Greetings, foul friends!
We confess we really aren’t in the mood to write this month’s diary entry. You see, we’ve just come back from a rather delightful time hunting for sasquatch in the Colorado Rockies and we’re still in what you humans call ‘holiday mode.’
We make this transcontinental pilgrimage once a year, and we look forward to it immensely. But, what would you do if you found a yeti, we hear you ask? Ah! You misunderstand, friends; hunting for Sasquatch is an annual hide-and-seek event put on by the Sasquatch themselves. Dave, their champion, had managed to elude us for 170 years, but this year, his lovely wife, Ederill, inadvertently let slip where he was hiding, so the trophy came back to England for the first time in almost two centuries.
*sigh* good times.
Enough of this self-indulgent prattling! Here’s what you can expect from the vaults of the Black Lodge this month, peasants!
BANK HOLIDAYS
Speaking of vaults, it seems that your own bank vaults will be closed not once, but twice this month. We like this human tradition for two reasons: the weather is usually drizzly, dismal, and damp, and the second reason is that you all seem to enjoy partaking in a drink.
Might we humbly recommend retreating from the inclement weather with a multi-award-winning premium craft gin or two?
EVENTS
It doesn’t matter if the weather’s bad or good, we’ll still be out and about at various festivals this month, and we encourage you to come over and say hello. We’ll have samples of each flavour of gin to try, ideas for gin cocktails, and buckets of piranhas for the kids to play with, so it’s a fun day out for the whole family. Here’s where you can find us:
Lichfield Spring Food Festival on the 18th and 19th of May in Lichfield town centre, Staffordshire.
The Great British Food Festival at the truly stunning Harewood House in Leeds on the 25th and 26th of May. This one will be hugely popular as it’s on the Bank Holiday weekend.
So, come and stretch your wings, try some Black Lodge Potions gin, and take some home to enjoy.
GIN OF THE MONTH
A few months ago, we asked what you’d like to know about the Black Lodge. We had some weird and wonderful requests (no, Brother T does not sign underwear), but the most popular one was to know more about what goes into making our unique flavours.
This month, we’re shining the moonlight – sorry, spotlight – on our Stinging Nettle and Honey gin.
When we first decided to create our award-winning gins, there was a lot of trial and error involved. It might surprise you to learn that we started with fifty different flavours – everything from cloves to pears to star of anise – but the one that seemed to work best was stinging nettles.
Before our recipe was perfected, we tried many different variants, including using nettle tea. The nettles were dried, then vapour infused, and a dash of honey was added at the end for sweetness.
The finished product as you know and enjoy it now isn’t too far removed from this experimental version. We now use real stinging nettles, and we also added a pinch of vanilla for a more complex sweetness. We know what you’re thinking and no, it doesn’t sting your tongue. If you’re a fan of mead or whisky but aren’t necessarily a fan of gin, we reckon you’ll enjoy this one!
Nose
Sweet, vanilla, grassy, herbaceous with undertones of piny juniper
Palate
Herby, woody taste, notes of citrus, earthy, vanilla & hints of honeysuckle
Finish
A finale of juniper elements, revealing a complex, lingering, dry finish
HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT GINGER NETTLE NECTAR FIZZ
A Ginger Nettle Nectar Fizz is a delicious thirst-quenching alternative if you’d like to be a bit more adventurous than just pairing your gin with tonic. This recipe is utterly delightful, starring our Stinging Nettle and Honey Gin for a drink that will send your tastebuds into a frenzy. Visit The Spirit Shop to order your favourite ingredient now.
50ml Stinging Nettle and Honey Gin
100ml Ginger Ale
10ml Simple Syrup
Dash of Angostura Bitters
2 teaspoons of Lemon Juice
ICE
Optional kick: 25ml Cointreau
UNTIL NEXT TIME…
That about wraps things up for this month, mortals. We’ve just been informed that Dave and Ederill’s son was found hiding in the trophy, so we’ll have to take him back. Honestly, between mishaps like this and Max the werewolf moulting everywhere, it’s a wonder we ever get any gin brewed. It’s like that holiday never happened…
We’ll see you soon for another Black Lodge Potions journal entry, but until then,
Stay spooky,
Brother G and Brother T
