Forty Spotted Wild Rose Gin

Wild rose, pink fairy floss and sweet citrus come together in Forty Spotted Wild Rose, which the brand calls its family's wild child. It is bottled at 40% ABV in a 700 ml bottle at Lark Distillery in Tasmania. The gin is pink in colour and built on Tasmanian juniper.

Citrus · Floral · Fruity

Rose leads the aroma, soft and floral, with zesty citrus lifting it. Forty Spotted compares the sweeter side to the pink musk sticks of Australian childhood and to fairy floss, the candy floss of fairgrounds, an impression of confectionery rather than an added sweetener.

On the palate, the gin greets the tongue gently and lingers at an easy pace, with juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary keeping a dry thread beneath the flowers and fruit. The finish is soft and floral, with a last trace of citrus. It is the most playful gin of the Forty Spotted range, and its pale pink colour suits light, sunny drinks. Musk sticks are a pink, floral-scented sweet, which explains the comparison with the rose.

The distillery recommends it over ice or with a dash of soda on a sunny afternoon, and also makes a pink ginPink ginToday, a gin flavoured and tinted pink (red fruit, rhubarb…). Originally, plain gin with a few dashes of Angostura bitters.Glossary spritz with it, where sparkling wine lightens the rose. A Clover ClubClover ClubGin, lemon, raspberry syrup and egg white, shaken until it foams.Glossary or a BrambleBrambleA cocktail created in London in the 1980s: gin, lemon and sugar over crushed ice, drizzled with blackberry liqueur.Glossary would suit its floral, berry-like character too. The pale pink colour also makes it a pretty base for a pink gin and tonic.

For a gin and tonic, pour 4 cl of Forty Spotted Wild Rose 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 Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic Water and stir gently. Add a single rose petal and a fine lemon peel. The elderflower tonic supports the floral profile without turning the drink into a dessert, and the lemon keeps it fresh.