Hendrick’s Gin 44%

Launched in 1999 by William Grant & Sons, Hendrick's was the gin that made the category strange again. The maker distils two spirits separately, a robust pot still gin and a lighter one from a rare Carter Head still, then blends them, an approach that looks wilfully inefficient and is exactly the point. Eleven botanicals underpin it, among them chamomile, elderflower, citrus peel, angelica, coriander and cubeb, before infusions of Bulgarian rose and cucumber are folded in to finish.

The nose is mild and earthy with floral lift, juniper and citrus threaded with fennel and a touch of liquorice. The palate turns peppery and tart, rose and cucumber cooling the spice, before a long, dry, fresh finish. Pour it over ice with a good tonic and a slice of cucumber rather than the usual lemon.