Gin and Things....

On Saturday the 25th of November Tailend transformed itself from seafood restaurant to gin grotto! 
We had a beautiful botanical table. Showcasing all our chosen garnishes, from honey and blue berries to fresh mint and lemon. We also offered our guests samples of local, Bon Accord tonics which pairs just perfectly to the Gin. Steve McKay, Eden Mills amazing Brand Ambassador was also giving tasters of the new Blend works Gin, so delicious and of course were a huge hit with our guests.
This evenings menu was created with a Mediterranean flare, using warm flavours and hearty, gently spiced food. A beautiful contrast to the cold, wet weather outside.  

On arrival we offered our guests a delicious cocktail of Eden Mill Love Gin and Prosecco, garnished with a fresh raspberry.  This was a great start to an evening of fantastic gins and incredible food - if we do say so ourselves. 
To accompany the cocktail we served our guests confit monkfish with tomato salsa and coriander, fantastic and the perfect entry, starting the evening off with a bang!!

For first course we served seared scallop, crispy serrano ham, chorizo sauce and herb dressing. We have decided to use the award-winning Hop Gin twice in the menu this evening. The botanicals in this gin just match perfectly to our menu.

The Chilli we have added to the gin works together with our chorizo and crispy Serrano ham pairing both dish and gin together. The warm flavours and spices sat alongside our beautiful fresh, gentle scallop really enhance the natural taste to the Scottish scallop.
​
The acidity in the lemon cuts through the fat from the chorizo and cleans the palette making the heavy, flavoursome dish feel very fresh and clean. ​

For the second course we served a spicy sea bream taco, red slaw, avocado & scallions. We paired this with original gin W’ lemongrass & lime.
 
This delicious dish is our take on everyone’s favourite Mexican staple; Tacos! We decided to show case sea bream tonight on this evenings menu. This dish is made so that you can easily recreate this at home. It’s so simple but so amazing!
The original gin was the best choice for this dish as the citrus notes found in the gin help add a sweet element and the lemon balm in the botanic’s works with the lemongrass we have used a garnish.
Again, this helps work as a palette cleanser meaning these flavour packed dishes do not become to over powering for the gin. 

For the third course we offered a delish seafood Stew. Made with Squid, Clams, Mussels & Haddock served with Hop Gin W’ Coriander.
 
This hearty seafood stew is a truly comforting, perfect on these cold, dark nights.
The apricot found in the gin helps balance out the spices found in the seafood stew and gives a slightly sweet note. The beautiful aromatic coriander matches perfectly with the gin and marries together the botanicals in the Hop and the flavours from the stew to all work together as one beautiful course. 

The fourth course served was Golf Gin Jelly with  Pink Peppercorns, Grapefruit & Basil 
​
This course has been created as a palette cleanser to help lead on from the hearty stew to the decadent dessert. The floral notes from the Basil and sweet hickory wood from the gin create the perfect stepping stone from savoury to sweet. The pink peppercorn not only adds a beautiful bit of colour it also stops the dish from becoming too sweet.
This dish is a little bit extra special as the Golf Gin is now no longer in production and is fast becoming very hard to get a hold of. 
So, this fun little intermediate course is our way of saying goodbye to a truly delicious gin! We’re looking forward to what the masterminds at Eden come up with for the next golf gin. 

Sticky Toffee Pudding & Marmalade paired with Oak Gin W’ Orange
 
For our final course we served this delicious sticky toffee pudding is the only choice of dessert at this time of year.
This rich oak spiced gin with notes of caramel, vanilla, and a touch of fudge was almost made for Sticky Toffee Pudding. This is a truly decadent, rich tasting dessert. Paired together with sweet but sharp orange it was just wonderful.

​During the evening we also held a charity raffle with all proceeds going to Tay Fm's, Cash for Kids, Mission Christmas. Helping underprivileged children in Tayside and Fife, ensuring all children will wake up to presents on Christmas Day!!
A huge thank you to all the businesses who donated to our raffle, you really helped us raise money and awareness to a fabulous cause. 
M Boutique
Dr Noodles 
Balgove larder
Eden Mill 
New Picture House St Andrews 
​Jumping Joeys
Dundee Ice Arena 
If you would like to find out more about Mission Christmas please click the link below. 
Tay Fm's Mission Christmas

We hope all our guests enjoyed the evening as much as we enjoyed hosting it. Follow our social media below to find out about our next events at either our St Andrews or Dundees restaurants.