Edinburgh Gin Tasting Night

Gin Night - 7th July 2018

For our first course we served Scallops, Cucumber and Sauce Vierge 
paired with Edinburgh Gin and Juniper Berries & Lemongrass
For the first course of the night wanted to kick off with a fresh and light dish. This dish is so delicate and fresh there was only one gin for it....
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​The Edinburgh gin is a classic London Dry style gin. A clean, zesty, juniper-forward gin which balances softness with bright citrus. Launched in 2010, this is their modern London Dry gin, with a nod to Scotland in its recipe including native plants and botanicals.
A unique blend of fourteen botanicals includes lavender, pine buds, mulberries and cobnuts. Orange peel, lemongrass and lime peel contribute lively citrus notes. Created by hand in their West End and Leith distilleries, this is a delightfully crisp gin with a distinctively smooth finish. Garnished with lemongrass to bring forward the citrus elements, which work beautifully with the scallops. Juniper berries help to enhance the fresh clean flavours from the cucumber.​

For our second course we served Mackerel, Herbs, Coconut & Lime 
Paired with Edinburgh Seaside Gin, Samphire and Anchovie
The seaside gin was inspired by East Coast beaches near Edinburgh. A unique London Dry style gin defined by juniper, soft salinity and sweet notes. Using sourced marine plants including scurvy grass, ground ivy and bladderwrack to create a gin with distinctive minerality. These are complemented with aromatic spice notes from grains of paradise, coriander and cardamom.

​Again, this is a beautiful clean course designed to let all the delicate flavours work together to create a delish unique flavour. This dish is basically the seaside on a plate. So of course, the seaside gin was the perfect accompaniment. Garnished with samphire and an anchovy we are keeping the salty/ saline flavour strong throughout. We know an anchovy is an unusual garnish but just think of it as a seafood equivalent to an olive. The coconut and lime stop this dish from becoming too salty and add a much-needed hit of sweet.  The limes acidity cuts through the salt and cleans the palette. 

Third course was Seabass, Braised Lettuce & Pea Bisque 
paired to Edinburgh 1670 Gin, Mint, Fennel and Basil Leaf
A unique gin created in collaboration with Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and defined by complex herbaceous notes and spice. Bringing together the natural connection between botany and gin distilling, Edinburgh Gin 1670 is the result of an innovative partnership with Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RGBE). This gin draws inspiration from the gin unearthing of the ‘1670 Physic Garden’, originally created as a source of botanicals for use in medicinal remedies by two pioneering Edinburgh doctors, Robert Sibbald and Andrew Balfour. 
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We wanted to keep the herbaceous theme and used several different garnishes in this gin.  These really help to pull the aromatics through and give a beautiful fresh, floral nose. 
These notes complement the seabass dish beautifully. The light delicate fish picks up all these flavours perfectly, creating a bridge between the dish and the gin. 

Our main dish for the evening was Duck, Pomme Puree, Cherries and Raspberries 
paired with Edinburgh Gins Raspberry Liquer, Raspberries and Thyme
For the ‘main’ course we served seared duck with potato and summer berries. The raspberry and cherries keep it very summery and served with the raspberry liqueur it’s a gorgeous summer dish. This is the first time we have used a meat dish in any Tailend event and we were curious to see how our customers would feel about a meat dish in a typically seafood establishment but, safe to say everyone loved it! The duck was cooked to perfection and went beautifully with the gin.  

Supporting local produce and businesses is a huge part of Tailend, and Edinburgh Gin share the same passion. Sourcing local as much as possible. Perthshire is celebrated for producing the most flavoursome soft fruit and use raspberries from a family-owned farm in Alyth, Blairgowrie. The fruit is picked at peak ripeness to ensure the perfect balance; promising just the right amount of sweetness to balance the fruit’s natural tartness. They then infuse the freshly-picked fruit into their classic Edinburgh Gin along with sugar, leaving the berries to macerate for a month to extract maximum flavour.

For our final course we had Ginger Cake, Creme Anglaise, Rhubarb Compote
Paired with Edinburgh Rhubarb Gin, Ginger Beer, Lime and Cinnamon
Possibly Edinburgh Gins most well-loved product. We couldn’t do a tasting without including the Rhubarb gin. We specially created this dish to complement the gin. The ginger cake and rhubarb compote is Tailend’s foodie version of the gin. 

We used ginger beer instead of tonic in this gin for the acidity to cut through the sweetness of the cake. This means that the flavour is full with every bite. Using Freshly picked spring-crop rhubarb Edinburgh gin mix it with Oriental ginger and infuse with their classic Edinburgh Gin. The rhubarb and spice are left too steep for four weeks, allowing for the complex flavours to marry together.  

​Tickets for our Gin Night on the 4th of August are on sale now!
Our next Gin Night is paired with Eden Mill and will be using the new Golf Gin and the Limited Edition Summer Punch!! 
Available to purchase in store or online. BUY TICKETS HERE