Milk, rather than grain, is the starting point of Dublin City Gin: its base is an Irish whey spirit, distilled from the whey left over from cheese making. The gin is a London Dry built on seven botanicals, made in deliberately small, carefully monitored batches, with the distillers keeping only the heart of each run before resting it and bringing it to 42% ABV. Nothing is added after distillation, neither sweeteners nor flavour enhancers.

Dry · Fruity

Rhubarb gives the gin its local accent. It is grown in North Dublin and in an allotment beside the Grand Canal, in the heart of the city; the canal links Dublin to the River Shannon. The rhubarb inspired the recipe of what the founders call the city's gin. Alongside juniper and rhubarb, the botanicals are grapefruit, coriander, orris root, angelica and green cardamom.

The nose leads with juniper and delicate citrus, followed by a ripe, fresh rhubarb note. The texture is silky, a quality the distillery links to the whey spirit, a rare base for gin that gives a soft, creamy body, and the palate balances dry juniper with zesty grapefruit and the tart fruit. Green cardamom warms the finish, which stays long and clean rather than sweet, while the tart, green rhubarb keeps it lively. The result is a classic dry structure with a distinctly Dublin ingredient in front.

For a Dublin G&T, build the drink over large ice with Indian tonic and add a ribbon of rhubarb, a thin slice of pink grapefruit and a sliver of fresh ginger. The grapefruit echoes the citrus in the recipe, and the ginger adds a little warmth beside the cardamom, a classic pairing that keeps the finish fresh. Stir once so the garnish releases its aroma without crowding the gin; the rhubarb ribbon also makes a striking finish to the glass.