Bergamot, the fragrant citrus of the Mediterranean, leads this classic distilled gin from Dog and Spoon. Made in Alfreton, Derbyshire, and bottled at 40% ABV in 70 cl, it stays juniper-led while the bergamot gives it a smooth, citrusy profile that the distillery describes as full of character. The distillery opened in 2019 and has held carbon-neutral status since 2022.

Five botanicals join the juniper: bergamot, aromatic verbena, spicy cardamom, fragrant bay leaves and sweet, warm cassia. The recipe shares its herbal backbone with other gins of the house, but bergamot changes its direction. Its peel, rich in the essential oil that perfumes Earl Grey tea, brings a floral, slightly bitter citrus note that sits between orange and lemon. Most of the bergamot grown in the world comes from Calabria, in southern Italy.

Each ingredient has a clear role. Verbena, a lemon-scented shrub from South America better known in herbal teas, reinforces the lemony freshness, cardamom adds cool spice, bay leaves bring a savoury, green dryness and cassia warms the finish. The result is complex without being heavy, and the distillery suggests enjoying it neat to appreciate those notes, or mixing it with a premium tonic for a classic gin and tonic.

A CPRE Edition of the same gin is also sold, with a donation from each purchase going to CPRE Derbyshire, the countryside charity. Solar energy, closed-loop cooling and plastic-free packaging are part of the same commitment at the distillery. For the gin and tonic, Dog and Spoon recommends serving it cold with a slice of lemon, plus a rosemary sprig. Indian tonic leaves the bergamot crisp, the lemon repeats the citrus and the rosemary underlines the herbs of the recipe.