424GIN Juniper Berry Only

Wakashio Distillery makes this 42.4% gin with a deliberately short botanical list: juniper alone. Its base is sweet-potato shochu, and the spirit is distilled in a wooden still. The result puts the juniper at the centre without a second botanical competing for attention.

Spicy · Herbal

With juniper as its sole botanical, this gin is best approached through the character of the berry itself and the sweet-potato shochu beneath it. A restrained tonic adds length, while lemon peel brings a sharper citrus edge; neither needs to dominate. The same small pour over ice gives a direct comparison with the tonic version.

The aroma stays close to pine-like juniper; the shochu gives the finish a gentle sweetness.

The recipe names Juniper berriesJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary among its botanicals. Wakashio combines juniper with sweet-potato shochu and distils it in a wooden still.

For this long drink, combine 4 cl of gin with 10 cl of Fentimans Connoisseurs Tonic Water. Taste before adding Lemon Peel and Juniper Berries; then use the garnish sparingly so the mixer and botanicals remain distinct. Its short recipe leaves little to obscure: juniper remains the point of comparison from first sip to finish. Keep the tonic cool and the citrus garnish thin. A heavier pour of tonic or a sweet garnish would shift attention away from the berry and the shochu base. Add the garnish after the ice and mixer; one clear aromatic cue is enough to keep the gin botanicals legible. The 42.4% strength keeps juniper clear against the tonic; lemon should remain a bright edge, not a second flavour.