Named after a champion steeplechaser, Kauto Contemporary Dry Gin runs on lime leaf and lemongrass. Steeplechase Distillery makes it in Cheltenham at 42% ABV, adding pink peppercorns, ginger, lavender and heather to the juniper base for a profile the distillers call exotic and floral.

Makrut lime leaf opens with a bright, green citrus note that owes nothing to peel, and lemongrass extends it. Ginger then brings warmth, pink peppercorn a light aromatic bite, and lavender and heather close the aroma with a dry floral edge rather than a perfumed one. Juniper runs through all of it, holding the gin in dry territory despite the number of aromatics on the list. Lime leaf and lemongrass are the two that people usually name first when tasting it blind. Kauto takes its name from one of the most celebrated horses ever to run at Cheltenham, and the rest of the range follows the same idea.

Adam Mitchell, a former chemistry teacher, set up the distillery in 2020 in Montpellier Arcade, less than two miles from Cheltenham Racecourse, and named the whole range after famous horses. He works on 40 and 20 litre copper alembic stills, small enough that every batch is handled directly. The Gin Guide Awards named Steeplechase Distillery of the Year in 2025, and its Signature gin has twice been judged best in Europe.

A lime wheel and a thin slice of fresh ginger are the right partners. Set a 4cl measure on large ice, pour 10cl of quinine-forward tonic down the side, then add both garnishes and keep them small. They should support the lime leaf and ginger already in the recipe rather than doubling them, so one thin slice of each is plenty before the first taste. Tours and tastings run most Saturdays at the arcade, bar included.