"People would try to cook Gordon Ramsey's recipes, but why shouldn't they try to make a bartender's recipe? Everyone can be a bartender," Simon Ford, founder of Fords Gin, insists as he proudly clutches a bottle of Fords Gin in one hand, and a glass of Fords Gin & Tonic in the other. 

Ask your favorite bartender what's their favorite gin to make cocktails with, and chances are, they'll mention Fords Gin.

Founded by bar industry veteran Simon Ford, Fords Gin was designed to be the ultimate all-purpose mixing gin with a flavor profile that is versatile and malleable to a range of different cocktails. 

Prior to founding Fords Gin, Simon and many of his bartender associates felt that there wasn't yet one true all-rounder mixing gin. Some bartenders might have a favorite gin for making a martini, or a preference for another gin when making a Gin Fizz - considering that different gins tended to have different flavor profiles that worked better in some cocktails over others. As a result, Simon set out on an ambitious plan to formulate a gin that was a true workhorse - with a flavor profile that every bartender (and regular human being!) would be comfortable mixing with just about any gin cocktail. 

In the early hours of the morning at 3am at the Blue Ribbon Bakery in New York, Simon and the late Sasha Petraske sketched out different flavor maps on cocktail napkins in an effort to conceptualize what this perfect gin would taste like. A few cocktail napkins later, Simon had a plan.... but no distiller to make it come true. 

Simon Ford and Charles Maxwell

As luck would have it, Simon eventually met Charles Maxwell, who was the 10th generation Master Distiller of Thames Distillers, whose family had been distilling gin since the late 17th century. Over the course of two and a half years, Simon and Charles would go back and forth in a process of constant iteration - Charles distilling the gin samples, and Simon bringing it to his bartender friends for a taste test, before returning to Charles with more feedback. Eventually, they were able to formulate the Fords Gin recipe as we know of it today. 

The Fords Gin Flavour Map, which maps out the various flavour notes in the gin, and how it links to a common Gin cocktail recipe.

Recently, I had the chance to taste both the original Fords Gin and their special edition Fords Officers' Reserve Gin, during a masterclass event at Atlas Bar hosted by Simon Ford himself. 

The classic Fords Gin uses 9 botanicals, which are juniper, coriander seeds, orris, jasmine, angelica, cassia, bitter orange, lemon and grapefruit peels. These botanicals are steeped in neutral spirit made from English wheat before being distilled in steel pot stills. Over half of the botanical bill is said to be of juniper harvested specifically from Italy, which according to Simon tends to yield a more delicate, bright profile rather than imposing an overly heavy pine influence. 

Meanwhile, the Fords Officers' Reserve Gin is an over-proof variation of the original Fords gin distillate, and is rested and aged in Amontillado Sherry casks for three weeks. At 54.5% ABV, this is a Navy Strength Gin. 

Let's get to tasting! 

Fords Gin, 45% ABV - Tasting Notes

Aroma: Fresh notes of lemons and oranges bring a bright, zesty bounciness to the nose, while still integrating cohesively and being grounded by a backbone of earthy juniper and some coriander spice. 

Palate: There's a very refreshing, citrusy dance on the palate here that begins with orange peels and lemon zest before gradually settling into a bitter-sweet note of grapefruit pith and pomelo musk - all the while being underpinned by a distinct piney note of juniper. On first impression, this tastes very classic and earthy, but after a while, the flavours are further nuanced and take on a slightly more contemporary leaning when one starts to detect intimations of licorice candy, cinnamon and cassia. A soft floral, aromatic hint of jasmine emerges just at the end. 

Finish: Medium, with dry notes of juniper, lemon peels, coriander seeds and jasmine.

My Take

This gin truly doesn't disappoint. It's well-rounded with a great body - delivering those crisp, easily detectable juniper flavors and a really delightful intermingling of various citrusy components such as orange, lemon and grapefruit! At the same time, there's some spicy and floral accents thrown into the mix to give this gin complexity and dimension. 

It's classic enough to be recognizable as the gin backbone when mixed in cocktails, while still having unique flavor nuances and touch points that can be drawn out and accentuated by tailoring the cocktail recipe. In thinking about what I would pair this with, a martini makes the most obvious sense to me - with those grapefruit flavors bound to pair nicely with the slight bitterness of vermouth. I would also love to try this in an Aviation to see how some of the subtle floral tones in this gin can be brought out when paired with the violet liqueur. 

In a tonic, this gin truly holds up excellently. The juniper pokes through with a crispness, meanwhile some of that coriander spice settles into a gentle prickliness, giving room for flavors of candied orange peels and licorice to emerge. Altogether, very refreshing and creamy! 

Fords Officers' Reserve Gin, 54.5% ABV - Tasting Notes

Aroma: Immediately, I get a delicious hit of orange and lemon zest, fresh figs and a touch of honey and caramel. It's mildly confectionary but not cloying, akin to fresh citrus marmalade on scones. Despite this high-proof, there's no alcohol burn or sharpness. Juniper remains present, and its piney aroma comes across very mellow and almost pillowy, lending to the general creaminess of the nose. 

Palate: Medium-bodied with a slight warmth and viscosity that coats the tongue. Juniper is more apparent now than on the nose, and it complemented by a citrus note of orange peels, a faint nuttiness of almonds and some oak shavings, and underlying this all is some warming heat from ginger and orris root. 

Finish: Medium. Juniper makes it exit first, leaving room for a lingering mix of oranges, honey and ginger bring things to a gentle close.

My Take

This one's a beauty! Given that its only been aged for 3 weeks in the barrels, it was a pleasant surprise to see some of that influence still plays out in the subtle, confectionary undertones of honey, cream and figs that made this quite a delightful sipper. The flavors are robustly expressed and harmoniously integrated - and despite the high alcohol proof, doesn't come across harsh at all. 

It's not so heavy-handed on woodiness and oakiness, which works just fine for me as I think it that allows for that distinctive brightness and punchiness of the juniper and citrus elements to continue to be felt. Probably just as mixable as the original Fords Gin, though with this one, I might think twice before mixing it and probably be content to savor this is as neat sipper instead. 

Final Thoughts: Everyone's A Bartender! 

While it's often marketed as a gin for bartenders, I reckon that regular folk will have breezy time working with this spirit as well. It's a well-constructed, well-balanced gin that doesn't require only the most well-trained of hands to handle it, and can be mixed with ease at home.

Fords Gin's batching guide includes recipes for how to build popular cocktails like (from left) the Dry Martini, the Negroni, The Aviation and the Ramos Gin Fizz, all directly mixed into your Fords Gin bottle. 

A fun feature of the Fords Gin bottles is that every bottle comes with a clear measurement indicators on the side, making it easy to create batch cocktails at home. Their website also has a Batching Guide, which gives easy-to-follow measurements that enable one to build a freezer-door cocktail by mixing different ingredients directly into one's Fords Gin bottle. If you're in the mood to be a bit more involved in making your drink, definitely check it out. But no shame if you just want to mix some Fords Gin with a tonic and call it a day. Either way, it's a fun browse. 

With juniper & joy,

@lotusroot518