Sandymount Chapter Four Gin

Every Christmas morning, three teenage boys rowed a small boat out into Otago Harbour to pull in a fishing net, hoping for a catch; mostly they brought back seaweed and hours of net repairs. That childhood memory of the Otago Peninsula became Chapter Four, part of Sandymount Distillery's Chapter Series, a gin made with three species of kelp from the same harbour. It is bottled at 44% ABV and won gold at the New Zealand Small BatchSmall batchProduction in small quantities per distillation run, often in a small still. The term has no legal definition.Glossary Gin Awards 2024, along with a silver medal at that year's national Spirits Awards.

Citrus · Herbal

Sandymount describes it as coastal in nature, with salinity, umami and bright, zesty notes. A clean citrus lift opens the nose over a greener, mineral impression.

On the palate, a gentle salinity arrives first, followed by the savoury depth that kelpKelpA brown seaweed from Atlantic shores, briny and rich in umami.Glossary brings, close to the taste of a light seaweed broth. JuniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary holds the gin together, and the zesty notes return on the finish so the sea character never feels heavy. The result tastes of the shore rather than of the sea itself: savoury, lightly salty and fresh.

That savoury side makes it a natural partner for seafood, and an obvious choice for a dry MartiniDry MartiniGin and a little dry vermouth, stirred over ice and served in a well-chilled stemmed glass, with an olive or a twist.Glossary with a lemon twistTwistA strip of peel twisted over the glass to release its oils, then dropped into the drink.Glossary. A Gibson, with a cocktail onion, or a Red Snapper, the gin version of the Bloody Mary, also suits its umami. Fresh oysters on the side make an obvious pairing.

For a long drink, pour 45 ml of Chapter Four into a balloon glassCopa glassA large stemmed balloon glass, popularised by the Spanish gin and tonic: it stays cold for longer and gathers the aromas above the drink.Glossary filled with ice and add 100 ml of Fentimans Traditional Tonic Water slowly down the side. Add a lemon twist, a grapefruit twist and a little samphire to the glass, and serve the same garnish on a small plate beside it. The tonic's classic bitterness frames the salinity, the citrus brightens it, and the samphire echoes the shore.