St. Augustine, Fla.—It looks
like bourbon but it smells like gin with a secret. It’s vermouth
barrel-finished gin made by St. Augustine Distillery. It’s made with Florida
grown sugar cane juice, Florida citrus peel and 25 other botanicals. It is like
a martini in a bottle. It has a fabulous, I-think-I-just-walked-into-the-most-expensive
–spice-shop-in-the-world-in-a-glass, kind of gin taste.
 |
| Red Vermouth Barrel Finished New World Gin by St. Augustine Distillery, St. Augustine, Fla. Copyright 2016 by Helen A Lockey |
St. Augustine Distillery
released this rare, experimental craft spirit, earlier this year, at their St.
Augustine, Florida location. Using their award winning small batch New World
Gin as a base they produced just 1200 white and 1200 red vermouth barrel
finished spirit bottles.
Kara Pound, PR spokesperson
for St. Augustine distillery said, “Typically, gin is not barrel aged at all. It can be aged in
bourbon barrels and yes, we wanted to make a natural martini (white vermouth)
and negroni (red vermouth).”
Before I
bought my the red vermouth barrel finished gin I asked one of the distillers if
I could buy it anywhere else and he said, “Oh no, it is an experimental gin and
can only be purchased in our distillery.” So I bought two bottles of the red vermouth barrel finished gin, at $45 each, even though I am not a gin drinker.
Getting
home I poured a small measure of gin into a glass, neat, without ice. Then I began swirling
the liquid both to aerate and release any excess alcohol from the amber
deliciousness lurking in the bottom of my glass.
I also blew
into the glass every few minutes to push the remaining alcohol particles free.
Sticking my
nose deep into the glass I inhaled. It was like I was standing at the threshold
of a spice shop in Thailand or old Bombay.
Gingerly, I
took a long, smooth sip and swirled the liquid across my tongue inhaling as it
slid across my mouth and down my throat. Subtle aromas of sweet dried apricots
and vanilla mixed with bold hints of juniper, anise, ginger, cinnamon, brown
sugar and caramelized citrus. Wow.
This is a gin to be sipped
for flavor and not gulped for buzz. If you want a buzz choose a cheaper, mass
produced brand. If you want to be transported away from the hassles of everyday
life, even for a moment, then buy this gin and sip yourself into another state
of mind.
So if you get a chance to
get up to the St. Augustine Distillery before the end of the year or before
they run out of this marvelous gin, then snag yourself a bottle or two and
don’t complain about the price because you’ll be sipping a one of a kind gin
made with Florida grown sugar cane juice and other Florida grown ingredients.
They are located at: 112 Riberia Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
Phone: (904) 825-4962
