Penrhos London Dry Gin

Farm-grown blueberries meet pink pepper, hibiscus and rose petals in Penrhos London Dry GinLondon DryA style, not a place of origin: every flavour comes from distilling natural botanicals. After distillation only water and a trace of sugar may be added, with no flavouring or colouring.GlossarySee London Dry gins. Mediterranean juniper is also part of the botanical selection. This first creation from the Herefordshire distillery is bottled at 40% ABV.

Dry · Spicy · Floral · Fruity

A fresh, summery aroma leads the tasting before juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary comes through, its Mediterranean origin giving a resinousResinousAn aroma reminiscent of pine or fir resin. It is juniper's signature, due to compounds such as pinene.Glossary, sun-warmed pine note. Rose petals and hibiscus bring light floral tones across the palate, the hibiscus adding a faint tartness, while blueberries give a soft, dark fruit character rather than an overt sweetness. Pink pepper adds a gentle, fragrant spice that keeps the flowers and fruit lively. The finish is exceptionally smooth and rounded, with the blueberries still present at the end.

Penrhos created this first gin to give its imperfectly shaped fruit a useful destination, which is why its own blueberries sit at the heart of the recipe. Its spirits are made in small batchesSmall batchProduction in small quantities per distillation run, often in a small still. The term has no legal definition.Glossary, and visitors can see the copper stills working at the distillery among the orchards in Kington. After more than a year of searching, the producer moved from glass to 100% recycled aluminium bottles in 2023. This London Dry is sold in a 70 cl aluminium bottle.

For a gin and tonic, 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 plenty of ice, pour in 5 cl gin and 15 cl Fentimans Premium Indian Tonic WaterIndian tonicThe classic tonic: sparkling water, bitter quinine and sugar. The name recalls colonial India, where quinine warded off malaria.Glossary, then garnish with frozen blueberries. The frozen berries keep the drink cold while echoing the fruit of the recipe, and the tonic's quinine bitterness sets off the rose and hibiscus.