Cotswold Gin Essence

I love the creative way companies are finding to help us enjoy the best possible G&T experience without the heavy alcohol hit. This is a gorgeous elixir: a little bottle containing 46% proof gin with ten times the botanical essences. This means that just 5ml produces an intensely flavoured aromatic gin and tonic, with only .23 units of alcohol and just 23 calories.

I was a little doubtful about the business of using the dropper five times to add the essence to my glass, but within seconds my inner apothecary took over and the act of measuring and depositing the gin essence took on an numinous quality, enhanced by the enigmatic matt black bottle with its silver lettering. I felt I was in potions class. There’s wizardry at work inside too: a balanced and delicious gin and tonic that tastes as good as the full fat version. There’s juniper and coriander up front, backed by the oily tang of citrus from grapefruit and lime zest and matched with a slight hit of pepper. What brings the extra special quality is the use of lavender as a faint perfumed note that sits underneath the other ingredients and adds an extra brightness to their qualities. And finally there’s just the delicate touch of alcohol, not much, sidling up and adding its punch to the flavours.