California Dreamgin'

A true umami styled gin using mushrooms. Girolle Mushrooms prized by many have a unique flavour making them highly sought after within European cuisine.

They can be sautéed, grilled, used in soups, paired with meats, or added to pasta, risotto, or eggs. Their distinct flavour complements a wide range of dishes, from simple, rustic meals to complex gourmet preparations and now they're the star ingredient to California Dreamgin'.Girolle provided a light fruity and peppery note with a hint of apricot to the gin, paired with the delicate earthy woody notes of patchouli which lingers at the back of the mouth.
Oregano enhances these savoury herbaceous notes whilst balancing out the citrusy notes from the coriander and lemon peel, adding a layer of spice.

Girolle Gin Fizz

Ingredients:

• 60ml California Dreamgin'
• 15ml girolle mushroom syrup (recipe below)
• 15ml fresh lemon juice
• 8ml honey syrup (1:1 honey to water)
• 1 egg white (optional for froth)
• Club soda
• Fresh thyme sprig or rosemary (for garnish)
• Lemon peel (for garnish)
• Ice

Girolle Mushroom Syrup:

• 100ml water
• 100g sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh girolle mushrooms (lightly sautéed)

Instructions:

1. Make the Girolle Mushroom Syrup:

• Lightly sauté 1/2 cup of fresh girolle mushrooms in a pan for about 2 minutes (just enough to release some of their flavours).
• In a small saucepan, bring 100ml of water to a boil.
• Add the sautéed girolles and simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the mushroom flavour to infuse the water.
• Strain the mushrooms out, then return the liquid to the pan.
• Add 100g of sugar and stir until fully dissolved to create a syrup.
• Let the syrup cool, then transfer to a bottle for use in the cocktail.

1. Prepare the Cocktail:

• In a cocktail shaker, combine the ingredients
• Dry shake (shake without ice) for about 20 seconds to create a frothy texture from the egg white.
• Add ice to the shaker and shake again for about 15 seconds until well chilled.

1. Serve:

• Strain the mixture into a tall glass (like a Collins glass) over fresh ice.
• Top with a splash of club soda to add some fizz.
• Garnish with a fresh sprig of thyme or rosemary and a twist of lemon peel for added aroma.

Juniper: Gin must contain juniper, or it isn’t gin. In fact, the name ‘gin’ is a shortening of the Dutch word for juniper, ‘jenever’. Not to be confused with ‘Geneva’, which is both a place and a convention but not a drink.

Coriander Seed: Some people are genetically indisposed towards coriander and believe it tastes of soap. They’re just weirdos, so it’s in the gin.

Angelica Root: Angelica Root was also the name of a famous 1920s blues singer from the Mississippi region. Here, it's botanical.

Mushroom: In many European cultures, mushrooms are often connected with fairies, elves, and other mythical creatures. The more of this gin you drink, the more likely you are to see them.

Patchouli Leaf: Patchouli was the defining scent of the American counterculture movement in the 70’s. It is also thought to be a bringer of prosperity and abundance. Which will be handy for buying the next bottle, dude.

Liquorice Root: The English common name is spelled "liquorice" in most of the Commonwealth but "licorice" in the United States. This is because Americans can’t spell.

Bay: This comes in several forms, such as James and San Francisco. Here, it is a leaf, which is easier to fit inside our still.

Lemon Peel: Little-known rebellious daughter of Robert, Prime Minister and father of British policing. Disowned by him after she advocated the use of mushrooms and wore patchouli oil (see above).

Oregano: In the middle ages, oregano was ‘worn on the head at night to induce psychic dreams’. Balance a bottle of our gin on your head to see if the same thing happens.

Water: Asian Parsnip gin is diluted to 40% ABV by adding water. Because we appreciate the work of 19th-century civil engineers, we use tap water, not line-caught Highland Spring or Wiltshire chalk stream water, because it wouldn’t be as good.