Rose, lavender and strawberry shape Shed Loads of Love, a floral gin with a whisper of chilli behind it. Shed One distils it in Ulverston, Cumbria, and uses a 70cl bottle of recycled glass, filled at 41% ABV. The Gin Guide Awards gave it Silver in 2026.

Flowers and fruit lead the aroma: rose first, delicate and clear, then lavender with its more herbal side, then the softness of ripe strawberry. Juniper has not been pushed aside and still marks the opening. Chilli shows up late and as warmth rather than heat, and the gap between the fragrant nose and that gentle prickle on the palate is what makes the recipe memorable. Great Taste judges put it neatly: buoyant fruit and flowers, then a wave of chilli, with the gin botanicals sitting deep.

Tonic separates the strawberry from the flowers and makes both easier to follow. This remains a distilled spirit, so the fruit in the recipe is no reason to reach for a sweet cordial. Andy and Zoe Arnold-Bennett launched the distillery in a seven-foot garden shed in October 2016 and moved into the Old Calf Shed three years later, keeping the same small-batch habits along the way. Their sustainability record has been recognised four years running by The Gin Guide.

Strawberry is the obvious garnish, and the distillery suggests going further by replacing your ice cubes with frozen berries. A simpler route works too: two small strawberry halves, frozen if you like, resting among large cubes. Pour 4cl of gin and follow with Indian tonic water, 10cl, very cold. Leave the fruit whole so its aroma arrives slowly and the rose and lavender keep the front of the glass. Taste before adding more mixer, since the chilli warmth is easy to lose under a long pour.