Drinks Enthusiast: Tasting notes for My Gineration's handmade fruit liqueurs

MY GINERATION: Handmade fruit liqueurs

By David Marsland, Drinks Enthusiast

MM columnist and Drinks Enthusiast, David Marsland, gives tasting notes straight from My Gineration...

A new addition to the ever-growing gin category has got a local feel to it, with Chester being the origins to My Gineration and their selection of fruit liqueurs.

The My Gineration liqueurs are made entirely by hand in the village of Mollington, located just outside Chester, and are made using simple and pure ingredients – fruit, sugar, alcohol and most importantly time.

Creator Rosie Sedgwick has been making sloe gin for her family for many years (using a recipe given to her by a neighbour soon after she moved to Mollington) when a lack of sloes one year prompted her to experiment with other fruits.  Later she gave a bottle as a thank you to a local businessman who had supported a village fundraising event, little knowing he was Peter Papprill the famous “Cheese Detective” of Pendrill 1651 Ltd. After encouraging words from Peter, Rosie decided to start selling her range, and still produces to this day.

With the use of large amounts of local fruits wherever possible (the sloes, damsons, elderberries and crabapples come from the hedgerows of Mollington), it creates an intensity of flavour which can be sipped neat or added to Champagne or Cava, or even poured over ice cream.

In 2009, the awards started to roll in, with Fine Foods Northwest acknowledging Silky Raspberry Liqueur, and in 2010 they handed one out to Gooseberry Liqueur. A collaboration with the Chester Whisky & Liqueur Company has created Orange Liqueur, with a Peach Liqueur for the Piste Restaurant in Tarporley.

As for myself, I’ve been lucky enough to try four from the range, so below, I give to you all my tasting notes.

My Gineration Damson Gin Liqueur - 17%

A slow release of subtle damson aromas on the nose, with a sharp kick of damson on the tongue resulting in a slight sourness. A freshness develops into a mouth-watering reaction, but a rather short finish.

My Gineration Silky Raspberry Liqueur - 17%

Fresh raspberries on the nose, with lots of deep, bold, ripe flavours mixing well. A rather subtle taste of raspberry on the palate, and not as bold as the nose originally suggested.

My Gineration Sloe Gin Liqueur – 17.2%

Very light and fresh on the nose that leads to a bold offering of sloe berries on the palate with a hint of sweetness that creates a long lingering finish.

My Gineration Gooseberry Liqueur - 16.9%

Lots of fresh, ripe gooseberries on the nose that creates a rather potent aroma. A very strong finish on the palate with a good hit of gooseberry and lots of sweetness. A little dry near the end.

So four very good choices, with my personal favourite being the sloe gin liqueur. However I can see the Damson working rather well in a Kir Royale and the Raspberry being used to create a Berry Variation -

Glass -

Martini

Ingredients -

40ml Silky Raspberry Gin
15ml Maraschino Liqueur
10ml Fresh lemon juice
10ml Syrup

Method -

Shake together and garnish with a mint leaf.

With plenty of other flavours available, including cranberry, blueberry, passion fruit and elderberry, as well as some quirky fruits like prune, crabapple and even a Christmas pudding flavour, and an upcoming Tayberry liqueur, their seems to be plenty to experiment with.

Rosie even has the Wedding market tapped, with exclusive offers to have the My Gineration flavours as part of your wedding day festivities!

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