Strawberry and basil is a pairing that works at the table long before it reaches a still, and LieGin Summer takes it at face value. Mint joins the two over a classic juniper base, bottled in Belgium at 40% ABV as the seasonal entry in the LieGin range. Nothing about it is complicated, and the recipe is honest about wanting to be refreshing rather than profound.

Ripe strawberry leads the aroma, fruity and bright, with soft herbal notes arriving underneath it almost immediately afterwards. On the palate the fruit is sweet without being sugary, and the basil is what stops it settling there: green, slightly peppery, it cuts across the strawberry and gives the middle some definition. Mint arrives last of the three, with a cooling sensation that lengthens the finish and keeps the whole thing feeling light on the palate. Juniper stays present throughout, further back than a dry style would place it yet firm enough to hold everything together, which is what separates this from a fruit liqueur.

Everything about the build should stay simple. Plain tonic is the choice that preserves the delicate aromatics, while a flavoured one would simply repeat what the gin already says and leave the drink flatter for it. Use plenty of ice, and garnish with a halved strawberry, a basil leaf or a small mint sprig - one of the three, not all of them. It also works in straightforward summer cocktails and makes an easy spritz with a dry sparkling wine. Read as what it is - a seasonal bottle meant for sharing rather than for studying - it does the job it set out to do, and does it well, without pretending to any more than that. It ends fresh and fruity, the mint cooling the last of the strawberry away.