Boodles gin was a favorite of Winston Churchill, and I’m not surprised by that at all. Boodles has been around since 1845, and is largely the same as it was back then. The gin is extremely tasty, with hints of juniper, rosemary, nutmeg, sage, and coriander. It’s basically an herb party in this bottle, but don’t confuse its deliciousness with a lack of utility–mix this with quinine-based tonic water and boom! malaria prevention. Please don’t test that theory, but it was often used for that purpose.
Boodles is named after Edward Boodle, who founded Boodle’s gentlemen’s club in 1762. The Boodle’s gentleman’s club is a famous club in London which was featured in a few works of famous literature. In Oscar Wilde’s 1895 play An Ideal Husband, Sir Robert Chiltern says, “Lord Goring is the result of Boodle’s Club, Mrs. Cheveley,” after Lord Goring establishes that he is a bachelor. Mrs. Cheveley responds, “He reflects every credit on the institution.” Ian Fleming is said to have based the Blades Club from his James Bond novels on Boodle’s. However, Boodle’s itself is referenced in the novel Moonraker and You Only Live Twice.
This reminds me of a mantra I try to live by: if it’s good enough for James Bond, it’s good enough for me. Boodles is a legendary gin, and there’s good reason for it. If you’re new to gin, give Boodles a try. If you’re no stranger to the gin world, but haven’t had Boodles before, I’m sure it will hold up to even the most particular palettes. It’s surely going to be the only gin I have in my cupboard from now on, and that’s a promise.
