1919 Pineapple Bits Gin

Pineapple Bits opens The Kiwiana Collection, a series of limited releases in which 1919 Distilling revisits flavours New Zealanders grew up with. This first edition follows an original 1950s recipe from Oamaru, the North Otago town where the country's famous chocolate-coated pineapple sweets were first made. It is bottled at 41% ABV in a 700 ml bottle, and the name of the distillery recalls the 1919 referendum in which New Zealand voted down prohibition.

Citrus · Limited Edition · Fruity

Ripe pineapple fills the nose with a sweet, sunny aroma, closer to fresh fruit than to candy.

On the palate, the pineapple feels round and juicy at first, then a dry juniper line brings it back into balance. A light citrus lift runs through the middle, and the finish lets the fruit fade slowly rather than linger as a heavy sweetness. The contrast between a nostalgic sweet-shop flavour and a 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 backbone is the whole point of the bottle. It works best cold, where the pineapple stays bright and the juniper stays crisp. The pineapple is ripe rather than sharp, so the gin never tastes acidic.

Its tropical fruit suits long, bright drinks and summery cocktails. A Gin Daiquiri or a Southside with lime and mint plays up the pineapple, while a splash of soda and a wedge of lime makes a simple, refreshing 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. Neat and well chilled, it is also a playful after-dinner treat. Over crushed ice with lime, it becomes a quick tropical cooler.

For the house highball, fill a balloon glassCopa glassA large stemmed balloon glass, popularised by the Spanish gin and tonic: it stays cold for longer and gathers the aromas above the drink.Glossary with cold ice and add 4 cl of 1919 Pineapple Bits Gin. Pour in 10 cl of East Imperial Bursting With Citrus Flavours, Yuzu & Pink Grapefruit, and stir gently. Garnish with a fresh pineapple slice and a lime wheel; the yuzu and grapefruit sharpen the pineapple and keep the drink dry.