Quantum Satis

On a pharmacist's prescription, quantum satis means add as much as is needed, and two pharmacist colleagues borrowed the Latin phrase for their gin. They wanted a gin built around damiana leaf, and their bottle is modelled on an antique pharmacy flask. Stokerij De Moor distils it for them in Aalst; the 50 cl bottle holds it at 46% ABV. The phrase is still used in food regulation to mean no fixed limit, only the amount the recipe requires.

Spicy · Herbal

Damiana is a small aromatic shrub from Mexico and Central America whose leaves have long been used in herbal teas and in a Mexican liqueur of the same name. Here it joins juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary, ginger, coriander seed, angelica rootAngelicaThe root of a tall umbellifer, earthy and musky. After juniper and coriander it is the most common botanical: it binds the aromas and holds the finish.Glossary, liquorice and cubeb. Ginger and cubeb, a peppery berry from Java, give the gin its heat, liquorice a soft sweetness, and angelica and coriander the classic dry frame. Liquorice root also smooths the finish, a role it plays in many classic gin recipes.

The distillery sums up the profile as spicy and peppery, and says the gin is made for those who love spice. The damiana adds a herbal, slightly minty depth that sets it apart, while the 46% strength carries the ginger and pepper through the finish. De Moor, a family business since 1910 and one of the last warm grain distilleries in Belgium, gives the spirit its body.

The spice suits a ginger-led long drink. Pour 4 cl over plenty of ice, top with 12 cl of Indian tonicIndian tonicThe classic tonic: sparkling water, bitter quinine and sugar. The name recalls colonial India, where quinine warded off malaria.Glossary and add a thin slice of fresh ginger, which picks up the heat of the recipe. Neat or over a single large cube, the damiana and cubeb come through more clearly. The bottle sells for 35 euros. A dry MartiniDry MartiniGin and a little dry vermouth, stirred over ice and served in a well-chilled stemmed glass, with an olive or a twist.Glossary with a twist of lemonTwistA strip of peel twisted over the glass to release its oils, then dropped into the drink.Glossary also lets the herbal side of the damiana shine.