Aval Dor Rhubarb and Ginger Gin

The head distiller decides when the rhubarb and ginger 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 is ready before the fruit and spice are racked off. Fresh rhubarb and ginger root steep in Colwith's 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, then each batch is bottled by hand. The finished gin is 42% ABV.

Citrus · Spicy · Fruity

The Dry Gin base is made by distilling botanicals into house vodka in handmade copper pot stillsPot stillA traditional still, often copper, that distils in batches. It keeps more texture and character than a column.Glossary. JuniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary, coriander and citrus peel are among its named ingredients.

On the nose, fresh rhubarb leads with a tart, slightly green fruitiness, lifted by the citrus of the base.

The palate brings the warming spice of ginger root, which builds gradually alongside coriander, while juniper keeps the drink recognisably a gin. The finish stays fresh and fruity, with a gentle heat from the ginger that lingers after the rhubarb fades.

Colwith Farm Distillery makes spirits from scratch on a fifth-generation family farm in Cornwall. Its distillery is at Pelyn Cross in Lanlivery, and the producer describes the operation as the region's only plough-to-bottle distillery. Infusing its own Dry Gin, rather than a bought-in base, keeps this flavoured ginFlavoured ginGin with flavourings, often fruity, added after distillation. It may be coloured and lightly sweetened.GlossarySee Flavoured gin gins within that single-estate approach.

To serve, fill a tall glass with ice, pour in 5 cl Aval Dor Rhubarb and Ginger Gin and top with chilled ginger ale. Garnish with an apple slice and a rhubarb ribbon. The ginger ale picks up the warmth of the ginger root and lengthens the drink, the rhubarb ribbon mirrors the fruit of the infusion and the apple adds a crisp, fresh accent. Colwith also suggests the gin neat over ice, or with ginger ale and a rhubarb stalk.