Stretching my legs after my virtual flight south, I've landed in Cape Town and it's a road trip to Stilbaai to grab a cocktail at Inverroche. This distillery is on the list to actually visit, as are numerous distilleries and wine farms in the Cape Town area. The gin industry is booming there and when I do eventually get to Cape Town again, I will need a designated driver! There will be too many celebrations catching up with old school friends and family!

Inverroche Amber is a unique gin, distilled using local fynbos and after distillation the gin is mellowed with rich coastal botanicals, which gives it that beautiful amber colour. It works particularly well with orange, which is how I've consumed the majority of this bottle, but I thought I would seek some inspiration and make something different and so I stumbled upon this recipe created by their brand ambassador Jody.

The Blush

50ml Inverroche Amber Gin

20ml Cranberry Juice

20ml Lemon Juice

15ml Elderflower syrup (I had to substitute this with St Germain)

5ml Sugar Syrup

3 dashes orange bitters

Foaming agent

This is a very brief virtual visit as I've many miles to cover, so time to head back to Cape Town for the next longhaul flight!

A trip to the Cape would not be complete without a detour to have a drink at the amazing Sansibar Gin Lounge at the Asara Wine Estate. Virtual or not, I'm making a little stop in Stellenbosch on my way to the airport! Sansibar boasts that they have the best gin bar in Africa, actually, the world, with over 500 local and imported gins on their shelves. They offer gin experiences to rival the best, tours of their wine estate and cellars, a pool to lounge by and for those who need a pamper, a spa as well. I don't think you could want for more, so this is definitely on my list to actually visit as well. I'm not sure I can quite afford an overnight stay, but I can definitely afford a drink in their bar!

You absolutely have to check out their gin list on their website ......I'm not even going to count which gins I have or haven't yet tried off their list and I'm going straight in to the local gins and cocktails and because it's such a fancy place, I'm having a French 75, which according to their menu, they make with a local gin I don't own, triple sec, lemon juice and their own sparkling wine. So, I've selected a local gin from their list that I do have, D'Aria Renosterbos Gin and fashioned my own version of their French 75 and served it in my beautiful LSA flutes that I still cannot believe I was lucky enough to win last year.

Renosterbos, which translated means Rhino bush, is a local fynbos (indigenous flora). D'Aria uses a wide variety of local fynbos in the making of their gin, including Renosterbos, which is unique to the Durbanville area, where they are located. They describe their gin as a lighter style gin, but at 43% ABV this has nothing to do with being a no/low gin! It's delicious though and is possibly the closest distillery to where I grew up, so it's even more special to me!

I do urge you to check out their page and photos of their gin lounge - their don't have much on their page, or website, but stalk out the hashtags, as it really is amazing!

Next stop - the airport for a Cape Town Gin & Tonic.

Goa, India

Follow my #virtualginworldtour and see if I can make it back to London by the 13th June for #worldginday .... I may very well get waylaid as this part of my tour is where my heart is and these are places I long to visit one day!! So, dream on with me....

It would have been remiss of me not to include a brief stop in India, the land where the classic gin and tonic was created. Back in the early 19th century, British immigrants to the Indian subcontinent were suffering not only with the tropical climate, but also with malaria and scurvy after their long sea journeys. We all know quinine is really bitter, but back then tonic water was heavily infused with it and a rather nasty drink, so the Brits took to adding a mixture of water, sugar, lime and gin to it, in order to make the drink more palatable. Nowadays we have tonic water brands such as Fevertree to thank for making the drink pleasant, but did you know that Fevertree actually take their name from the local name for the cinchona tree because the bark of the tree has long been known to stop chills and cure or prevent malaria? Check out that bottle next time you pour a tonic and you will understand their logo!

Well mosquitoes be gone.... damn, there's no tonic in this one, but I'll make it up another time! Goa is of course famous for its beautiful beaches, so I'm going to do no more than sit and drink gin at a beach bar while I'm here...virtually that is. It's a destination on my list... in fact this virtual tour is painful and I really want to just pack a bag and get on a plane...sigh!

Anyway, here I am, sipping my Greater Than negroni and in the words of the distillers, I'm looking for all things greater - a story, a journey, or just tonight's plan! Given I'm currently staring out my window as a dismal view of grey clouds and rain, I'm grateful for my imagination and will immerse myself in my dreams!

Founded by Anand Virmani and Vaibhav Singh, Greater Than initially launched in September 2017, and quickly became one of India’s leading gin brands.

This London dry gin is distilled in copper pots in Goa and is infused with botanicals sourced from India and around the world. These include juniper berries, coriander seeds, orris root, lemongrass, fennel, angelica root, orange peel, chamomile and ginger. I thought with these classic botanicals, it would be perfect for a negroni, as it's juniper forward with strong citrus notes. I wasn't wrong. I used Sacred Rosehip Cup and Vermut Lustau and a decent wedge of orange. Hello perfection!

I'm not leaving yet......catch me for Goa Part 2 later today!

The next local gin has absolutely knocked my socks off..... that's if I was actually wearing any! Of course, my toes are curled up in the warm beach sand (I wish!!) so no need for shoes here!

Hapusa is the Sanskrit name for juniper and this gin is distilled with Himalayan Juniper and botanicals sourced from all around country, which makes it uniquely Indian. Two of the key botanicals are turmeric and mango, but with the inclusion of botanicals from pine forests and spice farms, this makes for a bold and earthy gin which has a delicately smoked flavour. Although perfect as a sipping gin, it can hold itself really well in cocktails such as a negroni (which the distillers recommend) or even a G&T topped with 15ml of coffee. Frankly I'm not doing any more than chill and pour this one - honestly, I've not had a gin this good pass my lips in a long time and so I've served it up as a dry martini - I literally kissed the glass with the vermouth bottle and rubbed the lemon rind over the top. It needs nothing more than that and it's all the things described above and more.  

Nao Spirits make both Greater Than and Hapusa gins. Whilst Greater Than pays tribute to the history of gin and is a classic juniper forward gin, Hapusa is all about India .... the country and the people and it screams premium and class. Great care has gone into the creation of both these brands and they came from the realisation that at the time despite there being many Indian themed gins worldwide, there were none produced in India.  

I really don't think you can have one without the other in your collection, so I highly recommend you getting both - not just because they are excellent gins, but also for what they stand for. For me personally, knowing how and why a gin came about is hugely important and gives me a connection and understanding about what I'm tasting. There is clear passion in these bottles and an appreciation and pride in what they stand for. I was recommended these and to be honest, they more than exceeded my expectations and have blown me away.

I'll be heading off to the next stop on my whirlwind virtual gintour - join me tomorrow and see where I land again!

My virtual tour has landed me in Hong Kong today and I'm sipping a cocktail made with the award winning Perfume Trees Gin. This is a gin that has been created by Kit and Joseph, to represent and capture the heart and soul of Hong Kong. They have worked with local farmers and suppliers to understand the terroir and aromas that make up the city they love and live in and used them to create this beautifully aromatic gin.

Their heritage botanicals pay tribute to small local producers and family businesses based in Hong Kong. These time-honoured vendors have generations of knowledge and produce botanicals which are aromatic and consistent, which makes Perfume Trees such a unique gin.

The white champaca tree, or Perfume Tree as it's locally known, used to line the streets of the city. The flowers were sold by elderly street vendors and this gin pays homage to the these elderly ladies and the generations that came before it. Hong Kong also owes it's name to another botanical included, which is sandalwood, as it translates quite literally to ‘Fragrance Harbour’. The city has a history of being a port which traded in spices and fragrances from all round the world. Sandalwood from India is included as a botanical and the local business who provides this has been trading for over a century. Likewise other signature ingredients like aged tangerine peel and Long Jing tea are also sourced from established and traditional local businesses.  

There are brief videos on the Perfume Tree website which tell you a little more about the botanicals and stories behind them, so immerse yourselves and have a virtual tour of the traditional businesses which supply them. These are the places I want to see and visit when travelling. Yes, it's nice to sit in a fancy bar or restaurant and admire the view, but for me, backstreet and off the beaten track tourism is the only way to travel. 

So while I sip this beautiful cocktail, which is a sensory delight, I shall close my eyes and dream!

White Perfume (recipe from the Perfume Trees website)

45ml Perfume Trees Gin

15ml Italicus

10ml Simple Syrup

15ml Lemon Juice

1 egg white 

Dry shake to emulsify and then add ice and wet shake. Strain and enjoy.

I've had to jet over to the next stop on my #virtualworldgintour, as I've a lot of ground to cover and absolutely need to be back in London for #worldginday

Any visit to Japan needs to include Hiroshima and whilst I'm not going to go into any of its history, I am going to drink a local gin, Sakurao. This gin has won several awards and at 47% ABV it isn't too shy either! It uses 9 botanicals grown around Hiroshima, which makes it rather unique, but as with many other brands, they do import and use base botanicals from countries around the world.

This is a gin that is not shouting to be anything other than what it is - classic. It's citrus forward, not too much juniper on the nose but it's there and it has a long spicy finish. They have a few gins in their range, one with cherry blossoms and oyster shells, another using some of the local or coastal herbs, but this is their original and there's no frills about it. They also make a range of liqueurs and have a whisky which should be ready next year.  

The gin is distilled using a combination of steeping and vapour distillation. It's packed with citrus, including green lemon, bitter orange, yuzu, sweet orange and also Japanese Cypress, Green Tea, Red Perilla and Ginger. It's probably perfect for your G&T, martini or even a negroni, but I've chosen to try out one of the cocktails from their website.

Sito La Brise - The Sea Breeze from Sito Inland Sea

20ml Sakurao Gin

20ml Lemon Rocks - this is a citrus liqueur which they also make, but I substituted with Distillato di Limone

20ml Grapefruit juice

1/2 teaspoon Blue Curacao

Salt to garnish glass

I've headed north to the most northern distillery in Japan, Asahikawa, on the Northern Island of Hokkaido. This is the least populated of all of the islands and is cooler in summer than the rest of Japan and if you are a skier, this is where you would be heading in winter. Asahikawa is Hokkaido's second-largest city and is set against a beautiful backdrop of the volcano, mountains and forests. Nearby you also have beautiful lavender and flower fields and plenty of hiking trails to explore. Asahikawa is also famous for it's wood crafts and traditional dyeing and weaving, disciplines which take time and patience and so when you look at the branding around Etsu Gin, you can start to understand what it's all about.

Of course, Yuzu is going to feature and quite prominently and the Asahikawa distillery also include green bitter orange peel, sansho pepper and tea leaves along with traditional botanicals. As with many gins, in order to extract the best from the botanicals, some are macerated and then distilled in a copper still and then diluted with local water. In this case, they use precious water from the nearby Taisetsu Mountains and also charcoal filter for optimal purity.

Etsu means pleasure and this gin is certainly a joy to drink. I've played heavily on the yuzu content and made a sour using not only Etsu gin, but also yuzu liqueur. Interestingly yuzu is not only used for cooking and perfumes, but also for ritualistic baths in Toji, the winter solstice, which is the peak of the yuzu season. This ritual is seen as not just medicinal, but also pleasurable as Yuzu oil contains nomilin, which provides a relaxation effect and promotes circulation, just what I need to continue my journey around the world. 

Just a quick mention again about the branding. It's the most beautifully presented bottle I think I've seen, with a beautiful geisha peacefully fitting on a golden lotus blossom with the mountains in the background. She has a Shinto shrine on her head to reflect Japan's religion and she looks to be meditating and holding in her hands a repeating reflection of herself. This infinity image again promotes mindfulness and peace and this brief stop, albeit virtual, has certainly given me time to reflect of life and practice a little mindfulness.

When I read the label on the bottle and it said "Our Triple Juniper Gin is a juniper judo chop right in the flavour bone" I knew that the only place to follow my virtual tour of Japan would be in South Australia, taking in the views from apparently the tallest hill in McLaren Vale.

There are many similarities between South Africa and Australia, not least the climate and reading all about the unique wine region in McLaren Vale made me think back to Cape Town and the wine growing areas there. The founders (George, Sean and Tim) of Never Never Distilling have gone the extra to ensure that a visit to their distillery will be a regular occurrence, with not only distillery tours, tastings, an onsite bar, outside seating and picnic areas, but should you wish to make a full day of it, they have ensured there will be food on site too via an Italian-Mediterranean kitchen. Pizza, gin and a vista - my kinda heaven!

Although they didn't start out on Chalk Hill, they knew that this is where they wanted to end up and so their label design is a representation of McLaren Vale and serendipitously it happens to be pretty close in design to the actual view when you park up at the distillery. They were also very much inspired by the Never Never, from which they take their name. This comes from the term used to describe the vast Australian expanse beyond the horizon, for to step into the Never Never is to be adventurous and make a journey into the unknown, which I'm sure mirrors the journey they have had setting up their distillery. They wanted to start a juniper revolution all over again and bring juniper back to the limelight and they certainly have done just that.

Triple Juniper gin is so-called as they process the juniper three different ways - by steeping, pot and vapour distillation. Juniper is at the heart of everything they make and along with your classic botanicals and bags of citrus, they also use the Australian pepper berry. For a relatively new business, they have racked up several awards and have an excellent range of products on offer.  

I'm serving this up as a classic G&T, in a wine glass, because I'm fancy and with a sprig of lemon thyme and a twist. I'm sure there is pizza in the fridge too - won't be as good, but thank goodness for my imagination! Cheers guys!

It's nearly time to move on, but a trip to Australia would not be complete without a stop in Sydney and a ferry ride over to Manly Beach. I was fortunate to be part of the online launch for Lilly Pilly recently, so I've already had a virtual tour of the Manly Spirits Distillery and someday I would love to visit in person. This is a family owned distillery with the founders David and his wife Vanessa at the forefront of operations. Their beautiful bottles are tactile and intricate, right down to their trademark Eastern Blue Devil Fish on the base and it's certainly not one of those you will ever want to throw in the recycling. In fact, if you are local, you can take your bottle down and have it refilled at the Steampunk Fish refilling station at the distillery. This was something they commissioned from a local artist and is also made up from recycled metals and parts.  

Their spirits take inspiration from the stunning marine environment and coastline around them and they use sustainably foraged native and marine botanicals. Their Australian Dry Gin includes alongside your traditional botanicals, sea lettuce, finger limes, anise myrtle and mountain pepper leaf. 

I decided to make a cocktail that was sea inspired and paid tribute to their local surroundings. I made a slushy of sorts using their Australian Dry gin, lime juice and tonic water and carefully topped it with blue curacao, to give the effect of the sea and breaking waves.

And so I also have to wave goodbye now to Australia and move on, otherwise I'll never make it back to London by World Gin Day! Where to next? Keep following to see where I next land!

I've ventured over to explore the south island and visit the town of Cardrona, which was the centre of the region's gold mining industry in the 1800s. You can still visit the historic Cardrona Hotel today, which is a popular apres-ski spot during winter and the area is also good for hiking and mountain biking in the summer months.

One of New Zealand's fastest growing super premium distilleries is situated in the valley and is founded by a husband and wife duo, Desiree and Ash Whitaker. Desiree has had a lifelong romance with whisky and after many years of study, research and planning, they founded the distillery in 2015 to make Single Malt Whisky, Gin, Single Malt Vodka and limited edition liqueurs. Not only have they sourced the very best equipment from all over the world, but they also use as many locally sourced ingredients as they can, as this gives their drinks a very unique flavour profile.  

The Source Gin includes locally foraged rosehip, juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, lemon and orange zest and is vapour distilled into their single malt spirit. They don't chill-filter, so you get that lovely louche when you add ice and tonic. Upon first taste of this last year, I had to buy the bottle, as it really is exceptional, so should you see it on your travels, don't hesitate to acquire your own.

But I need to step back to the history of the town again and the gold rush of the 1800s. My inspiration for this cocktail is taken from one of the richest mines in the Cardrona Valley during the 1860s Gold Rush. It was the owner's custom to shout "gin & raspberry" whenever a bucket of pay-dirt yielded an ounce of gold and thus the mine was so-called. This story is best told by Martin Curtis, a singer-songwriter, who lives in the valley and I've included a link in my bio to his recording on YouTube - do listen to it, as it's a lovely tune and really sets the mood for this cocktail and gives a bit of background about the location.

The cocktail - well, it's gin and muddled raspberries, strained, a little grenadine for extra colour and sweetness, loads of crushed ice and topped with tonic water.... quite simply delicious and worth its weight in gold!

My virtual trip has almost got me all the way round the world, and this evening I am in the land of gauchos and the Tango. The reason I want to stop here is because I have noticed more and more mention of Yerba Maté as a gin botanical or a drink/cocktail mixer over the past couple of months and whether this is a new trend or not, I'm not sure, but it sparked my curiosity for research yet again. I found some Tea Pigs Yerba Maté tea and tried this to educated myself on its taste, which is similar to a green tea. Maté also happens to be used in a common drink in Argentina called Tereré, which is made steeping the dried leaves with other herbs in iced water. The origins of the drink are in Paraguay, but it's commonly drunk across South America and like most teas, contains caffeine and with it many associated benefits.   

But where does all this fit into gin? Well, one of the most celebrated and talented mixologists in Latin America came home to roost in Buenos Aires and opened a speakeasy beneath a flower and wine shop called Floreria Atlantico. Tato Giovannoni's bar has featured as one of the top bars in the world and before long he put his genius to work and created several spirits, including a gin, inspired by his heritage; Botanicals in Apostoles include fresh maté leaves, eucalyptus, peppermint, pink grapefruit peel, juniper and coriander. There's a definite freshness in tasting this gin, with a soft and pleasant menthol taste. It's also incredibly smooth with a creamy mouthfeel. I wouldn't say its very juniper forward, so if resinous, piney flavours aren't your thing, then this one may be for you.  

The perfect serve suggested on their website is a negroni, but as this is the first time I'm showcasing this gin on my page, I felt it appropriate to try and recreate one of the cocktails that was on the inaugural menu of his bar - the Cyn Tonic. Now whilst I don't have any Cynar, I have used Amaro Montenegro, which is also Italian and of course added tonic. Although it has no significance and imparts no real flavour in the final product, it's a key ingredient in Cynar, so I've garnished my drink with a piece of artichoke! The recommended garnish is of course eucalyptus, which I don't have either and neither do I have any empanadas to enjoy with this drink! Totally failed on the food side today - sorry ginpals that have requested local food with these posts - lockdown problems!

50ml Apostoles, 25ml Amaro Montenegro, Stir on ice and top with tonic. Do try this one....it's delicious!

I've moved on today to Brazil's largest city, as I head north on the final leg of my round the world gin tour! My cocktail today is a gimlet, which is the gin cousin of a popular Brazilian cocktail, the Caipirinha - quite simply gin, lime juice and sugar syrup. 

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McQueen and the Violet Fog is distilled in the hills of Jundiai near São Paulo, however it is owned by an independent US spirits company, Sovereign Brands, whose driving force is CEO Brett Berish. Brett's beliefs echo the Latin words embossed on the bottle "Pauca Sed Bona", [Quality over Quantity] and his focus is on creating high quality brands. In doing so, they are taking on the world's leading spirits companies, such as Diageo, LVMH and Bacardi. He doesn't play by the rules and it's certainly working for the maverick business. They do not hire consulting firms, marketing agencies or even use focus groups, but rather make "gut" decisions based on what they think the market will like. Mistakes have happened, but they have learned from them and in the 20 years they have been around, this family owned business has been responsible for successfully launching spirits in several categories, notably Luc Belaire champagne and Bumbu Rum and have collaborated with many music legends, including JayZ and DJ Khaled. 

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What is unique is not the distillation process, which is a combination of both maceration and vapour infusion, but that they wanted their gin to stand out from the rest and feature all of the six flavour profiles on the gin flavour wheel. Their base spirit is sugarcane and they include botanicals sourced from around the world. These include lemongrass, pomelo, jasmine, basil, rosemary, fennel seed, calamansi, star anise and also locally grown acai. 

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The name of the gin comes from a poem which recounts a meeting with a mysterious rock band. The back of the bottle features the final two stanzas of this, whilst the copper branding is a nod to the copper still used. If you even look closely on the label you will see beneath the crown, 2 hands pointing at it and the latin XXI - 21 botanicals!

This morning I've an earworm that I'll leave you all to figure out, but I'm in West Virginia - that's your clue! My breakfast martini is made using the gorgeously smooth, Greenbrier Gin, which is citrus forward with rich, nutty caramel notes and a little spicy finish. It's not your classic London Dry and makes me think of sipping a bourbon. It's definitely a step outside of my comfort zone and I kind of like it and think I would be quite happy to sip this one on the rocks!  

So, sipping my martini and admiring the view of the surrounding mountains, but what about Smooth Ambler Spirits? Well, this is a small business run by two friends who set up their distillery in the 2008 with the aim to produce a range of spirits from whisky through to gin. They are a true grain to glass producer and believe in sourcing the best ingredients they can and from local producers. They make their own vodka using a mix of corn, wheat and malted barley and redistil this with a juniper, coriander, cardamom, lemon peel, black peppercorns, orange and angelica, to create their Greenbrier Gin. It's quite clear that the base spirit here makes all the difference, as their belief is that if you are going to pay good money for a vodka, it actually needs to taste of something and not be a totally neutral spirit. There is a definite richness which comes through and it noses very different to a normal gin - this is one you can really give a good sniff to as it doesn't burn or knock you for a six because it smells of chemicals or alcohol! For me, this is a sign of quality and a gin that doesn't disappoint.

I'm back in the old Dutch colony of Brooklyn and paying a virtual visit to the New York Distilling Company and once again stepping right outside my comfort zone when it comes to trying something new!  

Gouwane was a legendary Chief of the Canarsees back when Brooklyn was still Dutch. He was very good to the settlers and it is said in 1639 he sold the entire island of Manhattan to the governor of New Netherlands for the princely sum of $24 worth of beads and trinkets and so they honoured him by naming a community and Bay after him. Gowanus is translated as "sleep" or "sleeper" and so as I need to crack on and catch a (virtual) red-eye next, I thought it was a good gin to feature!

Chief Gowanus Gin is based on an American recipe from around 1809 which confirmed that the colonials used rye to produce a Dutch-style gin. NY Distilling Co use an unaged whiskey and redistill this with juniper and hops and then age it in an oak barrel for somewhere between 3 and 9 months. It smells much more like a cognac to me than a gin, and in terms of flavour, it's really foreign to my juniper trained tastebuds! However, it's not unpleasant - quite spicy, warm and woody and I think where the juniper comes in is the finish, which is slightly resinous. In terms of the reference to Dutch-style, as much as I know about genever from back then, it was really spicy to cover up some really nasty ingredients, so spiciness is definitely spot on! It's recommended to use in Negronis but they also have a recipe for a Martinez on their website, so I went with this instead but I will be trying to find other serves with this over time and will share those I enjoy. The Martinez worked for me, although I may tweak ingredients next time and until I get used to this style of gin.  

MARTINEZ COCKTAIL

1 ½ oz (40ml) Chief Gowanus - New-Netherland Gin

1 ½ oz (40ml) Vermouth

1/8 oz (20ml) Orange Liqueur

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

The Golden State

We don't distill to meet your expectations, we distill to exceed your imagination. 

These are words off the website for St. George Spirits and it certainly seems appropriate to stop there on my virtual tour! Terroir Gin is pretty much a forest in your glass and this is exactly what they intended! Sipping on it transports you to the forests of California and this really deserves to be served in a big balloon glass so that you can get your nose right in when you sip - I thought my stemless glass would be good enough for this, but it failed! However, the gin still stood up to my expectations and although it's not a new bottle in my collection, it's one of my favourites and one I hide from any guests.....the gin is mine!

A classic g&t is all this needs and so I'm going to sip and inhale for a short while and then dash off, as I've got to get a couple more stops in before I'm back in the UK for World Gin Day on Saturday.

I'm on the final furlong and racing to back to London tomorrow, but I had to stop for tea at the gorgeous Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria on Vancouver Island. Much like Winston Churchill, I have asked for gin in my virtual teapot and I'm enjoying a gorgeous Empress 1908 Gin Sour.

Guests at this hotel range from stars such as Shirley Temple, John Wayne, British Royalty and let's not forget doggie royalty too, as Lassie had a brief overnight nap there too, so I'm in good company I think.

The Empress is one of the oldest hotels in Victoria and was completed in 1908. It was designed to look like a Chateau and was to act as a terminus hotel for Canadian Pacific's steamship line. This was rather shortlived as they stopped passenger services to the city a few years later and so it was remarketed as a tourist hotel and has recently had a multi-million dollar makeover.  

One of the oldest artisan distilleries in Canada is also located in Victoria and was established as recently as 2008. They have collaborated with mixologists and the Fairmont Empress to make Empress 1908 Gin. Using traditional botanicals, but also a signature blend of black tea which is served at the hotel, as well as butterfly pea blossom, they have brought to market this absolutely stunning gin.  

It's the butterfly pea flowers that give it the beautiful indigo colour and this changes with the addition of different mixers, so you can make drinks ranging from bright lavender, to pink or fuschia. A gin sour is perfect to showcase this and is one of my favourite cocktails.

I'm off again and heading over the north pole back towards Europe - I may squeeze one more stop in for breakfast before I'm back in London - after all, even Phileas Fogg only needed to be back at the Reform Club for 8.45pm so I'm taking full advantage of the time! Question is..... what gin do they serve at the Reform Club? 

It's #worldginday - I have completed my #virtualworldgintour and I am back in London by 8.45pm.

Inspired by the Jules Verne story, I am finishing my trip with a (virtual) cocktail at the Reform Club in London and there is only one gin that I believe is fitting for this - the absolutely amazing No. 3 Gin from Berry Bros & Rudd. This gin is the epitome of a classic London Dry, has been voted the world's best gin four times and is the only gin to ever win Supreme Champion Spirit.  

The Reform Club was one of the first clubs in the country to admit women back in 1981 and so whilst I am not a member, I have actually worked there back in the late 1980s and seen it's splendorous interior. I don't know what gin they serve there, but I would hope it's No. 3!

The cocktail I've decided on is the Vesper Martini, which I'm sure we are all familiar with. However, my virtual world tour would not be complete with one last gin story! Lockdown has afforded us the luxury of being able to watch and listen to many podcasts and lives on social media and in one of the interviews I watched recently with the Maestro, he spoke of his total disdain at martinis which are shaken. I won't go into all his reasons, but he said it cost him Hollywood fame and he's actually fine with that! It turns out that he was offered the part of the bartender in Casino Royale, where Bond orders a Vesper and in true flamboyant Italian style, he said "No thanks, I will never shake a martini"!

So salute Salvatore and Happy World Gin day to everyone - here's a Vesper that is stirred and in a champagne coupe, which is how Ian Fleming wanted it served.