from The Wine Society – follow the links.
Real Gin
After a legendary lunch at a local restaurant, it was on to the Real Gin distillery (and bar!)
Visiting Real Gin was an education in what can be achieved with imagination, hard work and belief.
The beginning of the journey was an almost throwaway line at dinner involving Jacinto Policarpo, his sister Raquel and their respective spouses Alex and Luis. “Let’s make a gin” piped up Luis. Two weeks later he had identified a supplier for the base alcohol; the name ‘Real Gin’ was decided on (‘real’ meaning ‘royal’ in Portuguese, hence the crown on the label); a building originally intended as a restaurant but which had lain empty for years was secured as a premises; a still was commissioned from a Portuguese copper worker; and it all built from there.
All four partners have retained their full-time jobs, and have young families, so it would have been impossible to have got to where they are without hard work and passion. Nowhere more so, than in fending off a challenge against use of the name ‘Real Gin’ by a wine company of a similar name – this was defended successfully through all levels of the Portuguese Courts.
Less than three years into the adventure, the production of Real Gin remains a largely manual operation. But they have steadily grown their market, and striking blue Real Gin bottles are being seen on an increasing number of bar shelves, at fairs, and in seven export markets. There are two products, a clear classic-style gin, and a fascinating aged gin, which is allowed to mature for three months in Moscatel barrels acquired from Adega de Pegões just up the road! The aged gin takes on flavours which to our amateur palates had an almost Armagnacy characteristic – though the preferred mixer remains tonic.
A portion of the Real Gin premises is given over to a rustic-style bar, and after the tour, we repaired there and Jacinto turned mixologist, preparing large gins, ‘Portuguese style’. Emboldened by this brew, Nick proceeded to give a speech of thanks in Portuguese:
Em nome da ‘Campaign for Real Gin’ ou CRG, eu gostaria de agradecer vocês pela hospitalidade generosa de hoje. Quando q a CRG foi fundada por Marvin há quarenta anos, não se pretendia ser uma organização seria. Não podemos dar crédito para o fato de que gin se tornou uma bebida muito popular hoje em dia, mas estamos muito felizes por isso.
Quando fizemos planos para nosso quadragésimo aniversàrio, Bob descobriu Real Gin no Facebook e sentimos que, por ter temos o mesmo nome, deveríamos nos encontrar. Nos gostamos muito do seu gin e gostaríamos de dar uma garrafa do nosso Gin ‘roaring forties’ para vocês. Esse Gin foi feito especialmente para o nosso aniversàrio esse ano. Tambèm, temos duas das nossas gravatas do quadragèsimo aniversàrio que gostaríamos de dar para vocês.
Nick then presented a bottle of Roaring Forties and two 40th Anniversary ties, inviting Jacinto to become our newest member.
This was an extraordinarily good day, and we must thank all the team at Real Gin, and especially Jacinto, who bought into our initial approach via Facebook, and not only arranged the visit to Real Gin, but also organised the tour of Adega de Pegoes, and lunch.
On our return to Lisbon we regrouped and were led by Sarah and Tim to the Time Out Market, a historic market hall (think Smithfield for example) that had fallen into neglect and disrepair, and has been resurrected as a foodie hub. Multiple foods and bars are available under one roof, with central eating benches. This was the perfect venue at the end of our day, allowing everyone to graze on as much or as little as they fancied. Tim insisted on buying a portion of ‘goose head barnacles’, to be eaten alive, though not everyone was brave enough to try.
Remembrance Day at St George’s Church
Heavy rain was predicted from the middle of the day onwards on Sunday. On the 100th anniversary of the WW1 Armistice, it seemed appropriate to attend the Remembrance at the English church of St George.
A packed church drove home the close ties between Portugal and the UK. St George’s Church sits within the English Cemetery, and the names of the war dead in the cemetery were read out. Movingly, the German Ambassador was among those laying wreaths. The service followed a traditional pattern, though with some twists – the Last Post was a quite different version to the one played in the UK. At the end of the service, the Portuguese national anthem was sung with gusto, followed by God Save The Queen.
An invitation to all to drinks and canapés with the Ambassador was sadly undermined by the rain, which was coming down by now in Monsoon fashion. An advance party headed back for the hotel in an Uber, leaving the stragglers to stagger home as wet as if they had fallen into the Tagus.
Even though we were only a couple of hundred yards from the acclaimed Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, such was the persistence of the rain, we were left little option but to celebrate Nick and Helena’s wedding anniversary with another good lunch.
Where to next year? Ideas on a postcard, please…
CRG Trip to Lisbon November 2018 (click any image to open lightbox)
The CRG takes seriously its responsibility to hunt out Real Gin wherever it may lurk.
In this spirit, the Hon Sec and his lady headed to South America in search of Apostoles (in Argentina) and Amazzoni Gin (in Brazil).
It seems that Nick and Helena were so left in a spin by their Tango lesson, that the search for Apostoles had to be called off.
More success was had, however, in Brazil. Here we see Nick displaying a bottle of Amazzoni, and then sampling with the Copacabana as a backdrop. Tasting notes are awaited.
Word is that Nick and Helena are now fluent in Portuguese, in preparation for the R&D sub-Committee visit to Lisbon. “Gim duplo por favor…”
In its 40th year, the Campaign for Real Gin (‘CRG’) is especially pleased to be able to participate in a major initiative advocating Real Gin. September 6th 2018 saw the ‘Call Time on Fake Gin’ debate hosted by Haymans at their beautiful new distillery in Balham. The CRG was represented by Jonathan Jeyes and Robert Gibson.
The origins of CRG go back to a time when gin was fighting its corner against a background of waning interest. Now, of course, issues facing the category are quite different – how to control this ‘runaway train’ and ensure that standards are adhered to, consumers are not deceived, and their interests protected, and that the gin category’s long-term future is not devalued or subverted.
Our write-up of the debate can be read here. In summary, it was decided that enforcement of existing regulation, with some work to clarify the position of certain product categories, and work to help educate consumers, retailers and even producers, should be taken forward.
Haymans ‘Call Time on Fake Gin’ Debate – click any image to open slideshow
We’re pleased to say that the Campaign enjoyed a quite unexpected ‘name check’: the Chair concluded the day’s debate by noting that there were a couple of members of The Campaign for Real Gin present, which gave the opportunity for a brief introduction to the Campaign’s history and purpose.
In recognition of our 40 years of campaigning, the Campaign for Real Gin is delighted to be able to announce the creation of the Roaring Forties CRG Celebration Gin.
The flavour of the gin is described as:
…Essentially juniper forward with plenty of citrus notes as we use both lemon peel and lime follower oil.
Big, booming nose that gives everything a London Dry should do but more. Super active entry into the mouth yet gorgeously deep and mellow. All the flavour you could want in wonderful integration. Complexity gives super smoothness and velvet flow while retaining the lively character. Complex, long, refreshing finish. Aftertaste lasts for ever.
Alternatively, if you prefer a ‘spider chart’ to describe your gin, here it is:
The plan is to unveil our Celebration Gin at the 2018 Garden party, though it will not form part of the Summer Cup.
Celebration Gin is being offered in 6-bottle cases (a sign of our age that we have reduced from the previous 12-bottle cases?), which can be delivered direct to your address from Foxdenton, our distiller. The price per bottle reduces the more cases that you buy!
A party strong on quality was despatched by the CRG to Lisbon, consisting of Founder Marvin Faure and Emmanuelle Faure; Mr and Mrs Hon Sec, Nick and Helena Ellis, Official Chronicler of the Fortieth Year Bob Gibson and Lynne Gibson, and Pathfinders Tim and Sarah Smee.
Visiting Real Gin was an education in what can be achieved with imagination, hard work and belief. 
Less than three years into the adventure, the production of Real Gin remains a largely manual operation. But they have steadily grown their market, and striking blue Real Gin bottles are being seen on an increasing number of bar shelves, at fairs, and in seven export markets. There are two products, a clear classic-style gin, and a fascinating aged gin, which is allowed to mature for three months in Moscatel barrels acquired from Adega de Pegões just up the road! The aged gin takes on flavours which to our amateur palates had an almost Armagnacy characteristic – though the preferred mixer remains tonic.
In recognition of our 40 years of campaigning, the Campaign for Real Gin is delighted to be able to announce the creation of the Roaring Forties CRG Celebration Gin. 