The Shropshire Distillery Cherry & Pink Peppercorn Gin

Sour cherries and pink peppercorns meet the signature botanical blend of The Shropshire Distillery in this 40% ABV gin from Ellesmere. The producer describes fresh, peppery notes and an intensely aromatic character, completed by a subtle touch of fruitiness rather than a sweet cherry flavour.

Dry · Spicy · Floral · Fruity

The pairing is simple and deliberate. Sour cherries bring acidity and a red-fruit tone that stays lively, while pink peppercorns add a fragrant, gently resinousResinousAn aroma reminiscent of pine or fir resin. It is juniper's signature, due to compounds such as pinene.Glossary spice that lifts the fruit. Pink peppercorn is not a true pepper but the dried berry of a South American tree, which explains its softer, almost floral heat compared with black pepper. The house botanicals keep juniper in charge, and no colouring is added: the colour of the gin comes from the cherries themselves.

The judges of the London Spirits Competition gave it a Silver award in 2021. They noted juniper and a touch of berry fruit on the nose, then a cereal richness on the palate with subtle sour cherry, juniper remaining the dominant flavour. That reading matches the balance of the recipe: the fruit is present from the first breath, but it stands behind the juniper instead of taking its place, and the pepper keeps the finish dry and warm.

The distillery's own suggestion is short: mixed red berries, a premium tonic and good company. An Indian tonicIndian tonicThe classic tonic: sparkling water, bitter quinine and sugar. The name recalls colonial India, where quinine warded off malaria.Glossary fits that brief, its quinineQuinineAn alkaloid from cinchona bark that gives tonic its bitterness. The British in India drank it against malaria and added gin: the gin and tonic was born.Glossary sharpening the sour cherry, and a small handful of red berries, such as raspberries, redcurrants or halved cherries, repeats the fruit without adding sugar. Plenty of cold ice matters too, because the cherry acidity reads most clearly when the drink stays very fresh. Building the drink directly over the ice also lets the berries release a little juice as it sits, so the fruit grows slightly as the drink goes on.