Bath Botanics Sloe Gin is a 25% ABV seasonal fruit gin made by steeping sloe berries in the distillery's No.1 Gin. It is bottled in a 50 cl format and follows the harvest of local, biodynamic and wild-grown fruit around Bath. Sloe is the small, tart fruit of the blackthorn, and its maceration gives the spirit a darker colour and a more rounded fruit character than the dry house gin beneath it.

The No.1 Gin is distilled in a copper pot still with juniper, Somerset lime flowers, coriander, angelica, liquorice, cardamom, star anise, cassia and lemon peel. Those ingredients remain important after the sloes are steeped: juniper and citrus keep the drink recognisably gin-led, while angelica, liquorice and the warm spices give the fruit a deeper botanical frame. Natural cane sugar is used sparingly to develop the maceration. There are no artificial flavourings or colourings, and a little natural fruit pulp can occur in the bottle.

The nose leans towards hedgerow fruit, with a tart, vinous edge that sits beside lemon peel and juniper. The palate is rounder than a London dry gin, but the sloe's natural astringency keeps the sweetness in check. Spice and roots from the base gin emerge more clearly towards the finish, where cardamom, cassia and angelica add depth to the fruit. Chilled, the balance is particularly clear: ripe berry notes lead, then give way to a dry, gently spiced finish.

Bath Botanics enjoys its Sloe Gin over ice or with Indian tonic and a slice of lemon. For a long drink, pour 5 cl over large clear ice cubes in a balloon glass and add 12 cl of Indian tonic. Slide in one thin lemon slice and stir once, gently. The citrus cuts through the rounded sloe character while the modest amount of tonic keeps the seasonal fruit and the No.1 Gin botanicals present.