Southward Blood Orange Gin

Southward Distilling describes its Blood Orange Gin through the colour of a red sunset, glowing in a glass at a favourite bar. The small-batchSmall batchProduction in small quantities per distillation run, often in a small still. The term has no legal definition.Glossary distillery, on the ocean side of Lyall Bay in Wellington, New Zealand, bottles it at 41% ABV in 700 ml and 200 ml sizes. Blood orange gives the gin both its name and its colour.

Citrus · Fruity

The aroma is led by ripe orange, juicier and slightly red-fruited compared with ordinary oranges, the hallmark of blood orange. JuniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary keeps the fruit in a gin frame.

On the palate, the citrus starts bright, then develops into a broader, softer sweetness, and the finish, in Southward's words, is full-bodied and sweet. The orange stays in front through to the end, and the juniper keeps the taste from becoming simply cordialCordialA concentrated syrup of fruit (often lime) and sugar, made to be topped up.Glossary-like. It is a fruit-led gin with a direct profile, and a natural choice for those who like their gin round rather than sharp.

That character makes it useful in mixed drinks where orange is welcome but an orange liqueur would be too heavy. It can be poured over ice with soda for a lighter drink, paired with tonic for a little bitterness, or used in a NegroniNegroniAn Italian cocktail of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and red bitter (Campari), served over ice with orange peel. Born in Florence in 1919.Glossary, where the sweet orange meets the bitter aperitif. Rosemary adds a dry herbal counterpoint to the sweet finish, and a few drops of fresh lemon brighten it. Over a single large cube, the orange shows best.

For a gin and tonic, pour 4 cl over ice, add 10 cl of chilled Fentimans Valencian Orange Tonic Water and stir gently. Garnish with a blood orange wheel and a sprig of rosemary. The orange tonic extends the fruit, and the rosemary keeps the drink from tasting too sweet.