Crawshay Rhubarb & Vanilla Gin

So today's gin is the Crawshay Rhubarb and Vanilla. Mmmm. taste those accents of Vanilla and the sweet and immediately noticeable bouquet of rhubarb.

I love rhubarb. A few years ago I went to the rhubarb triangle where Britain's entire supply of forced rhubarb is raised every year, in total darkness. Rhubarb excels in total darkness, straining towards the light that will never come. Force rhubarb tastes sublime, and every stalk comes from the sheds of Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell - nine square miles of pink stalked heaven.

This Crawshay gin has just the right tint of pink, even if the bottle is extremely pink. And I mean extremely pink. I once had a girlfriend who loved the hottest of hot pinks - it was the Eighties, what can i say?

Crawshay are a Welsh gin distillery, named after the eponymous Richard who moved from London to Wales in the 18th century after the infamous Gin Acts of 1751.

The government had been taxing gin heavily, and gin had been the drink of the poor. After the first gin act of 1729 increased the tax to 5 shillings a gallon, the second raised it to 20 shillings and there were subsequent gin riots which led to the Sale of Spirits Act of 1750. Now distillers could only sell to licensed premises and license holders - basically a cash and power grab by the wealthy merchant classes in the hopes that it would persuade the working British to give up their love of gin for a love of a new beverage they were importing, a leaf from the orient known as tea.

So there we go.

Americans often think that the taxes that resulted in the War of Independence was a uniquely American thing. But complaining about tax was a national pastime in London in the 18th century. The British had all sorts of obscure taxes - because we could.

Nothing personal, Yanks.

You can see how wires might be crossed. "The colonies are revolting, sire - they say they are paying too much in tax!" "Well, why don't they fuck off to Wales and brew gin like Richard Crawshay?" But no. War, declarations of Independence and at least one Broadway musical later we are here, in the now.

Crawshay's Rhubarb and Vanilla gin. Sublime. I think I might finish this and have another one.

After all, I don't want to waste my shot.

25th March 2020

This is a delightfully different Gin - lovely and smooth with real Rhubarb taste.
The we loved the balance of the Rhubarb and Vanilla...we had it with fever tree Mediterranean tonic - delightfully yummy

31st January 2020

I love Rhubarb and this gin is a great addition to my gin collection.

12th December 2019

I like other rhubarb gins and have tried Whitley Neil, Slingsby snd Nelson. This is a delicious and perfectly balanced drink.
I got a little ‘tart’ from the Rhubarb with sweetness from the Vanilla. It’s a lovely combination - DELICIOUS.
We had it with Fentimans Pink Lemonade and can highly recommend it!!

19th October 2019