Böser Kater Heiße Mieze Handcrafted Glühpunsch & Gin

Böser Kater is the handmade range from Adrian Schleihauf, third generation at his family's German fruit distillery, with part of every sale going to cat protection in honour of his cat Rüdiger. Heiße Mieze is its winter indulgence, a Glühpunsch gin built on award-winning mulled wine from the C&G Cleebronn-Güglingen cooperative and married to gin. At 17% it lands well below a standard spirit, closer to a fortified punch, though the maker warns the gin-and-mulled-wine combination still carries a fair kick.

It pours a deep dark red, the nose fruity and laced with warming spice. The palate is generous and festive, ripe fruit, orange and clove threading through, into a long, spiced finish. Warm it gently in a pan and serve in a heatproof glass with a clove-studded orange slice, a winter-market pour for cold evenings.