Cuckoo Solace Gin takes its cue from the gardens and spring water of Brindle Distillery in Lancashire. Juniper is joined by rosemary and lemon thyme grown on the farm, Nocellara and Cuquillo olives, lemon, grapefruit, liquorice, cassia, cardamom, almond, coriander and orris. It is distilled in the copper still Maggie and bottled at 41%, a strength that gives the recipe enough space to show its savoury and herbal details without making the palate aggressive.

Rosemary and lemon thyme set the opening tone, while juniper remains clear beneath lemon and grapefruit oils. Coriander and cardamom add a bright, dry spice. The olives give a subtle roundness and a faint savoury suggestion rather than a briny flavour. Orris and liquorice hold the middle of the palate together; almond softens the edges. The finish returns to citrus peel and green herbs, cleanly, with the botanical layers still separated.

Solace is compelling because it approaches richness through texture and balance, not through sugar. The recipe has many moving parts, yet it remains easy to read in the glass: dry juniper, cultivated herbs, citrus and a carefully judged olive note. It belongs to the more gastronomic side of contemporary English gin, one that can work beside food as naturally as it works in a highball. The use of farm-grown ingredients gives the bottle a direct connection to Brindle without forcing a rustic style on the drink.

For the Perfect Serve, Indian tonic, grapefruit peel, rosemary and one green olive make sense together. Grapefruit brightens the top note, rosemary echoes the distillery garden, and the olive makes the savoury detail more legible. Build over clear ice and keep the tonic measured; a very sweet mixer would blur the dry, composed character that makes this gin worthwhile.