Cascade is the American hop best known for the floral, grapefruit and pine aromas it gives to pale ales, and The Shropshire Distillery pairs it with the fruit it already smells of. Grapefruit & Hop is distilled with American Cascade hops and dried grapefruit over a juniper base, and bottled at 42% in 70 cl.

The idea is a zesty citrus-pine flavour balanced with light floral notes. Dried grapefruit brings zest and a measured bitterness, and the Cascade hops extend that citrus into flowers and pine, so it is hard to say where the fruit stops and the hop begins. Juniper runs underneath as the undercurrent that keeps it a gin, its own pine answering the pine of the hop. Distilling the hops, rather than steeping them, keeps their aroma and leaves most of their bitterness behind, which is why the gin recalls a hoppy beer without tasting like one. Cascade is also one of the most widely used aroma hops in American craft brewing.

The distillery was established in 2018 by Gareth and Emma Glynn, and Grapefruit & Hop joined the range in 2023, launched at the same time as its first vodka, Spring Vodka. Every batch is made by one-shot distillation, then blended and bottled by hand in Ellesmere. A clean, gently resinous finish follows, with a smooth, refreshingly hoppy character and enough freshness to avoid any heaviness.

The distillery's suggestion is simple: a wedge of fresh grapefruit, premium tonic and good company. The Indian tonic from Fever-Tree, with its classic quinine, suits the bitterness of the peel; start from 4 cl of gin, lengthen it with 10 cl of that tonic over plenty of ice, add a wedge of pink grapefruit and, if you have one, a single Cascade hop cone to perfume the top of the drink lightly.