Two distillations, then the fruit. The spirit goes first through a copper pot still, then through a rectification column made entirely of copper, and only afterwards are Wépion strawberries macerated in the finished gin. That order is what produces the pale natural pink: the colour, the fructose and the aroma all come out of real fruit, and nothing is added to help. Distillerie de Namur bottles it at 40% in 50 cl.

Wépion, just south of Namur, has grown strawberries for long enough that the name functions as a designation locally. Around them the recipe is a proper gin rather than a fruit cordial: juniper and angelica hold the structure, bergamot and lemon peel bring a bright and slightly perfumed citrus, cardamom adds a measured spice, and lavender lays a floral line above it all. The strawberry then arrives as a red-fruit dimension rather than as sweetness.

The nose is aromatic and naturally floral, juniper and citrus first, then sweet strawberry, bergamot and a hint of lavender. The attack is drier than a fruit-led gin usually manages, juniper and peel setting the direction before the strawberry unfolds, and the fruit stays controlled: soft red berry, not confectionery. Cardamom and angelica hold the middle with discreet spice and herbal depth. The finish is medium to long, berries and citrus zest with a light floral trace, and it stays clean because no sugar was added at any point.

Neutral tonic, a thoroughly iced glass, and a strawberry, fresh or frozen, and a basil or mint leaf if you want the herbal side to show. Well chilled and neat, it works as a digestif, where the balance between juniper, citrus and fruit is easiest to read, and where the absence of sugar is most obvious.