Fords Gin is a collaborative endeavor between those with a history of serving drinks and those with a history of making drinks. The gin is a flavorsome affair whose sippable nature belies its 45% ABV.
Simon Ford formerly of Pernod Ricard and Jason Kosmas of New York’s Employees Only a bar the stuff of legends, and Speakeasy Cocktails, an excellent book on Cocktails, are some of the players in this new venture. Rather than become brand ambassadors for someone else’s product the moved out on their own to bring us the best products they can find. Their portfolio includes Aylesbury Duck Vodka, Caña Brava Rum, Tequila Cabeza, and this the Fords Gin.
“I had originally wanted to make my gin in the U.S., and make it myself. But when the recipe started to form, I knew it had to be made in England. It’s the one place in the world where the historic brokers of botanicals are,” Ford said in an interview with Wine Enthusiast.
“When we had the first recipes, I took them to several distilleries. Charles Maxwell certainly made the best version. For the next two to three years, I was constantly making gin with him, bringing it back to the United States, mixing it in martinis, Negronis and gin and tonics and Tom Collinses, and then tweaking it and going back to him”.
Ford’s is extremely aromatic and herbal with a bold floral and citrus scene. This is not your daddy’s London Dry Gin. While it does have juniper and coriander that are the hallmarks of any London Dry type of gin it is a bit more balanced than most with a nice subtlety to the blending giving you a very harmonious gin.
Care for a taste? We have a few opportunities to not only sample this marvelous gin, but to meet the maker Simon Ford.
Monday, September 24, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
- Fords Gin Founder Simon Ford will be in town for one night and invites guests to happy hour for $6 Fords Gin martinis at The Adolphus Hotel (1321 Commerce Street, Dallas). Imbibers can chat with Simon and his encyclopedic knowledge on gin and its cocktails.
Wednesday, September 26, 5 p.m.
- Join Fords Gin at Billy Can Can (2386 Victory Park Lane, Dallas) for 3 MARTINIS: 300 OYSTERS to celebrate one of the best pairings gin & oysters. Fords Gin will serve three variations of the gin martini ($6 each) as the crowd crushes 300 oysters (complimentary)! The event begins at 5 p.m. and will go until all the bi-valves are gone. A portion of martini sales will benefit Youth with Faces.
