I admit that I had not previously heard of Bullards Norwich gin distillery. Even though they have been carefully crafting gins since 1837. Which means that Bullards have been producing highest quality gins for 185 years. Which is a just a shade away from 200 years.
My wife and I are drinking a bottle of Bullards Coastal Gin.
The first thing my wife noticed was the bottle. She said "That looks just like sea glass!" which greatly impressed her.
I think this is a deliberate concept by Bullards and it does add to the general coastal ambiance of the gin. After all, what's not to like about something that brings back memories of smoothed, lustrous sea glass found on the beach during a family holiday?
It was my intention when we opened the bottle to try some of the cocktails that Bullards suggested.
Such as:-
St. Clements
50ml Bullards Coastal Gin
30ml Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
10ml Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
Indian Tonic Water
Lemon and Mint to Garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the gin, orange, and lemon juice. Shake well.
In a tall glass, add ice and half the tonic water. Strain the mix into the glass and top up with the rest of the tonic.
Garnish with a twist of lemon and a sprig of mint and enjoy!
or
Salty Dog
50ml Coastal Gin
100ml Fresh Grapefruit Juice
Coarse Salt
Lemon or Lime Wedge to Garnish
Rim a double rocks glass with salt: Rub a lemon or lime wedge around the rim, then roll it in a shallow dish of coarse salt.
Fill a rocks glass or tumbler with crushed ice and add the gin and juice. Stir well to combine. Garnish with a lemon or lime wedge if desired.
However, my wife will not be making any Bullards Coastal Gin cocktails. Because, as she said, "you are not putting anything in my gin! You can make a cocktail if you want, but I prefer my Bullards Coastal Gin neat! And without ice, too, thank you!" And that was me told!
Since my wife caught COVID her sense of smell and taste has been greatly impaired and one of the things she lost was her ability to taste her favourite gins. Which was a great pity because my wife was famed for her gin cocktails. Her Gin and Orange Cocktail is famed throughout several counties. The ingredients are simple, yet potentially devastating for the unwary. Two parts gin and one part orange juice is her recipe.
The bottle does look like sea glass and the taste of the gin is exquisite. It's as smooth as a very calm sea. It is carefully handcrafted with special botanical ingredients that are foraged on the coast of Norfolk.
This is what Bullards has to say about this gin: "Inspired by the Norfolk coastline, Coastal gin has a delicate, salty influence complemented by bright citrus flavours. Refreshing hand foraged sea purslane, marsh samphire, sea aster and the rich woodiness of Douglas fir dance on your palate and bring a sense of the seaside."
When I tasted it I wasn't sure if it was my imagination but I did think I detected a little hint of saltiness in it. But after several more tastes (a man has to be dedicated to his job!) I realised that the saltiness that I tasted was not my imagination, that Bullards Coastal Gin really does have a delightful salty tang to it.
There are also hints of pine and other gentle, pervasive flavours that reminded me of holidays on the coast when I was a child.
Bullards are not only keen on producing some of the best gins that you are ever likely to taste, they are also keen on helping to be good stewards of the environment, too.
The gin costs £40 a bottle but for £35 you can receive an eco-friendly refill pack that you can refill your bottle with. How do you dispose of the refill pack? Just pop it into the post free of charge and Bullards will take care of that for you.
Bullards also produce other gins such as London Dry Gin, Old Tom Gin and Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin. Over time I dare say my wife and I will be trying those other gins, too! Although I think that I'll be favouring the idea of Strawberry & Black Pepper, as that sounds like an ideal combination to me.
You can order your Bullards gins direct at https://bullardsspirits.co.uk/product-category/gins.
However, they also sell special glass and barware, hampers, gift cards and mixers ideally suited to your Bullards Gins.
