October is the best month of the year, right? Halloween, dark nights, the crackle of the fireplace and hot chocolate with marshmallows.
And this month, the Craft Gin Club have set members up for a cosy evening in with their beautiful gin of the month and selection of handpicked mixers and snacks, each with an Irish theme.
This month’s box aims to transform ‘dark and drizzly evenings into wonderfully warm nights in’, with more than just the spirits looming in the attic. It definitely makes the choice of ‘one down the pub, or one at home?’ a much easier decision.
The gin of the month is the Micil Spiced Orange Irish Gin, and is almost getting me into the festive spirit with those gorgeous mulled flavours. Micil distillery are a particularly special curator, having been the first legal distillery in Galway, Ireland, since 1911. The gin is still very juniper-forward, but with floral notes with bursts of orange. It’s nothing like the flavoured gins you’d pick up in the supermarket that taste of sugar and chemicals. Micil have created a beautiful gin especially for Craft Gin Club that is both sweet and spiced, as well as warming and fragrant.
In terms of mixers, Craft Gin Club have popped a few choices in their October box, including two Troughtons tonics. The Northern Irish brand use spring water from their own farm in County Armagh, mixed with African quinine for a subtle flavour. Then there’s the The Soho Juice Co. Blood Orange, Raspberry & Ginger, which is a trendy still mixer with the coolest branding. It’s super fruity with a kick of ginger at the end for those who enjoy a little more bite to their beverage.
If you plan on hosting a Halloween party, then the Bibite Polara Green Mandarinn is a mega funky mixer that will leave your cocktails looking spook-tacular. Made in the isle of Sicily, the soft drink is a vibrant green hue made with green mandarins, so start thinking of some terrifyingly terrific cocktail names to crown your creations with.
No cocktail is complete without syrup and garnish, and the October box is complete with blood orange (for Halloween, of course) and cardamom garnish, alongside The Banshee cocktail syrup, which feature in the Craft Gin Club cocktail of the month. Also included is the teeniest, tiniest, most adorable bottle of Angostura bitters, which really compliments the Spiced Orange gin.
One of my favourite parts of the box is always the snacks, because I always discover something totally delicious. This time, the stand out snack for me was the Pipers Pitta Chips in Cawdor Garlic & Herbs. Pipers have been making crisps since 2004, but these pitta chips are more like croutons or garlic crackers – crunchy, flavoursome, and more moreish than Pringles. Also included in the box was a bar of Gnaw Irish Cream Milk Chocolate – this bespoke, handcrafted, planet-friendly chocolate has been made in collaboration with the Craft Gin Club team, especially for their members.
Finally, there’s the Burts Snacks Guinness Crisps, perfect for anyone who loves a stout. Surprisingly made in Devon, not Dublin, the thick cut chips are very earthy – an acquired taste a bit like Guinness, I suppose!
Here’s a peek inside the box:
