Jason Williams first picked up his nickname "Widges" at the ripe age of the 13, when he got his first job washing dishes and delivering pizzas at a local pizza shop.

That nickname stuck, even as his foray into the hospitality industry saw him taking on other roles such as bartender, and later on, bar owner of The Rook, a specialty gin bar in Sydney, Australia. Later on, Williams moved to Singapore, where he helped set up the Atlas Bar, an opulent Art-Deco inspired bar that houses the world's largest collection of gins. What came next? Why, starting his own gin brand, of course! 

Having cemented himself as the go-to gin guy, Jason Williams was approached by Spencer Fornhart, one of the founders of Proof & Co, a spirits distribution and consultancy company, to create a craft gin brand designed for bars across the Asian markets. Taking up the challenge, his first thought was to design a gin specifically for the G&T and the dry gin martini. 

To create the recipe, Wiliams travelled to Langley UK for trial distillations, during which he experimented with botanicals with the aim of creating a classic style London Dry Gin that would play well with most of your classic cocktails. And thus, Widges was born, with a final recipe that's made with juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, nutmeg, orris, lemon peel, orange peel and caradmon, distilled in a copper pot still. 

Widges Gin, 41.5% ABV - Tasting Notes

Aroma: Begins assertive and bright with a hit of juniper and pine needles, accentuated by touches of orange peels and citrus zest. Some prickly heat akin to white pepper and coriander seeds.

Taste: Medium bodied, coating the tongue with a rich mouthfeel. A strong juniper presence is sustained, accented by a pop of orange zest and lemon balm. Nearer the end, the spicier notes gain in strength, with notes of coriander seeds and cardamom adding some heat.   

Finish: Medium, with fading notes of pine needles, coriander seeds, and a subtle citrus sweetness of orange and bergamot. 

Overall Thoughts:

Very classic in style with a good body and cohesiveness to it! There's this great assertiveness of juniper, with additional touches of mandarin citrus and adds character and interest to the spirit - good enough to blend and integrate with ease into classic cocktails while still retaining enough distinctiveness to hold its own in a simple G&T. 

With Juniper and Joy,

@lotusroot518