Desert Island Drinks: Paul Hletko, FEW Spirits

Paul Hletko is founder and distiller at FEW Spirits, based in Evanston, near Chicago. His intention was to craft whiskey that would rival those made by his peers in Kentucky, and he has since brought this boundary-pushing ethos to gin, too. The distillery now makes a range of gins and whiskeys including Breakfast Gin, Barrel Gin, straight rye and bourbon whiskeys, and a single malt.

We asked Paul which three gins and one cocktail he’d take to our desert island.

Gin # 1: FEW Breakfast Gin

I love interesting and different gins, and this is unlike anything else. It’s soft and approachable, yet complex and engaging.

Gin #2: Bluecoat American Dry Gin

This is one of the gins that really inspired me to try making gin – it really grabbed my attention and changed the course of my professional life!

Gin #3: Sacred Gin

Sacred is just a masterpiece gin: balanced and full flavoured, with some surprises hiding in every sip

Cocktail: Negroni

I almost always go with Negronis. Bitter and sweet, bracing and dry, ideal before and after a meal, ideal at happy hour – and last call.