FAIR Juniper Gin

Quinoa is where FAIR Juniper Gin begins. The French brand, created in 2009 to build a spirits line with a positive effect on the communities it buys from, distils in the Cognac region and blends its botanical distillate with a vodka made from Fair Trade quinoa. The bottle is filled at 42% ABV, and one per cent of revenue goes back to the farming cooperatives behind the crops.

Citrus · Spicy · Herbal

Uzbek juniper berriesJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary form the core of the recipe, and FAIR presents this as the first distilled ginDistilled ginGin made by redistilling neutral spirit with juniper and other botanicals. Unlike London Dry, flavourings may be added after distillation.GlossarySee Distilled gin gins made from them. Around that sit coriander seeds, cardamom, angelica rootAngelicaThe root of a tall umbellifer, earthy and musky. After juniper and coriander it is the most common botanical: it binds the aromas and holds the finish.Glossary, lemons from Morocco and Timut pepper, all organic and Fair Trade certified. Each botanical is distilled separately in a stainless steel still before blending, which is a slower route than a single charge but keeps every element distinct. Timut pepper, a Himalayan berry related to Szechuan pepper, is the signature: it smells of grapefruit and leaves a light tingle on the tongue.

The nose is clean and juniper-ledJuniper-forwardA classic profile where juniper clearly dominates, with resinous, piney notes.Glossary, then citrus arrives, grapefruit and lemon zest lifted by the exotic edge of the pepper. Cardamom and coriander add warmth and depth underneath.

On the palate the structure is precise: juniper at the centre, soft citrus around it, a faint natural sweetness from the quinoa base, and a dry, earthy line from coriander and angelica. The tingle of Timut pepper and a refined bitterness carry the long, refreshing finish.

In a long drink it wants a plain tonic with a grapefruit or lemon slice: one part gin to two and a half parts mixer, over ice. The grapefruit garnish is the one that echoes the Timut pepper most directly. It is equally suited to a dry MartiniDry MartiniGin and a little dry vermouth, stirred over ice and served in a well-chilled stemmed glass, with an olive or a twist.Glossary, where the firm juniper takes centre stage, and to a NegroniNegroniAn Italian cocktail of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and red bitter (Campari), served over ice with orange peel. Born in Florence in 1919.Glossary, where the structure holds up against vermouthVermouthAn aromatised, fortified wine flavoured with herbs and barks; its name comes from the German Wermut, wormwood. Dry vermouth goes into a Martini, sweet red into a Negroni.Glossary and bittersBittersHighly concentrated bitters (Angostura, orange…), added in dashes to season a cocktail.Glossary. A Gold medal at the Gin Masters in London in 2021 confirms the balance is not just an ethical argument.