Holy Water Cuberdon Gin

The cuberdon is the starting point for Holy Water's raspberry-coloured gin. This Belgian Old TomOld TomAn 18th-century English style, lightly sweetened or rounder, halfway between genever and London Dry. It is back in favour for classic cocktails.GlossarySee Old Tom gins is bottled at 40% ABV, and the producer builds its flavour around the Ghent confection known as a "nose": raspberry and acacia gum give the candy its characteristic sweet-fruit profile. The gin carries that idea into a spirit rather than reproducing the confection literally, with juniper and a group of familiar gin botanicals keeping it grounded in the category.

Fruity

Raspberry leads the impression with a bright fruit note, while acacia gum recalls the cuberdon's soft, sweet centre. JuniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary keeps the flavour recognisably within the gin family, giving the fruit a dry, resinousResinousAn aroma reminiscent of pine or fir resin. It is juniper's signature, due to compounds such as pinene.Glossary counterpoint. The producer describes the result as sweet and playful without becoming sticky. That balance is central to the bottle: the confectionery reference is clear, but the drink remains a gin rather than a sugary liqueur.

The cuberdon itself is a small, cone-shaped Belgian sweet, also known as a "nose". The producer recounts that a pharmacist created it accidentally in 1873; its firm outer shell gives way to a creamy centre. Holy Water takes that familiar Ghent confection as the idea for an Old Tom Gin at 40% ABV. The link is easy to taste in the raspberry-led sweetness, while juniper keeps the character anchored in gin. The producer lists a 50 cl bottle, alongside other available sizes.

Try 5 cl over ice with 12 cl of Fever-Tree Indian Tonic WaterIndian tonicThe classic tonic: sparkling water, bitter quinine and sugar. The name recalls colonial India, where quinine warded off malaria.Glossary. Add a raspberry to the drink, and keep a cuberdon to nibble with it. The tonic gives the fruit room while retaining enough bitterness to balance the sweeter inspiration. This serve follows the gin's raspberry-cuberdon character without adding syrup or making the drink dessert-like.