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IBERICA prides itself on its gin range and the G&Ts it crafts from its hand-picked bottles. In a world awash with juniper-flavoured spirits boasting botanicals you scarcely knew existed this Spanish restaurant and bar chain’s offering stands out.
Graziano, almost operatic in his presentation, has opened the sampling class with a more straightforward take on the drink
Operations Director Pedro Carvalho is the instigator of the Iberica list, aided by the creative instincts of group head bartender Graziano Cocco. Both have been up at their Manchester outpost to spread the faith. Verdict: delicious stuff.
To the layman a gin and tonic sounds the simplest of concoctions compared with the arcane cocktails forged in a mixologist’s wildest fantasies. Not so for Pedro, who talks our Spinningfields masterclass through his treatment of Silent Pool, the latest addition to the Iberica gin ranks.
Silent Pool, a Gin Mare G&T and a Pedro's Silver Pool
First layer the bottom of the deep glass with a base of ice. This will prevent the straw sucking up shreds of strawberry he next places on top. Now it’s time for the small batch gin, distilled on the Duke of Northumberland’s Albury estate in the Surrey Hills. The name comes from a mythical spring-fed pool there.
It is obviously juniper-driven but a total of 24 botanicals are used and I can scent upfront lavender and chamomile (Pedro kindly supplies us with a separate shot to sample neat). According to Silent Pool’s website: “Fresh notes of citrus and kafir lime are grounded with the subtle sweetness of local honey, creating a well-balanced gin that is both traditional and refreshingly individual."
Quite so, Pedro adds further ice, pours over Fever Tree tonic and, coup de gras, garnishes it with (perhaps don’t try this at home) a little basket of ice containing their in-house G&T jelly, peppered with pomegranate seeds. Perfecto!
An operatic GrazianoGraziano, almost operatic in his presentation, has opened the sampling class with a more straightforward take on the drink, serving thyme, rosemary, olives and lime juice with the award-winning Spanish Gin Mare, which musters most of these flavours in its botanical make-up.
Gin Mare takes its name from the Mediterranean Sea or Mare Nostrum; La Pomada means ‘cream’ or ‘ointment’. This Menorcan gin is another of Iberica’s Spanish imports, served here with bitter lemon, lemon juice and sugar alongside the tonic. At £8 a shot (in Fever Tree) it is the cheapest G&T of Iberica’s outstanding range – a real holiday flashback tipple.
Iberica, 14-15 The Avenue Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3HF. 0161 358 1350 - drinks menu
