The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2021 - Issue 29

BUTLER& Instead of buying flavoured gin or tonic water, Butler & Brewer advise Jada Brookes and other drinkers to use flavoured enhancers to add a distinct savour to their favourite G&T with plain tonic water. bitedrinks N ot wishing to use syrups and cordials to flavour their G&T, husband and wife duo Laren and Kirst Foord used the time during the first lockdown to seek a new way of adding desired flavours to their drinks. They didn’t want to utilise sugar, ar- tificial sweeteners or artificial flavourings to retain the characteristics of a quintessential G&T. After an exhaustive development pro- cess, the couple created naturally flavoured products that have exceeded their wildest ex- pectations. Butler & Brewer Tonic Enhancers allow you to flavour Tonic Water while retaining the bitterness that makes it so lush. Adding four dashes of the enhancer to your glass and top- ping it with regular, plain Tonic Water inten- sifies the flavoured drink and also releases incredible aromas out of the glass. “And in doing so, we’ve done away with the need for flavoured gin and vodka, or flavoured tonic waters, because now you can flavour your drink when you want [and] how you want, using the same Tonic Water you’d usually use.” The enhancers handcrafted to put a range of sublime flavours at the consumer’s fingertips are full of citrus, fruit and botanical flavours, with zero added sweetness. “It’s a contem- porary re-telling of a classic: no more sliced lemons and glasses crammed full of fruit sal- ad and sprigs of herbs. We’ve concentrated all that natural goodness into a glass bottle you can keep on the shelf.” With each flavour in- tensely personalised, Butler & Brewer aim to give G&T drinkers an insight into the authen- tic and inspired flavours they use. The elderflower, cucumber, and apple are a homage to the fruits and herbs that grow in Foord's beautiful family garden in Wiltshire. “We love that garden; it’s just divine, and sit- ting on the lawn enjoying a drink in the sum- mer with a hedge of elderflower and rows of apple trees in front of you is heavenly,” the couple revealed. “It’s the one flavour that doesn’t have a citrus-type note in it; instead, relying on the crisp tartness of a green apple.” A trip to Istanbul, Turkey, inspired the use of hibiscus, lime and pomegranate. “Buying pomegranate juice squeezed to order from street vendors and enjoying Turkish delight made with honey on a rooftop looking out over the Bosphorus was incredible,” they re- called. “It was something we wanted to cap- ture, but rose water can be pretty polarising, so we moved to hibiscus, which is beautifully floral but has none of the cosmetics/soapy vibe that rose [water] can sometimes have.” Using orange rind (instead of the fruit) with a hint of lemongrass and thyme created the marmalade orange flavour Laren and Kirst wanted to achieve. Rosemary, mint and lem- on, also driven by what grew in their garden, were the starting point for their proof of con- cept. The brand pointed out that it was vital to get the balance between the herbs and fruit right because “too much mint gives you toothpaste and too much rosemary [results] in cough syrup or lamb dinner.” The couple describes the raspberry, basil and lime as a slight indulgent, adding that Laren loves to add fruit, especially berries, to their salads in the summer and combine this with basil. “Sitting on a small beach south of Bar- celona in a chiringuito (bar selling drinks and tapas) sipping Puerto de Indias Strawberry Gin meant when we got back home, our salad berries became G&T berries!” Thus, this be- came the natural flavour combination Butler & Brewer wanted to pursue with raspberries as their berry of choice. The brand provides a few gin pairings with their flavoured enhancers to give consumers the ultimate taste. Elderflower, Cucumber, and Apple work well with London Dry Gin, the starting point for a classic G&T for many gin fans. Its crisp dryness makes it the perfect platform for the zingy green apple of the tonic enhancer. The juniper forwardness lies beau- tifully with the softness of the cucumber and floral sweetness of the elderflower. Whitley Neill Original, created by Johnny Neill, pays homage to the enigmatic beauty of his South African wife’s homeland with