The Oliver Twist Prelaunch Gin Team continued their Italian journey towards the Principality of Montecarlo along one of the most stunning scenic routes in the Italian Riviera called the Via Aurelia which like most of the main road arteries in Italy starts in Rome and was originally built during the time of the Roman Empire. Having left the city of Genoa we took in some wonderful coastal sites towards our overnight destination point at the marina of Savona named Piazza d’Allaggio. The marina piazza has gone through quite a revival in the last few years. There are now wonderful Bars and some stunning restaurants where one can sit outside and savour the Italian atmosphere of music and families strolling along the marina with children enjoying ice cream. Small musical bands play throughout the summer evenings and just to watch the activities allows one to understand how Italians do it better when it comes to fashion. Mysterious and slightly elegant.
Dinner was booked at the “Club Nautico di Savona” managed by an energetic personality
called Alessandro. The food was absolutely stunning, with some lush flowery Ligurian white
wine. Alessandro watched over us with typical precision which one comes to expect for an
establishment managed by the same person for over 30 years. While you may wish to scroll
through the menu it is best just to sit back and listen to the specialities prepared with the
morning catch from local fishermen. Needless to say the subject moved towards Gin and
Alessandro pulled out a full range of brands at different strengths. After much discussion
on the merits of this and that and politely suggesting there is more to Gin than just Italian
Gin, we slipped out from our bag a Prelaunch Oliver Twist Gin. Our simple opening comment
was “London Distilled Gin”, and from there we started to explain the differences between
Italian Gin, Dry Gin and London Distilled Gin. We explained the strict production codes
which exist in the making Gin within the City of London, a tradition going back centuries of
time. As then and through until today, attentive skill and care is given to the manufacturing,
in respect to this legacy on which the ethical founding stones will of production will stand
Oliver Twist Gin well through the coming generations of time.
Alessandro who loves distillates in general was intrigued to learn the finer detail on Gin
distillation within the City of London and promised to visit us when he his next in London
during Spring 2012. We then followed through with a detailed tasting exercise which took
well over an hour. We explained that when talking about the merits of Oliver Twist London
Distilled Gin it is possible for it to take as long as 5 minutes, just to explain the ingredients,
how they are meticulously processed during distillation which then allows a detailed
description of the actual Gin itself. Needless to say that on the other side of a moonlight
midnight we were quite chilled out with our Oliver Twist and Tonic, at times with a splash
of Sansini Bitters which has some lovely subtle hints of ginger and cinnamon. By the end of
the night Alessandro gave us his solemn promise to provide some intriguing cocktails which
could be used to accompany fish during an evening meal. We are sure he will create more
than a few masterpieces, just like his establishment Club Nautico, which for over many years
has now become the food and drink destination point at the Savona Marina. Perhaps he will
also create an Oliver Twist Gin juice or sauce for splashing over some of freshly cooked fish.
For sure we will be back.
