Branderiet London Dry Gin comes from Brande, in the middle of Jutland. Juniper gathered on the surrounding heath sits at the centre of the recipe, next to rosemary, pepper and almonds, while the remaining plants stay a house secret. The bottle holds 50cl at 40.5% ABV, comfortably above the 37.5% minimum that the London Dry category requires.

The nose opens gently, juniper first, with a faint sweetness behind it. Rosemary is easiest to recognise on the finish, where it leaves a green herbal trace. Almond rounds the texture and pepper adds a mild warmth, so the drink keeps a dry, savoury line rather than a sugary one. That herbal accent is what separates this Danish recipe from a purely citrus-led London Dry, and it also explains why the gin holds up in stirred cocktails.

The distillery is a very small operation, built in a garage in a quiet street in Brande, turning out gin, whisky and snaps in short runs. Clean local water and heath juniper are the two things the team keeps coming back to across the whole range, and their mascot, a capercaillie called Arne, is drawn foraging for juniper, bog myrtle and honey on the same moorland. This London Dry is the starting point for the flavoured bottlings and for the casked versions sold beside it, from blackcurrant and rhubarb to coffee and sloe.

The distillery points to a straightforward gin and tonic with citrus, and mentions the Gimlet, the Tom Collins and the French 75 as alternatives. Our version keeps that citrus idea: large ice cubes, a 4cl measure of gin, 10cl of cold Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water and a thin lemon wheel slipped among the cubes. Lemon lifts the juniper and rosemary without sweetening anything. One turn of the spoon is enough before the first sip.