A taste of the Great British summertime is being bottled and served over ice for the very first time. Strawberries and cream, generally offered as a dessert has been transformed into a limited edition gin by Poetic License.
The independent, small batch distillery, which crafts and packages its award-winning gins by hand, has spent six months perfecting the seasonal recipe, which is believed to be the first of its kind on general sale. It combines traditional botanicals, including juniper and coriander, with a mix of real strawberries and cream that are both distilled and infused to ensure a stronger, fruitier taste.
Poetic License Strawberries and Cream Picnic Gin, best served with a premium elderflower tonic water or lemonade and mixed fruit, is being produced in a limited-run only and sold, subject to availability. Distiller, Luke Smith comments, “Many flavoured gins are either distilled or infused but ours uses both processes to pack as big a punch as possible.”
John Bryden has called time on his 21-year tie with the award-winning Ice Factory nightclub in Perth‘s Shore Street and leased it out to Mike Jordan a former club DJ and the man behind the Zoo Nightclub, also in Perth.
Bryden, MD of Centroglobal, which also owns That Bar, The Loft, Roca Blu and the Tavern, now plans to turn the ground floor of the Shore road property into business units, if and when planning permission is obtained.
Bryden says, “It has been an exciting time, with spin-offs for many other businesses in Perth down the years. But none of us are getting any younger and I felt the time was right to move on and focus on our other business interests in Perth city centre.”
He continues, “I do look back fondly on our years at the Ice Factory. The decision to invest heavily in an off city centre venue raised a few eyebrows back in 1994 but we went on to attract many prestigious awards and clubbers from all over the country.
“I tapped into my many contacts on the Ibiza music scene and at its peak the Rhumba Club, influenced heavily by the likes of Cream in Liverpool and Renaissance, would see 1300 clubbers enjoying the very best international deejays.
“The opening bash was a night to remember, with Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange among the guests. They had been filming Rob Roy in the area.
“Other big names on the guest lists down the years have included Jordan, or Katie Price as she now prefers to be known, Kate Moss, Jude Law, Sadie Frost and Meg Matthews. We also had any number of the EastEnders cast coming along and on one occasion Frank Bruno was in the booth.
“More recently we had Dundee band The View in Perth and The Undertones also made an appearance.”
While the Ice Factory continues under new management, John has already invested £250,000 in a refurbishment of That Bar, putting greater emphasis on food during the day and at night.
“That investment adds up to a show of faith in the future of Perth city centre,” said Bryden.