Broken Heart Quince Gin

Quince has long been a symbol of love, and Broken Heart asks what better way to mend a broken heart than with its golden Quince Gin. The Queenstown distillery macerates organic, home-grown autumn quinces in its Original Gin and the 40% ABV gin comes in a 500 ml bottle. The fruit gives the gin its golden colour and a full, perfumed flavour. The quinces are picked in autumn.

Dry · Spicy · Fruity

Broken Heart lists the profile as dry, fruity, quince, perfumed, unique and spiced. Quince has an unusual scent, somewhere between apple, pear and honey, with a floral perfume that comes through clearly on the nose.

On the palate, the fruit is rich but the gin stays dry, with the juniper and spice of the base keeping the sweetness in check. A gentle tartness, typical of quince, gives the middle a fresh edge. The finish is long and perfumed, with a light warmth from the spice. Quince cannot be eaten raw and needs time or cooking to soften, which makes a slow macerationMacerationBotanicals soak in alcohol, from a few hours to several days, before distillation to release their aromas.Glossary a good way to draw out its flavour.

Broken Heart was founded by two German master distillers who met in Queenstown, and named after the death of one of them, Bernd. The distillery calls Quince its perfect cheeseboard gin, and the fruit indeed suits hard cheeses, in the same way as the quince paste served with Manchego. It also works in a Gin Sour or a short stirred drink with dry 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. A slice of aged cheddar or a hard sheep's cheese brings out its perfume. Its golden colour looks striking in a coupeCoupeA wide, shallow stemmed glass for cocktails served without ice, stirred or shaken then strained.Glossary.

For a long drink, fill a 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 with clear iceClear iceIce without air bubbles, made by slow, directional freezing. Denser, it melts more slowly and dilutes less.Glossary and add 4 cl of Broken Heart Quince Gin and 10 cl of Thomas Henry Elderflower Tonic. Stir lightly and add a thin quince slice with a lemon twist. The elderflower suits the quince's floral perfume, and the lemon adds a fresh lift.