Last week, we launched Patience.
A name which felt increasingly fitting with each passing day. It's been over two years since we first dropped Davis Simmons' damsons into our gin barrels. A lot has changed since then.
It's funny, for more 20 years we have been actively lowering our production time. When making jam, the quicker we can cook the fruit the better the flavour and colour. To add fruit into a barrel and wait two years - that's a level of endurance we're not used to.
But when you're infusing, Patience is key...
I remember opening our barrels earlier this summer, nervously anticipating what our Damson Gin would taste like. Had the time been worth it? What if we'd waited too long? A glowing smile followed. It's deeply aromatic, warming, fruity, not too sweet & not too sour. Just right.
We are so proud of Patience. Time well spent.
Three Damson Cocktail Recipes
To celebrate the launch of Patience, we invited Charlie from Jensen's - our gin providers - down to make us some cocktails. He developed 3 beautiful drinks using the Patience Damson Gin.
The first thing Charlie said was, "This is an incredibly easy drink to work with". He's right, the lack of sugar means it's a brilliant way to introduce fruit into your cocktails without making them overly sweet.
Charlie designed 3 recipes, ranging from incredibly easy to still easy but you'll need a cocktail shaker. They're all super delicious and fun to make. Enjoy!
Patience & Thyme
"A simple drink made in the glass", Charlie says, "This is a really great drink because the Patience Damson Gin brings out the strawberry notes of the Lillet Rose. It's incredibly quick and easy to make and the thyme brings it alive".
You'll Need:
- 40ml Patience Damson Gin
- 40ml Lillet Rose
- A dash of Orange Flower Water
- Lemon thyme sprig
- Large block of ice
To Make:
- Simply add the Patience Damson Gin, Lillet Rose and Orange Flower Water into a glass over a large block of ice.
- Stir, then garnish with a lemon thyme sprig. Enjoy!
Hedgerow Spritz
"This drink couldn't be easier to make and is perfect for when you're hosting a party or celebrating with friends. Once again, you make the drink in the glass, so no fancy equipment required."
You'll Need:
- 35ml Patience Damson Gin
- 20ml fresh lemon juice
- 10ml simple syrup (1 part water to 1 part sugar, see guide)
- Sparkling wine
To Make:
- Add the Patience Damson Gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup into a Champagne flute.
- Top it up with sparkling wine and serve!
Damson & Grapefruit Sour
"This one requires a little more patience and equipment. However, it's still a simple cocktail to make and the end result is an incredibly delicious and beautifully smooth drink. Perfect for a Saturday night."
You'll Need:
- 70ml Patience Damson Gin
- 30ml fresh pink grapefruit juice
- 1 egg white (or aquafaba 2tbsp if that ain't your style)
- 5ml simple syrup (1:1)
- 1tsp Redcurrant, Rhubarb & Vanilla jam
- fresh nutmeg
- ice cubes
- Boston cocktail shaker.
To Make:
- Add the Patience Damson Gin, pink grapefruit juice, egg white, simple syrup and Redcurrant Rhubarb & Vanilla jam to your cocktail shaker.
- Place a good handful of ice into your shaker, close, and shake hard for about 30 seconds. This mixes the ingredients and also cools the drink down.
- Strain the drink and discard the ice.
- Close the shaker once more and shake hard for a further 30 seconds (without the ice). This gives the drink a wonderful, creamy texture.
- Strain once again, this time into your glass (we used a coupe but a martini glass works well).
- Grate some fresh nutmeg over the top of the drink to garnish and serve.
Thanks for reading, folks.
Even though - for us personally - Patience has felt like a long time in the making, Charlie has demonstrated that the drink itself is so brilliantly accessible and easy to use. Believe me when I tell you (and I've sampled Patience more times that I'd like to admit), this gin is so nice you can easily drink it neat. However, because Patience is free from sugar or concentrated fruit juice, it's the perfect base for fruity cocktails. It is not too sweet, meaning you have total control over how sweet you want your cocktail to be.
We are so proud of Patience and beyond excited to share it with you.
As well as our beautiful Damson Gin, we also have Tarocco Blood Orange and Femminello Lemon available.
If you have found inspiration from Charlie's recipes then good news. We will soon share some of our favourite recipes for the two Sicilian citrus infusions.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We hope you find as much joy in Patience as we have for the past few years.
| Best wishes, Sky, Kai & the England Preserves Team |