Banks & Solander Fig Gin

Fresh figs from 100 Acres Produce are caramelised with brown sugar, then maceratedMacerationBotanicals soak in alcohol, from a few hours to several days, before distillation to release their aromas.Glossary in a juniper-forwardJuniper-forwardA classic profile where juniper clearly dominates, with resinous, piney notes.Glossary version of Banks & Solander's Signature Gin to make this Fig Gin. It is bottled at 38% ABV, and the distillery asks for the bottle to be shaken gently before pouring so that the fruit is evenly combined. The result is a full, rounded gin in which the fig is clearly present but the resinousResinousAn aroma reminiscent of pine or fir resin. It is juniper's signature, due to compounds such as pinene.Glossary juniper base still holds the line.

Spicy · Fruity · Earthy

The first impression is ripe and earthy rather than sweet like a confection. Caramelised fig gives a deep, jammy fruit note and a silky, almost velvety texture, and the brown sugar adds a light toffee warmth. Underneath, the juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary and the spice of the base gin keep the richness from becoming heavy. A gentle warmth builds across the palate before a dry finish, and the fruit preparation explains the gin's darker colour. That contrast between ripe fruit and a dry close makes it as suited to food as to a stirred drink, and it pairs well with cheese, charcuterie or a dark chocolate dessert. Figs have a natural honeyed sweetness, and the brown sugar only deepens it towards caramel.

Banks & Solander's own cocktail for it is the Figroni, a take on the 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 in which ruby port replaces the sweet vermouthVermouthAn aromatised, fortified wine flavoured with herbs and barks; its name comes from the German Wermut, wormwood. Dry vermouth goes into a Martini, sweet red into a Negroni.Glossary. The port deepens the fig, while the bitter aperitif keeps the finish composed. The gin also works simply over ice, where the caramelised fruit shows most clearly.

For the Figroni, shake the bottle gently, then stir 3 cl of Fig Gin, 3 cl of ruby port and 3 cl of Aperol with ice. Strain over one large ice cube in a short tumbler and add a thin apple slice. The apple gives the ripe fig a fresh, lightly tart counterpoint.