It's International Women's Day on Wednesday 8th March, an annual celebration of the cultural, political, and socio-economic achievements of women. This day is significant to us for two reasons - not only was our much loved Aranami Strength gin released on this day four years ago, but as you probably know already, Hidden Curiosities gin is a female-led company.
In honour of this, we'd like to introduce you to the woman behind everything at Hidden Curiosities - creator, director and owner, Jennifer Lane. Not only that, we'd also like to celebrate Aranami Strength's 4th birthday with a reminder of why it's so good.
The Face Behind the Gin
Showcasing Cravat Club & Hidden Curiosities at Goodwood Revival
Hidden Curiosities is, first and foremost, a labour of love. Nothing good is ever made without passion and inspiration, and from the very start Hidden Curiosities has been guided by one person; Jenny. She spent a year doing extensive research, sampling and carefully assessing over 100 different gins of different types, inspiring her to make something that was truly to her taste. Flavour, mouthfeel, body, bouquet and aftertaste were all considered and noted, and all were important in the pursuit of the perfect finish, and of something truly unique.
In tandem with Hidden Curiosities, Jenny also runs another business venture - the luxury men's accessories brand, Cravat Club. Jenny spent most of her twenties in Japan, and she couldn't help but notice that while Japanese fashion was incredible, just like here in the UK it seemed a lot easier for women to play with fashion and colour. She used this impression to explore a gap in the market, and to bring some of the style and delicacy of Japanese fashion into play back home. She wanted to offer men variety in their wardrobe and to encourage them to develop their own unique style.
With the help of Cravat Club's extensive range of luxury silk accessories, she encouraged men to dress more experimentally and imaginatively. Through Jenny's hard work and determination, Cravat Club has grown and grown, selling to customers in over 70 countries across 6 continents. Even familiar faces such as Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman and the late Professor Stephen Hawking have worn Cravat Club's silk cravats.
Japanese-Inspired
Jenny's time spent living in Japan helped her to develop her already attuned palate. The refined and delicate nature of Japanese cuisine is reflected both in the exotic choice of botanicals, and in the final flavour. Hidden Curiosities is a London Dry Gin in the traditional style, with nothing added post-distillation, but with additional refinement in the Japanese manner; something a bit curious. Food and drink in Japan simply has a different flavour profile than it does in the UK, with different elements valued, and the gin speaks of this meeting of cultures when you taste it.
What Makes Aranami So Good?
Translating as "Raging Waves" in Japanese, Aranami (荒波) tastes as powerful and as fresh as it sounds! Featuring a mighty dragon emerging from raging water on the label’s reverse, both design and flavour are a homage to Japan, and one sip of Aranami will bring you closer to that country’s careful refinement.
Compared to a London Dry Gin, the process of making Aranami is a lot more time consuming and requires a lot more work. The gin undergoes three distillations with different botanicals, along with a post-distillation, to give you the perfect blend of flavours, and to balance the 59% ABV with the fragrant herbs and spices. To make the wonderful recipe she imagined, Jenny imported seven different botanicals from all across Japan, giving a truly unique and exotic flavour profile.
Despite Aranami’s strength, its delicacy plays well in a number of drinks. A Negroni is perhaps its natural habitat, and it’s perfect in a Martini or a gin sour too. A gin and tonic is of course a pleasure, and the complexity of the gin is such that it’s fantastic to simply sip neat too. Try serving over ice and garnishing with sliced pear and dried barberries, sansho peppercorns (if you can get your hands on them), or at a pinch, a slice of pink grapefruit. Give our Aranami Navy Strength a go, and we guarantee you won’t make it your last glass.
Award Winning
Another reason to celebrate! While we’re very proud of our product, we’re still blown away by the support it has had. We are pleased to say that our Aranami Navy strength has won a host of awards, which is testament to the care we take in making it. These include -
- Gold Award (96/100) at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2022 (along with Gold 95/100 for Hidden Curiosities Gin)
- World Gin Awards Best Navy Strength in England 2020
- 2 Stars at the Great Taste Awards 2020 (along with 2 Stars for Hidden Curiosities Gin)
- Best Gin at the Industry Choice Awards 2020
- Best Gin at the Berkshire County Show
- Gold in the Women's Wine & Spirits Awards 2020
- The Gin Lord’s Gin of the Year 2019
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