MOM Love Gin

Almost every pink ginPink ginToday, a gin flavoured and tinted pink (red fruit, rhubarb…). Originally, plain gin with a few dashes of Angostura bitters.Glossary on the shelf is built on raspberry. This one is built on strawberry, and the difference is larger than it sounds: strawberry is softer, rounder and less acidic, so where a raspberry gin arrives sharp, this one arrives velvety. MOM infuses ripe strawberries into an English recipe with coriander seed, angelica root, orris root and citrus zest, and bottles at 37.5%.

Floral · Fruity

Strawberry sets the tone; every other plant on the list is arranged to keep it upright. Its sweetness is fruit sweetness rather than added sugar, and it fills the middle of the palate generously, which is exactly where a lighter gin usually thins out. Citrus zest works above it, lifting the top so the fruit does not sit heavy, which is why the whole thing reads as bright rather than merely sweet. Underneath, the three classical botanicals earn their place. Coriander seed contributes a warm spice with a citric edge that meets the zest halfway. Angelica rootAngelicaThe root of a tall umbellifer, earthy and musky. After juniper and coriander it is the most common botanical: it binds the aromas and holds the finish.Glossary supplies dry earth and the length of the finish. Orris rootOrris rootIris rhizome dried for years, then ground. Powdery and violet-like, it mainly works as a fixative that binds and lengthens the other aromas.Glossary is the binder, powdery and softly floral, holding fruit and spice together instead of letting them separate. The colour is a clear pink, the texture properly velvety, and the finish turns subtly spicy after the fruit has gone.

At 37.5% the glass has to be built carefully, since a lower strength washes out fast. Ice first, pour generously, and choose a neutral tonic rather than a flavoured one, which would simply repeat what the strawberries have already done. One strawberry, halved, is the garnish nearest the recipe; lemon peel is the sharper alternative. Choosing the less obvious berry is the interesting decision here. Pink gins are usually judged on colour; this one asks to be judged on the berry. It ends fruity, soft and gently spiced.