The Secret Garden Cocktail

Rooted In Nature

Close your eyes and imagine smelling some garden flowers, then imagine experiencing that inside a drinkable glass of alcohol, with bubbles rising to the top in a mesmerising dance that reminds you of the stars. We are about to look into the history of a Slovenian Sparkling Wine, and how a husband and wife created a natural Gin distillery, then finish with a delicious Sparkling Wine Cocktail that perfectly captures the expression of some garden flowers and exotic fruits.

The Sparkling Wine – Valdhuber

Valdhuber originate from Svečina close to the Austrian border in Slovenia, it all began in 1913 when Ema Huber, a four year old girl came as a foster child from Graz to Svečina, she grew up and became an owner of an estate, she married Franc Valdhuber in 1931, which is where the name for this winery came from, Valdhuber.

4 generations have helped build up this Slovenian winery, with currently Bogomir (Mirč) Valdhuber who runs the family estate and looks after the vineyards and the cellar. His wife Dijana’s friend takes care of the hospitality side of the farm. Their Daughter Eva helps her mother in assisting and learning the inner workings of how things are run and son Adam is taking his first steps in oenology which is the science and study of wine and winemaking.

Although they have a long history, the architecture of the winery is rather modern, they have a new cellar and tourist farm which they built in 2013 so they could create local and seasonal dishes that can accompany their fine wines.

Vinarstvo Valdhuber – Rosé Extra Brut – Tasting Notes

Aroma – “👃Floral, pink roses and foliage on the aroma.”

Flavour – “👅A dryer tasting wine which is flowing with raspberries, strawberries, pink rose petals and various floral flavours.”

This Slovenian Sparkling Wine Won a Silver Medal in the Spring Fling Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2020.

The Gin – The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden Gin is one that is Rooted in Nature, they don’t use any added sugar, artificial colouring, flavouring or additives, they want their Gin to taste as natural as possible, even the labels that they use on their bottles are made from 30% grass.

Started in 2012, husband and wife team, Hamish and Liberty Martin bought 7.5 acres of land on the outskirts of Edinburgh, it is from there that they created their Secret Herb Garden which now has over 600 varieties of herbs. With Hamish being a Herbologist combined with the time he spent in the drinks industry, they decided to create a range of 100% natural gins utilising the herbs grown in their secret herb garden.

Tasting Notes – “Elderflower, jasmine and exotic fruits aromas and a pleasant sweet taste of the same.

“The future of the earth and the beauty it beholds is at the forefront of everything we create, it is why we began our journey and why we do what we do, so we can showcase the true magic of nature.” – Hamish Martin, Founding Director of The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden Cocktail

Ingredients

• Sparkling Wine (Rosé)
• Gin (Elderflower & Jasmine)
• Golden Syrup
• Teisseire Pamplemousse Rose (Grapefruit Sweetener)

How To Make The Secret Garden Cocktail

1. Pour in 15mls of Gin
2. Add a teaspoon worth of Golden Syrup
3. Add 10mls of the Teisseire Pamplemousse (Grapefruit Sweetener)
4. Top up with 100mls of Sparkling Wine

Tasting Notes

Aroma – “👃Exotic fruits, like mango with Elderflower, jasmine and pink roses on the aroma.”

Flavour – “👅A sweet touch of Elderflower, Rose’s, floral, peach, pink grapefruit and exotic fruits, lovely expression of floral notes from the fizz mixed in with exotic fruits from the gin.”