Matrimony Homies

4: Dread (Loren)

"We've got five different versions for you to taste today, Lor." Brooklyn lines up the small glasses, each filled with a half ounce of clear liquid.

"Is this the winter gin we talked about?"

"Yes, ma'am," adds Yanique. "You wanted different pines, so that's what we've got. We've maintained the same ratio of other ingredients, only adjusting the type of pine."

"Awesome!" Picking up the first small glass, holding it up to the light, I peer at it. "Nice colour." Swirling the glass for a few seconds, my nose immerses itself just below the rim. "Oh, that's a bit sharp. I can really smell the pine in this one, but I'm not sure I could say that it's positive." Holding my hand flat over the opening, I turn the glass upside down, dampening my palm. Returning the glass to its previous location, I wipe my hand on the paper towel placed there before cupping my palms around my mouth and taking another sniff. "Still a bit overpowering, I think."

Brooklyn and Yanique observe carefully. After all, as the founder and CEO of Rapier Wit Gin, I have the palette that makes all of the decisions.

The first sip is smooth, and I'm once more grateful for our ethanol supplier. The extra distillation after the botanicals are added at Rapier Wit is what makes our gin truly unique. So many of the large gin makers don't bother with a second distillation. They just remove the solids from the botanicals and dilute it with water. No wonder Rapier Wit is superior.

With the second sip, I allow the liquid to linger on my tongue. My Sensory Expert and my Distiller-in-Chief lean forward as though they can also taste the liquor. In swallowing, I wait a moment to see which flavours linger. Taking a clipboard, I make some notes on the page, remarking, "The pine in this one almost completely overpowers the anise."

The other two women nod as though they agree, although I have no clue if they actually do or not. The company belongs primarily to me, so it's my taste buds and business knowledge that are most important. After washing my hands and sniffing some coffee beans, I move to the remaining gin samples, repeating the same process four more times. By the end of the row, I've tasted all five.

Removing the pencil tip from the paper after writing the final note, I look up at my team expectantly. "Time to calibrate!" The glee in my voice brings smiles to their faces, as we all confirm this is our favourite part.

"Number 1 is from the Sitka Spruce," reveals Yanique. "It's the most common pine here in the UK, and it certainly tastes like it. My overall rating was a 79."

"I'm with you," Brooklyn chimes in. "77."

"Mhm," I frown, eyebrows pulling downward. Making the other two nervous is part of the fun. "I actually rated it a..." The dramatic pause is an important part of the process, and I can't control the smile that starts to tilt up the corners of my mouth, "78."

With matching sighs of relief, the other members of my team move on. Brooklyn's turn to go first. "Number two is from the Douglas Fir. I like the bite from the pine flavour, but it really pushed the citrus completely off my tongue, so I gave it an 84."

"Holy shit!" Yanique exclaims. "Me too!"

"Me three," I laugh, and all is right with the world as we rotate through the remaining gins, featuring the Noble Pine, Scots Pine, and Norway Spruce.

"So we're decided," I announce at the end. "It's the Scots Pine?" When my squad nods in agreement, I remove the recipe from the card file. "Okay, so next up, we vary the cinnamon and cardamom to make sure the flavours are precisely what we want. I'll get our marketing guru on developing a name for a Scots Pine gin worthy of Rapier."

"Group hug!"

"Yay us!"

In a ritual that started with the first gin we had made three years previously, we embrace, patting each other on the backs.