Patience is also to be a judge on the newly formed gin judging panel of the International Spirits Challenge. It will be chaired by Beefeater master distiller, Desmond Payne.

Patience has been involved with the drinks world since starting her journalistic career back in the late 1970s but it was on joining Drinks International back in 1983 that she became a fully-fledged spirits writer, with particular responsibility for scotch whisky.

Along the way she was made Keeper of the Quaich in recognition of her contribution to the scotch whisky industry and in 1999 was enrolled as Master of the Quaich.

As a regular judge on spirits panels PG is no stranger to the competition circuit.  PG went freelance in 2005 to front other projects in the spirits industry, but has now returned to the Drinks International fold.