FAMILY SPIRIT
It’s the kind of question that will win pub bets. Which country consumes the most gin? Not the Netherlands, which is allegedly the home of genever, the ancestor of the aromatic spirit. Nor is it the UK, where G&Ts are the summertime beverage of choice of seemingly everyone who is not knocking jugs of Pimm’s. In fact, it’s the Philippines, followed closely by Spain, where gin often replaces brandy as the punch in the national beverage, sangria.
This information comes courtesy of Simon Brooke-Taylor, chief distiller at the Hurdle Creek Still at Bobinawarrah in north-east Victoria. With help from his partner, Wendy Williams, and her son, Alex Williams, Simon produces a
