Making Mischief with Mark Hix & Salcombe Gin
Salcombe Gin has revealed the second in a collection of exclusive, handcrafted gins with the help of one of the region’s most celebrated chefs.
Christened ‘Mischief’ after an iconic Salcombe fruit schooner – once part of a famous fleet that trimmed the oceans in the 1800s – the maestro behind the latest blend is Mark Hix MBE, the famous chef and restaurateur who hails from Dorset.
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Mischief is the second label of Salcombe Gin’s Voyager Series; a run of limited edition gins created in collaboration with world-renowned chefs and iconic winemakers. Its launch also helps celebrate the tenth anniversary of Hix Restaurants.
“We are thrilled to be working with Mark and his team at HIX Restaurants to commemorate their 10th anniversary. With a shared love for the South West Coast and fine, locally-sourced ingredients we have worked together to create a gin which we hope will delight gin enthusiasts and take people on a journey through the senses wherever it is enjoyed.” – Angus Lugsdin, Salcombe Gin Co-Founder.
Working side by side the distilling team at Salcombe Gin, provenance underpinned Mark’s culinary inspired direction, combining a traditional juniper background with classic combinations of orange, bay and cardamom. In his quest to capture a coastal aroma, Mark selected wild fennel flowers foraged from the Salcombe shoreline, hints of vibrant samphire and sea buckthorn, all complimented by a dulcet floral note of anise. This exceptionally smooth gin is both full-bodied and beautifully balanced. It’s best enjoyed with a premium tonic water, in classic cocktails, or as a sipping gin served simply over ice with a fresh orange peel twist.
“I chose to work with Salcombe Gin to create a handcrafted traditional London Dry gin to commemorate our 10th anniversary, because I believe that they create truly world class gins, well-balanced in flavour and exceptional in taste. Having grown up in West Bay, Bridport, a seaside town on the Dorset coast, I also feel a connection with the brand and their love of refreshing coastal flavours and use of foraged ingredients. Together we have used the finest local and regional produce to create a gin to be enjoyed at HIX restaurants, at home or even on the water.” Mark Hix
Limited to 1,200 bottles, ‘Mischief’ now accompanies ‘Arabella’, the first of the Salcombe Gin Voyager Series created in partnership with Lympstone Manor’s patron-chef Michael Caines MBE. Both gins are presented in a stunning white ceramic bottle featuring an embossed outline of the iconic gin pennant and a bespoke debossed copper stopper commissioned for this series.
The Salcombe Gin ‘Scallywag’ Cocktail Recipe
Created by world renowned chef Mark Hix MBE and his team to showcase this exceptional gin, the ‘Scallywag’ marries classic flavours of fresh orange, fennel flowers and samphire combined with a touch of cardamom and pastis to create a cocktail inspired by the South West coastline.
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Ingredients:
40ml Salcombe Gin Voyager Series ‘Mischief’ developed with chef Mark Hix
15ml Knightor Rosé Vermouth
10ml Sacred Rosehip Cup
15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
15ml orange sherbet, 6 drops pastis
4 drops of cardamom bitters
25ml Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic water.
Garnish:
Foraged fennel flower, sprig of samphire, flamed orange peel.
Method:
Fill an old-fashioned glass with ice and place on one side. Fill a Boston shaker with ice, add the Mischief gin, vermouth, rosehip cup, lemon juice, orange sherbet, pastis and bitters and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Long pour the mixture through a double strainer into the glass. Top up with Mediterranean tonic water. Garnish with a sprig of fresh samphire, a foraged fennel flower and twist of orange peel that has been flamed over the glass.
Discover the beautiful harbour town of Salcombe, home to some of our most popular holiday cottages and famous for its rich maritime history, and also, now, its world-class gin.