I have recently revisited my new favourite place in the world and it resides in the quaint little village of Milford on Sea.

The Cave is an independent wine shop with some truly exquisite offerings from all over the world, especially their English wine selection.

Jon and Stacey Crouch have created something very market pleasing for the area they are in, especially with their bar that offers beers and a back bar that strays from the usual village pub, as too with the décor.

On my first visit, I encountered a group of high-vis cyclists stopping off for a cheeky glass of wine, maybe two, and from this the venue just enlightened me with pure hospitality and enthusiasm. The place also has an eye for off trade service and education.

It was the perfect venue then for Mr Mark Dawkins, and myself, to show off his Langley’s No.8 Gin to 30 very lucky paying guests, along with the help of the lovely Lisa from Nectar Imports.

A classic Langley’s No.8 Martini was waiting for them on arrival, which was the perfect aperitif to chill along to Mark’s history lesson on Gin; a movement in time that truly expands the mind to where the spirit has come from, and why we drink the styles we do today.

The guests were then treated to a classic Tom Collins with Boodles London Dry Gin; one of my favourites, the Clover Club, with The Botanist Islay Dry Gin. Finally, a recipe denoted by Hendricks Gin themselves called The Chelsea Rose, with St Germain Elderflower, Raspberry Puree and Cloudy Apple Juice, was served in a Hendricks teapot and teacups.

This was all enlisted alongside a chat from me, with a few little rants here, a couple of theories there, and a hell of a lot of Gin pouring.

The guests took the 2 hour experience on board and truly grasped the magic of the illustrious spirit that is Gin, but it just shows that the enthusiasm of spirits is being exerted everywhere these days, not just in major cities.

The movement of craft spirits and cocktails, I think, is still very young, and I have decided to base my dissertation on the market within the industry if it continues to grow like it is.

So, on a final thought, please drink Gin responsibly, Langley’s No.8 of course, and prove my expectation that the industry is set for bigger things if your enthusiasm continues to grow. In essence it is one amazing circle in motion; you drink better, we come up with bigger and better things for you, how can that possibly be a bad thing.

Cheers everyone, make sure to get down to The Cave soon, and make sure to leave the car at home…

Joe Prout

April 21, 2022

Life aye, everyone has their get up, and this is my calling in a nutshell. Bartending and liquor is my so called 'thing' in life, and this developed from a basic upbringing in the field, the best place to start. And although these blogs are for your amusement, education and relaxation, for me they provide a platform for my peak in my ongoing discovery of weird and wonderful drinks. Because life is like a box of chocolates...it should always be indulged with rum. Come visit me at the Captains Club hotel; home to my business placement, great drinks and a symphony of funloving bartenders.

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