On March 8th, we celebrate International Women's Day, a day honouring the cultural, political, and socio-economic achievements of women worldwide. For us, this day holds special significance for two reasons - not only did we launch our beloved Aranami Strength gin five years ago on this day, but Hidden Curiosities itself is a female-led company.
Allow us to introduce you to the driving force behind Hidden Curiosities - Jennifer Lane. As the creator, director, and owner, Jenny's passion and dedication have been the guiding light behind everything we do. From meticulously researching and sampling gins to create something unique of her own, to the daily running of the company, Hidden Curiosities is a labour of love that is fuelled by Jenny's unwavering commitment to excellence.
But Jenny's entrepreneurial spirit doesn't stop there. She also heads up Cravat Club, a luxury men's accessories brand that she has been involved in since 2014. Drawing inspiration from her time spent in Japan, Jenny gives classic menswear a contemporary spin, creating the perfect collections for men to express themselves.
With extensive array of luxury silk accessories, her ideas and leadership take the business from strength to strength. Cravat Club has captivated customers worldwide, even gathering celebrity wearers such as Martin Freeman and the late Professor Stephen Hawking. They're not just on film stars either, but actually in the movies themselves - Hugh Grant wears a cravat from Cravat Club in his hilarious turn as the villain Phoenix Buchanan in Paddington 2.
Jenny's time in Japan not only influenced her approach to fashion, but also shaped her palate, paving the way for the creation of Aranami Strength Gin.
Meaning "raging waves" in Japanese, Aranami embodies the power, freshness and vitality of its namesake. Crafted through a meticulous process that includes three distillations with different botanicals, Aranami boasts a unique and exotic flavour profile that can be traced to seven botanicals imported from across Japan.
From lavender fields in Hokkaido to yuzu orchards in Shikoku, each botanical contributes to Aranami's distinctive taste, capturing the essence of Japanese cuisine. This attention to detail has earned Aranami numerous awards, including recognition as Best Navy Strength Gin in England and accolades from prestigious competitions - these include Gold at the International Wine & Spirits Awards 2022, along with achieving the highest accolade of 3 stars at the Great Taste Awards in 2023.
The judges test an astonishing 14,000 products during the judging, with less than 2% gaining the coveted three-star rating. Having passed through a series of blind tastings, the judges gave Aranami the highest possible rating, saying some wonderful things about our gin:
"This is a delightfully aromatic, complex and nuanced gin. Clear as crystal with an elegantly inviting nose displaying a whisper of ripe juniper, bright and fresh citrus and a dancing hint of sansho pepper with lavender and violet florality. Smooth and silky at first with a velvety texture that suddenly steps up about three gears at once with vibrant peppery intensity!”
Another one of the judge’s comments picks out the gin’s the deeper notes:
"There is a woody character to the pepper with hints of cinnamon bark and star anise which builds furiously and reaches a peak of spicy, herby forest fire smokiness. Crunchy sour plum, red cherry and cherry stone then follow on the super long tongue-tingling finale with an olive-like umami note on the thirty-plus-seconds-later finish.”
And one comment that we couldn’t have put better ourselves…
"This is a true blockbuster of a gin, sensational!"
As we celebrate International Women's Day and Aranami Strength's 5th birthday, we invite you to raise a glass in honour of Jenny and the remarkable journey that has brought Hidden Curiosities to life. Whether enjoyed in a classic Negroni or savoured neat over ice, Aranami Strength is perhaps the greatest expression of what Hidden Curiosities is all about.
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