Winter spice runs through Gin In A Tin No 3, where juniper meets black pepper, cassia bark, cloves and sweet orange. The Cotswolds brand bottles this London Dry at 40% ABV in a forest green half-litre tin, one colour among the numbered recipes that make up its collection.

The nose pairs resinous juniper with warmth. Black pepper gives the lively edge, cassia carries a cinnamon-like scent, and cloves add depth and length. Sweet orange lifts the whole thing, so the first impression is fruity as well as peppery, and the gin never reads as a single blunt note of spice.

The palate follows the same order. Nothing here comes from a barrel: the warming character is built entirely from the botanical recipe, which is why the drink stays dry while tasting of baking spice. Orange softens the bark notes, pepper and clove stretch into the finish, and juniper keeps a clear gin identity once a mixer arrives. For anyone who likes cinnamon and cloves but dislikes liqueurs, it offers a useful middle path, and the brand's own framing of it as a gin for long chilly evenings is fair enough.

Gin In A Tin was started by Martin Agius, also behind the Gin Pantry, and each recipe in the range carries its own number, colour and botanical idea. The natural partner for this one is fresh orange peel. Cut a strip with as little white pith as you can, squeeze it gently over the ice and tuck it in beside the cubes; its oils echo the orange in the recipe without adding juice or sugar. Start at 4cl of gin to 10cl of a classic Indian tonic, pour gently to protect the bubbles, and stir no more than once. Half-litre tins are the usual format, with miniatures available for anyone who wants to work through several numbers of the collection.