Little Lon Miss Yoko Gin

Fresh seasonal lychees go into Miss Yoko, a limited-batch gin that Little Lon Distilling Co. presents as an East-meets-West recipe and makes as a double distillate in Melbourne. The name honours Little Miss Yoko, a seductress of Victorian-era Little Lon, the old quarter around Little Lonsdale Street where the distillery now stands. It is bottled at 42% ABV in a 500 ml bottle, and each batch is small.

Citrus · Spicy · Fruity · Vanilla

Vanilla and a subtle lychee sweetness open the nose, delicate rather than tropical and heavy. JuniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary and citrus then bring the palate back to gin, with a light touch of cinnamon in the middle. The finish belongs to the fruit: a sweet, lingering lychee that stays soft and floral. Juniper never disappears, so the gin reads as a fruit-led gin and not as a liqueur. Neat, the texture feels rounded; with ice or a mixer, the citrus grows and the vanilla recedes. The cinnamon is subtle and mostly adds warmth beneath the fruit. Lychee has a floral, rose-like scent, which explains the gentle perfume of the finish.

Little Lon suggests mixing it with an elderflower tonic, which brings out flavours close to freeze-dried raspberry and strawberry, or using it in a Lychee 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 or a fruity sour. The Lychee Martini is the obvious choice, with the gin's own fruit replacing the usual liqueur. In a sour, lemon and the lychee make a fresh, floral pair. Keep any extra fruit to a minimum, as the gin already carries plenty.

For a long drink, pour 4 cl over clear iceClear iceIce without air bubbles, made by slow, directional freezing. Denser, it melts more slowly and dilutes less.Glossary in a balloon glassCopa glassA large stemmed balloon glass, popularised by the Spanish gin and tonic: it stays cold for longer and gathers the aromas above the drink.Glossary, add 10 cl of chilled Fentimans Oriental Yuzu Tonic and stir gently once. Garnish with a peeled lychee and a strip of lime peel, and place the same garnishes on a small plate beside the glass. The yuzu's sharp citrus cuts through the soft fruit, and the lime brings out the gin's fresh side.