Review: Oystermen Gin 

This exciting new gin ticks all my boxes when it comes to aligning myself with a brand. From the unique use of a local ingredient to the collaboration of local artists mixed with a stunning taste – it’s right up my street!

What’s the story? 

Retired trio Godwin Baron, Gavin Miklaucich and Grahame Malcolmson have lived along the coast of Essex for many years and bonded over their love for good gin. Putting their retirement to good use, they took their new roles seriously, becoming certified distillers and set up parent company 3Amigos Artisan Spirits.

They then set to work creating a distinctive gin that uses a unique ingredient from their beloved county of Essex and collaborating with local poet Martin Newell and artist James Dodds on the nautical themed label.

“The motive behind this project is to promote our beautiful Essex coastline and it’s fine produce and artists” said Godwin Baron.

The Essex coastline is famed for its oysters and sailing, with regattas held each year where the old Oyster Smacks (a type of boat that dredges for oysters) and Thames Barges race.

Artist, James Dodds has represented the history of oyster fishing with a beautiful lino cut piece named ‘Pioneer at Sea’. The illustration depicts a type of boat that used to trawl for a particular type of oyster off Terschilling near Holland, called a skillinger.

Complimented on the reverse side of the bottle is a poem by Martin Newell called ‘The North Sea’, which also references the skillingers bringing the oysters back from Terschilling.

This is the sea of winter geese
Its gun-grey bird-limed heaving fleece
The Whale Road where the Saxons went
To settle Suffolk, Essex, Kent.
Cold currents fetched the codfish down
Filled ketches, smacks and fed the town
And sped the skillingers to bring
The oysters back from Terschelling.

The ingredients

It’s worth mentioning that creating a unique gin in this saturated market is nowadays very rare! I have to take my hat off to the creators of Oystermen Gin for having the inspiration to infuse their gin with oyster leaf.

Oyster leaf is a flowering sea plant that grows in cold climates around the shores of the UK particularly in North Scotland and Shetland. It is infused into Oystermen Gin as a tribute to the famous oyster beds celebrated far and wide.

This juicy green leaf is vegan and has a fresh, salty, mushroom-like taste very similar to that of an oyster.

To compliment the earthy oyster leaf, there is a hint of Spanish lemon, renowned for its amazing citrus flavour and a twist of Japanese sansho pepper with its unique refreshing aroma and spicy taste. Sitting perfectly together, the ingredients bring a smooth and distinct flavour profile to this unique gin.

The taste

Oystermen Gin has the perfect length of flavour, not being over-bearing nor absent with a smooth finish. It really is a work of art!

Paired with any good Indian tonic, this gin doesn’t need additional bells and whistles, just add a thin slice of orange to incorporate the flavours.

Top tip: Oystermen Gin mixologist Jack, suggests freezing your orange slices before hand so you need less ice in your drink!

If you want a simple, refreshing creation, try adding a Fevertree Mediterranean tonic with a slice of cucumber to play with the floral notes and bring them to the forefront.

I can already feel that I can have some fun with this gin, so keep your eyes peeled for some more cocktail inspiration when the first batch hits the shelves.

Own your very own, limited edition bottle