February's Gin | Pure Folie
About Pure Folie
Our chosen gin for February is Distillery Combier's strawberry infused Pure Folie. Combier has combined 186 years of expertise in making some of the world’s finest liqueurs and absinthe with a newly found love of Gin, and has now created Pure Folie, their second, award-winning Gin!
Following the recently popular and growing trend for Pink Gin, months of research and testing culminated with Combier macerating locally sourced, hand-picked strawberries with their hand-crafted London Dry Gin to create a fresh and interesting take on a traditional Pink Gin. Featuring herbal notes of citrus, juniper and coriander, Pure Folie presents as a typical London Dry Style gin with a hint of sweetness and flavour from the strawberries.
Breaking the mold on what a traditional London Dry style is, the master distillers of Combier decided to name their creation Pure Folie. This expression translates directly from French as the expression of pure madness or lunacy and is the ideal namesake for this gin!
The Pink Gin Phenomenon
When picking any type of flavoured or infused gin it is important to choose the right one. At times certain infused gins can be overpowering, at others it can be subtle and simply a delicious underlying flavour note that compliments the other botanicals. Depending on your preference or in certain drink mixes and cocktails each of these have their place. Personally I like to stick to the subtley infused gin that doesn’t lose its gin quality.
There is always a time and place, though, for a delicious cocktail that calls for a spirit that packs a little more flavour and a little more punch. With Pure Folie you get the former - a subtle gin with a delicious underpinning of fresh strawberries that combine together with the rest of the botanicals to create a beautifully smooth and easy gin fit to turn around the hardest of infused-gins sceptics.
Gin and Tonic Pairing
This month’s tonic pairing of Pure Folie with Mediterranean Tonic is a match made in heaven. It is fresh, fruity and incredibly more-ish! The Mediterranean tonic brings lovely savoury notes to the sweeter strawberry elements of the gin and the results are delicious!
Pure Folie Gin and Tonic
Tasting Notes
Gin Type
Strawberry Infused London Dry Gin
Appearance
Clear, Blush Pink
Aroma
Citrus and Strawberry
Palate
Juniper upfront with citrus and coriander
Botanicals
Juniper, Cubeb, Orange, Coriander, Strawberry amongst others
Finish
A sweet strawberry finish
About the Distillery
Founder Josh at the Combier Distiller | Photo - Lauren Smith
Combier Distillery is found in the small town of Saumur, in the heart of the Loire Valley, also known as the ‘Garden of France’. The distillery prides itself on sourcing local and hand-picked botanicals for use in all of their gins and other spirits. Combier were the pioneers of the Triple Sec method of Distilling, these techniques have been passed down through generations of master distillers and are still used today to create a superb range of premium spirits
and liqueurs.
The beautiful distillery in the heart of the town is an adventure in itself. Here you can go on a tour of their facilities finished up with a tasting session with a whole host of their beautiful spirits and liqueurs. Over the last few months the distillery has also undergone huge modern changes, their acquisition of the next door warehouse has hugely increased their capacity. They are ready to make their mark and become one of France's most highly regarded distilleries.
February's Gin and Tonic
- 30ml Pure Folie Gin
- 120ml Fevertree Mediterranean
- A few slices of dried or fresh strawberries
Picture - Pure Folie Gin and Tonic
Cocktail of the Month
Pure Folie Punch
Picture - Pure Folie Punch
- 30ml Pure Folie
- 15ml Triple Sec
- 15ml Strawberry Liqueur
- 60ml Cranberry Juice
- 15ml Lemon Juice
Crush a cocktail maker full of ice, add all the ingredients, shake well and serve in a chilled glass.
Reviews
"Pure Folie is a really interesting and different gin experience. It is still one of my favourite gins to drink, especially on a warm summers evening. It has a special space in our hearts at Garden Street as it is the whole reason we started off on this voyage! "
Lauren - Garden Street Gin Connoisseur
