Poland's leading gin since 1987 is a claim with some history behind it, and Lubuski is made in the Lubusz region, an area under ecological protection. The base is a high-quality grain spirit, and the botanical set is short and deliberate: juniper berries, coriander, marjoram and lavender, bottled at 37.5% ABV. It took a Bronze award at the World Gin Awards in 2020.

Marjoram is the ingredient that makes this recognisable. It is a herb far more common in a kitchen than in a still, warm and slightly sweet with a soft oregano-like edge, and it gives the gin a savoury middle that the botanical list would not otherwise suggest. Lavender sits above it, floral but restrained, contributing lift rather than perfume. Juniper stays green and clear underneath, and coriander links the herb and the berry with its warm seed spice. The result is crisp and aromatic, with the herbs giving more body than the modest strength implies, and a clean dry finish. A gin built on kitchen herbs rather than on citrus is a genuinely different proposition, and it changes what the bottle is good for.

At 37.5% the gin is built for length rather than intensity, and it responds best to a straightforward long drink. Use a plain tonic, fill the glass properly with ice, and keep the garnish restrained: a strip of lemon peel is enough, and a small sprig of marjoram or another soft herb doubles what is already in the recipe. Avoid heavily flavoured mixers, which will simply flatten the herbal middle and leave a thin drink behind. The savoury register also makes it a better partner for food than most gins of this strength. It ends dry, herbal and lightly floral, the marjoram lingering after the lavender lifts away.