Weekender Classic Gin

Long lunches, backyard barbecues, beach days and spontaneous catch-ups with friends: those are the moments Blush Merchants, the Auckland company behind Blush Gin, had in mind when it created Weekender, its easy-drinking gin brand. Classic is the range's all-rounder, a New Zealand gin bottled at 41% ABV and packed with botanicals that highlight savoury spice and citrus. It won silver at the 2023 Juniper Awards, and the brand calls it a classic gin with a twist.

Citrus · Spicy

Bright citrus opens the nose, followed by savoury spice and a dry juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary backbone. The texture is smooth, so the flavours feel integrated rather than hot or sharp. The savoury side is what gives it its twist: it adds depth beyond a simple lemon-led 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 and keeps the finish clean and slightly peppery. That balance makes it adaptable, as comfortable in a plain highballHighballA long drink served in a tall, straight glass with plenty of ice: a spirit topped with soda or tonic. The word also names the glass.Glossary as in a more assertive cocktail. It also holds its character well once diluted, which suits long drinks on a warm day. Tasted neat, a few drops of water bring the spice forward.

Weekender's signature serve for it is the Bloody Loud Mary, a gin take on the Bloody Mary where the savoury spice meets tomato and pepper. The brand also pairs it with a classic Indian tonicIndian tonicThe classic tonic: sparkling water, bitter quinine and sugar. The name recalls colonial India, where quinine warded off malaria.Glossary, and it makes a dependable base for a Tom CollinsTom CollinsA long drink of gin, lemon juice, sugar and soda water, served over ice in a tall glass.Glossary or a GimletGimletGin with lime cordial or sweetened lime juice, served well chilled without ice. It is said to come from the Royal Navy, as a guard against scurvy.Glossary. A Red Snapper, with a celery stick and a pinch of black pepper, shows the savoury side just as well.

For the G&T, pour 45 ml of Weekender Classic into a balloon glass filled with ice and add 100 ml of 1724 Tonic Water slowly down the side. Add an orange twist and a green olive to the glass, and serve the same garnish on a small plate beside it. The orange lifts the citrus, the olive picks up the savoury spice, and the tonic's fine bitterness keeps the drink crisp.