About Gin Meridor Our chosen gin for November is the fabulous Gin Meridor, a premium hand crafted French gin from the Loire Valley in North-Western France. This multiple Gold Award winning gin has been distilled using juniper and orange along with exotic spices and local hand-picked botanicals such as elderflower and rose. Gin Meridor was created by Franck Choisne, the owner and operator of Combier Distillery, after two years of research and development on the perfect gin recipe.The name Meridor is in reverence to the beautiful young lady, Diane de Meridor who lived in the Chateau de Monsoreau in the fifteenth century. Her legend lives on through Alexandre Dumas' novel La Dame de Monsoreau, which portrays her tragic romance with Louis de Bussy d'Amboise as they are caught between the jealous rage of the Duke d'Anjou and the deceitful Count of Monsoreau. The gin not only benefits from the local botanicals of the area but also distillation in the original historic copper stills at Combier Distillery, in a vaulted room designed by none other than Gustave Eiffel himself. It was in these stills that the the first ever triple sec, ‘Original Combier’, was created - decades before triple sec brands such as Cointreau and Grand Marnier. Whether it be the zest of the botanicals or simply the orangey fragrances in the atmosphere of the still room, the gin pairs perfectly with orange. Our gin curators recommend enjoying Gin Meridor with a wedge of fresh orange or the sliver of dried orange included in your November box. Distillation Room at Combier Distillery Designed by Gustave EiffelPhoto - Combier Distillery Tasting Notes Gin Type: London Dry Gin Appearance: Clear, Colourless, Bright Aroma: Deep spicy-citrus with a floral essence Palate: A flash of spice followed by floral and subtle citrus Botanicals: 8 varieties incl. orange, cubeb pepper & local flowers Finish: A rose and elderflower burst About the Combier Distillery Combier Distillery, one of France’s Oldest DistilleriesPhoto - Garden Street Gin Club Jean-Baptiste Combier, the founder of Combier distillery, started off life as a confectioner making traditional liqueur filled ‘bonbons’. Jean-Baptiste married in to a Dutch family when he wed his wife Josephine and it was her family’s ties to the Dutch spirits from the island of Curacao that took his life in a different direction. The sweet, bitter alcohols sparked his interest and so he converted his confectionery shop in 1848 to the Combier Distillery as we know it today. Together with his son James, Jean Baptiste built Combier distillery to become a famous and award winning purveyor of huge array of absinthes and liqueurs. For the next 160 years the Combier Distillery expanded their product lines and continued to be a successful player on the French and global hand crafted liqueur market. It wasn’t until 1994 that Combier took a different turn, when a young man named Franck Choisne became the general manager of the distillery. Franck saw huge potential with the exquisite product lines offered by this small distillery, and within a few short years became the CEO and majority shareholder. Franck’s dream and business acumen has transformed Combier, which is currently undergoing a period of expansion and rapid growth, into a unique distillery driven by a culture of new ideas and creativity. One of these new ideas, which we have real pleasure in bringing to you in the November box, is Gin Meridor. This London Dry Gin is a testament to Franck’s attention to detail and the distillery’s unique craftsmanship, setting it apart from anything you may have tried before. The Perfect Meridor Gin and Tonic INGREDIENTS: 30ml Gin Meridor 90ml Daylesford Tonic A wedge of fresh orange / sliver of dried orange Mmm yum! Picture - Orange Gin and Tonic Image - Plumm Cocktail of the Month Lady Meridor Picture - Orange Gin and Tonic Image - Plumm INGREDIENTS: 30ml Original Combier Triple Sec 60ml Gin Meridor 30ml Lemon Juice 1 whipped egg white Dehydrated Orange Garnish METHOD: Combine all the ingredients in to a a cocktail shaker with crushed ice Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass Garnish with a slither of dried orange Reviews "Meridor is quintessentially french! Think lavender fields in Provence, elderflowers from the Loire, topped off with a spritz of citrus. Amazing on its own, over ice or with the zest of orange." Tom - Garden Street Gin Connoisseur "I had the opportunity to try a Gin Meridor and Daylesford Tonic at one of your gin tastings and was super surprised and amazed about how fruity and sweet a gnt could taste. I can’t wait to see what else you guys bring out as part of your subscription!" Brian - Garden Street Gin Club Member
