Alkkemist Gin 700ml

This Spanish gin is distilled just 12 times a year, each batch timed precisely to coincide with the full moon. Whether that lunar energy genuinely changes the character of the spirit is left deliberately open to interpretation, but the mystique is half the point. It's the kind of origin story that makes you want to open the bottle just to find out. Inside, you've got a triple-distilled grain base and 21 botanicals doing some genuinely interesting work. The headline act isn't juniper, it's Muscat grape, an Asian variety with a rich, nutmeg-like aroma that gives Alkkemist its distinctive sweetness. Around it, you've got mountain tea, rose petals, sea fennel, thyme, mint, and citrus peel all playing their part. The result is something floral and fruity with a savoury edge, complex enough to reward attention, but never difficult to drink. Pour it neat first, that sweet, aromatic profile holds up brilliantly on its own. After that, a classic G&T with good Mediterranean tonic lets it breathe, or use it as the centrepiece of something longer and more summery. At 40% ABV, it's got the weight to hold its own in a cocktail without bullying everything else in the glass.