Imagination Wakame and Lime Dry Gin

Wild wakame from New Zealand's coast gives Imagination Wakame and Lime Dry GinDry ginGin with no perceptible sweetness: in the European Union, the word "dry" allows at most 0.1 g of sugar per litre.GlossarySee Dry gin gins its savoury edge. The 42% ABV gin combines the seaweed with juniper and lime, drawing on a botanical chosen by the distillery for its salty, umami character. The producer's tasting description moves from fresh citrus to juniper and finishes sweet-salty.

Citrus · Dry

The opening is bright with lime, then juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary comes forward as the citrus settles. Wakame brings a gentle saline and savoury quality rather than an overt seaweed flavour, leaving the finish lightly sweet and salty. The recipe is concise: juniper, wild wakame and lime. Those three components make the contrast clear, with citrus freshness set against the softer mineral note of the seaweed.

Imagination Distilling works in the Reikorangi Valley on the Kāpiti Coast, and the wakame is gathered from New Zealand's Wellington and Wairarapa coasts by a licensed seaweed gatherer. The distillery says it trialled several local seaweeds before choosing wakame for this gin. That selection is the defining production detail: it gives a classic dry-gin base a coastal savoury note without obscuring juniper. In a mixed drink, the seaweed's restrained savoury quality gives the citrus a different counterpoint from the usual floral or sweet garnish, while the juniper keeps the profile unmistakably gin-led.

Combine 4.5 cl gin with 10 cl Alchemy & Tonic Yuzu & Lemongrass Tonic over ice. Yuzu lifts the lime, while lemongrass sits comfortably beside the saline finish. Add a lime twistTwistA strip of peel twisted over the glass to release its oils, then dropped into the drink.Glossary and a thin seaweed strip to the drink, then set identical garnishes beside the glass. Stir once, lightly. The citrus oil brightens the first sip and the seaweed gives a visual cue to the ingredient that makes this gin distinctive.