Reid & Reid Zesty Lemon Gin

Suited perfectly to a long hot day, Reid + Reid's Zesty Lemon Gin combines two techniques: vapour infusionVapour infusionBotanicals sit in a basket above the liquid, so only the alcohol vapour passes through them, for a lighter, fresher extraction.Glossary and pot-stillPot stillA traditional still, often copper, that distils in batches. It keeps more texture and character than a column.Glossary distillation. The Martinborough distillery uses nine botanicals: juniper, coriander, angelica root, mānuka leaf, lemon peel, lemongrass, lemon myrtle, cardamom and vanilla. The result is a fresh, vibrant and thirst-quenching 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, bottled at 40% ABV.

Citrus · Dry · Herbal · Vanilla

Piney juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary meets herbal and zesty lemon on the nose. Three different lemon notes build the citrus: the bright peel, the grassy freshness of lemongrass, and the intense, sherbet-like perfume of lemon myrtleLemon myrtleThe leaf of an Australian tree with an intense lemon scent, purer than zest and without acidity.Glossary, an Australian leaf. Coriander and cardamom add a light spice, angelica and mānuka leaf a green, resinousResinousAn aroma reminiscent of pine or fir resin. It is juniper's signature, due to compounds such as pinene.Glossary depth, and a touch of vanilla rounds out the palate. Vapour infusionInfusionFruit or plants are steeped in the spirit to release their flavour. Done after distillation, infusion often adds colour too, and the gin can no longer be called London Dry.Glossary suits the delicate citrus, keeping it fresh, while the pot still gives the gin its body. The finish is fresh and lively, softened by the vanilla. Mānuka leaf adds a faintly honeyed, resinous touch that ties the lemon to New Zealand.

Stew and Chris Reid, the brothers behind Reid + Reid, are best known for their Native Gin; this one is lighter and sunnier. Its lemon makes it a natural fit for a Tom Collins, a French 75 or a Bee's Knees with honey, and a splash of soda with a lemon wheel is enough on a warm day. Chilled and neat, the vanilla becomes more noticeable. It is lighter than the brothers' 42% gins. A Gin Sour suits it too.

For the G&T, pour 45 ml of Zesty Lemon Gin over firm ice and add 100 ml of Fever-Tree Sicilian Lemon Tonic. Place a lemon twist and a thin lemongrass stalk in the glass, and serve the same garnishes beside it. The lemon tonic doubles the citrus, and the lemongrass echoes one of the botanicals.