World Gin Day last week got me thinking about all the gins I have in my drinks cabinet (as you can imagine, I say ‘cabinet’ – But I actually mean ‘room’) and I realised there seems to be a gin for every mood and occasion. Let’s face it you can’t move for the gins you see on the shelves that you haven’t even tasted. I’m not complaining obviously. It’s nice to have choice and it’s great to try new things.

Speaking of which, a gin came to my attention recently called ‘The King of Soho’. The gin is made by Howard Raymond and Alex Robson and was created to honour Howard’s legendary father, Paul Raymond, the impresario and property mogul affectionately called ‘The King of Soho’ due to his role in revolutionising the unique London district. Google him, he sounds like quite a character. Check out the fox on the bottle!)

As you’d expect, the gin is distilled in the heart of London using the traditional method and no less than 12 botanicals. When you think of London Dry gin, you get an idea in your head but The King of Soho is this and so much more. There’s a sweet spice quality to it. It’s definitely dry but it’s got a wonderfully diverse flavour. A little earthiness and a twist of grapefruit help to make it really intiguing.

I love drinking gin as the maker intended, and in this instance it was suggest I go for a cardamom tonic water. Ooh! Sounds interesting I thought. I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of cardamom as I often find it a little overpowering, but this comination was truly delicious. The spice complimented the gin’s sweet/dry combo perfectly. I then tried it with standard tonic water and although the drink tasted different, the gin still retained it’s unique charcter. So if you can’t find cardamom tonic, don’t worry!

And if you fancy something a bit different, here’s a suggestion from the makers. It’s an urban twist on an exotic classic, ‘Soho Sling’ best served in a tall glass filled with cubed ice.

Soho Sling

50ml King of Soho Gin

15ml Lime Juice

35ml Pressed Apple Juice

50ml Ginger Beer

Build in a tall glass filled with cube ice. Garnish with a slice of apple.

I always associate Father’s Day with Whiskey and beer but I bet your dad would LOVE this! So with the special day in mind, why not give it a try?

The King of Soho is available from a range of retailers nationwide at £34.95 (70cl) and £11.95 (20cl).

Currently stocked at Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, Gerry’s Wine & Spirits, Amazon and Ocado, to name a few.