Cornwall Living
Raise a glass
A toast to the Queen with Mainbrace’s new Cornish gin.
Mainbrace, a Cornish brand based in Helford Passage known for its award-winning rum, will be launching their Cornish Dry Gin 40% on 6th February, in time for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Born from the naval term ‘splice the mainbrace’ that celebrates courage, teamwork, and friendship, Mainbrace’s history is rooted in naval traditions. In the days of sail, the Navy were awarded a daily tot of either rum or gin, with sailors most commonly choosing rum and officers opting for gin. Today, ‘splicing the mainbrace’ has come to mean a toast to victory, as well as toasting to the Queen. Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin is therefore a natural and exciting extension of the brand’s range, which also includes Mainbrace Premium Golden Rum 40%, and Mainbrace Navy Strength Rum 54.5%.
Distilled in Cornwall, Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin is made in a traditional copper pot still, using the London dry style with no added sugars, sweeteners, essences, or other additives. It is also made with Cornish water and local botanicals, namely lemon verbena harvested from St Michael’s Mount, and three different types of seaweed sourced from the Cornish Seaweed Company in Gweek. The gin has a unique taste, dominated by citrus notes, particularly lime, with secondary umami and slightly salty notes stemming from the seaweeds.
Richard Haigh, co-founder of Mainbrace, explains: “We are incredibly excited to be launching Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin, which has been a natural next step for us, particularly since we are based in Cornwall – an up-and-coming hotspot for craft gins! We have lots of exciting plans in the works and are especially looking forward to ‘splicing the mainbrace’ to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.”
Mainbrace Cornish Dry Gin is best served as a Gimlet cocktail (50ml gin, 50ml lime syrup, and lime to garnish), which was named after Admiral Gimlette – a 19th century Royal Navy surgeon who insisted the men mix lime syrup with gin to ward off scurvy. It can also be enjoyed with Dubonnet and a twist of lemon peel, which is said to be the Queen’s favourite cocktail. So, a toast to her majesty, with this new, authentic and delicious Cornish gin.
Mainbrace
