Tarquin's Cornish Sunshine Blood Orange Gin is a 38% ABV fruit-flavoured gin from Cornwall, United Kingdom. The producer infuses it with blood orange, summer fruits and aromatic gentian root. Blood orange gives the bottle its sunny citrus direction, while gentian adds a distinct herbal bitterness. This is therefore more than a simple sweet orange gin: its useful tasting tension comes from the meeting of ripe fruit, citrus peel and a dry, bitter botanical note.

Pour a small chilled measure first and let the aroma settle. Look for the difference between juicy orange fruit and zest, then for the green, bitters-like edge from gentian. The producer specifically calls out its herbal bitterness, so it should remain perceptible even when the fruit seems generous. A little dilution can make that structure clearer, with the citrus becoming brighter and the bitterness more integrated. Very sweet mixers can make the gin seem flatter and hide the most distinctive part of its profile.

For a simple gin and tonic, use a dry Indian tonic and keep the ratio restrained: 5 cl gin to 10 cl tonic, over plenty of clear ice. A large blood-orange wheel is enough as garnish; it reinforces the documented citrus without adding another flavour. Taste the first few sips before adding more tonic. If the gentian edge feels too pronounced, an extra splash of tonic will soften it while leaving the orange recognisable.

The producer's featured serve is the Cornish Sunshine Spritz. Fill a wine glass with ice, add 5 cl gin, 10 cl dry sparkling wine and 5 cl sparkling elderflower, then stir lightly and finish with a large citrus wheel. The sparkling wine keeps the serve dry, while elderflower adds lift rather than a heavy sweetness. It is the most coherent showcase for a gin described as blood orange, summer fruit and gentian, and makes an aperitif rather than a dessert-like drink.