Eight botanicals and a handful of Swiss stone pine shavings make up the recipe of August Gin, the small-batch London Dry produced in Augsburg by Spin & Gin. Its dark blue label reads Handgefertigt in Schwaben, handmade in Swabia, and the classic comes in 70 cl bottles at 43% ABV. Augsburg lies in Bavarian Swabia, which explains the reference to Swabia on a bottle from Bavaria. It is the reference point of a range that now includes a Navy Strength, a Sloe Gin, a Distiller's Cut called Quintus and an FCA special edition.

Citrus · Dry · Spicy

Juniper leads, with sloe, coriander, angelica, orange peel, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg around it. The stone pine, known in German as Zirbe and common in the Alpine regions south of Augsburg, is the house signature: its shavings bring a soft, resinous wood note that sits naturally beside juniper. Sloe adds a light fruit accent, and angelica keeps the finish dry.

On the nose, juniper is joined by a striking combination of cardamom, nutmeg and stone pine.

The palate balances gentle and more powerful notes, with woody, spicy nuances from the pine complementing the classic gin aroma rather than dominating it. Orange peel keeps the gin fresh, and the cinnamon gives a warm finish. A small taste neat, side by side with the 57% Navy Strength, shows how the same recipe changes with strength.

August describes the classic as the perfect base for the number one long drink, the gin and tonic. Pour it over large ice, lengthen it with Indian tonic added a little at a time, and finish with an orange twist and, if you have one, a pine tip. For a firmer juniper note, it also makes a straightforward Martini, stirred with a dry vermouth and finished with orange peel rather than lemon.