Come And See A Blind Tiger If You Want A Good Gin

The Prohibition Era must have been a terrible time to be alive; just imagine not being able to order a good G&T without the risk of being thrown in jail! Thankfully those days are long gone, but some distilleries take inspiration from that time when creating new tipples.

We all know about American Prohibition, but did you know that Belgium also had such an era—and it lasted much longer, 66 years in fact! A law was passed in 1919 stating that only beer and wine could be purchased and consumed in public places. Spirits were banned from sale in this way, though it was still legal to consume them at home. The law aimed to combat the effects of “Blue Monday”, when much of the country would arrive at work severely hung-over after weekend binges. Spirits could still be bought from grocers, but only in lots of at least two large bottles (and no more than six), pricing the working class out of the market.

Unsurprisingly, with drinking so ingrained in Belgian culture, the populace was defiant and speakeasies soon appeared. Deluxe Distillery—creators of Blind Tiger Gin—operates from a concealed site in western Belgium and embraces that Prohibition spirit in both its secretive location and its name. In the 1920s, speakeasy owners got round the law by charging patrons to see a fictitious “blind tiger” in a back room and throwing in a complimentary gin cocktail; because no money changed hands for the drink, they weren’t breaking any rules.

The first gin in the Blind Tiger line was Piper Cubeba, launched in 2014, followed by Imperial Secrets in late 2015. Both are produced in small batches and make use of unconventional botanicals such as malted barley and cubeb pepper.

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Blind Tiger Piper Cubeba Gin

The higher-than-average strength carries bags of juniper and cubeb pepper that linger with zesty hints of cracked black pepper, violet, orange and liquorice. A faint waft of celeriac on the nose gives way to floral orange-blossom notes. On the palate a peppery kick is followed by malted-barley warmth and earthy touches of ginger, liquorice and cardamom.

Botanicals

Juniper, coriander seeds, malted barley, liquorice root, angelica root, orris root, lemon peel, sweet orange peel, bitter orange peel, orange blossom, ginger rhizome, green cardamom, cubeb pepper, lavender and hops.

Serving Suggestions

Best enjoyed neat or over ice. As a Dry Martini with a twist, it adds spice and orange notes. In a Gin & Tonic the tonic’s sparkle tempers the spice and lifts the subtle citrus; any dry neutral tonic works well.

Blind Tiger Imperial Secrets Gin

Distilled with three unusual botanicals—imperial black teas from Assam, Kashmir and Yunnan—this smooth gin balances subtle lemon peel, lemongrass, bitter almond and grains of paradise. The nose shows matured grain spirit, juniper and warming spice; the palate reveals citrus, coriander and lemongrass over a gentle glow of black tea, finishing with floral tea notes.

Botanicals

Juniper, coriander seeds, grains of paradise, angelica root, orris root, lemon peel, bitter almond, lemongrass, Yunnan matured tea, imperial pu-erh, Himalayan “Secret of Kashmir” black tea, Assam black tea and harmutty.

Serving Suggestion

Enjoy neat, over ice or with a clean, neutral tonic. Also shines paired with ginger ale or as the star of a hot toddy.