Brogan's Way Royal Blood Gin

Vapour-distilled fresh rosemary, bay leaf, olive leaf and black peppercorns give Brogan's Way Royal Blood its dry, savoury character. The Richmond distillery bottles it at 57.2% ABV, Navy StrengthNavy StrengthGin bottled at 57% ABV or more. Royal Navy lore holds that at this strength, gunpowder soaked in gin would still ignite.GlossarySee Navy Strength gins, and adds four Australian botanicals: mountain pepper leaf, saltbush, sea parsley and roasted wattleseed, with green cardamom to lengthen the finish. Brogan's Way describes it as juniper-forwardJuniper-forwardA classic profile where juniper clearly dominates, with resinous, piney notes.Glossary, dry and savoury.

Dry · Spicy · Herbal · Navy Strength

JuniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary provides the firm centre, and the rosemary gives the nose a fresh garden-herb edge. Bay and olive leaf deepen the savoury impression. Black pepper and mountain pepper leaf bring two kinds of spice, from familiar warmth to a more aromatic native note. Saltbush and sea parsley add a saline, coastal herbal character, roasted wattleseed a nutty length, and cardamom carries the heat into a long finish. Citrus plays a supporting role only. At this strength the flavour is concentrated, and measured dilutionDilutionThe water added by melting ice. In the right amount it opens the aromas and softens the alcohol; too much flattens the drink.Glossary helps the savoury botanicals unfold rather than making the drink harsh.

The distillery recommends Royal Blood in a dry or dirty 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 one or two olives, a spirit-forward drink that respects the strength and keeps the pepper, olive leaf and saltbush in clear view. A gin and tonic works too, provided the proportion of tonic tempers the 57.2%. Keep the garnish savoury: the liquid already holds a broad range of herbs. A Gibson, garnished with a pickled onion, suits its savoury side as well.

For a gin and tonic, pour 3 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 glass, add 9 cl of chilled StrangeLove Tonic No.8 and stir gently. Add a green olive and a small rosemary tip. The smaller measure suits the high strength, and the olive nods to the producer's Martini suggestion.