Dessie is Steeplechase Distillery's winter-minded gin, named for the racehorse Desert Orchid. The Cheltenham distillery bottles it at 42% ABV. Juniper and vanilla are steeped before distillation with a wider blend of fourteen botanicals, including cassia and nutmeg. Fresh clementine peel and dried fig are then introduced by vapour infusion. That sequence explains the balance the distillery seeks: bright peel at the top, warm spice beneath it and a measured sweetness from the fig.

The citrus is not merely a garnish idea. Fresh clementine peel is part of the production, so its aroma belongs to the liquid itself. Vanilla softens the edges, while cassia and nutmeg give the middle of the palate a warmer tone. Dried fig adds a darker fruit note without turning the gin into a dessert drink. The house describes the finished spirit as dry despite its creamy impression. A small neat pour makes that distinction easier to judge before tonic adds its own sweetness and bitterness.

Serve Dessie with a restrained measure of cold Indian tonic and plenty of ice. Put a thin clementine slice and a small piece of dried fig among the cubes; place more of each beside the glass. The garnish follows ingredients already present, so it needs no extra spice or syrup. Add tonic gradually and taste once before topping up. This keeps the juniper and spice in view rather than letting the drink become an orange-flavoured highball. On a cold evening, the same gin can also be tasted over a single large cube.