Funky Pump London Dry Gin
There's no doubting that the petrol blue coloured bottle with a metal 'tap' lid is striking, but don't be fooled.... the contents are a dynamic and classic gin (Made in the Lech Valley, Austria) and most definitely no less spectacular.
Created by Mario Huber (the mastermind behind Lechtaler Haussegen), it took over a year for him to perfect the recipe. It's a handcrafted gin, and uses no modern technology or large scale machinery in the production.
Whilst the specific formulation is a guarded secret, we know that the following botanicals are included: juniper berries, cranberries, coriander, orange peel, lemon peel, lavender, angelica root, rose hip, violet root, calamus, rosemary, cardamom, lemon balm, chamomile and peppermint. These 15 different local, and global herbs are carefully combined to create this wonderful gin. After distillation, it is rested in glass bottles for several weeks.
It has a delightful spicy juniper smell, with accents of lemon, fresh flowers and herbs.
The taste develops through the drinking, having several stages - taking you on a journey through the botanicals. It starts with a delicate softness of with a slightly floral sweetness, but the juniper is definitely forward in this gin. As the flavours develop with more aromas are revealed from the botanicals, fruit comes through, and it finishes off with a herbal, bitter-sweet finish.
Perfect Serve
As a classic gin tonic, we love this with Fentimans Connoisseurs Tonic Water. This tonic is really quite neutral, with only delicate flavours itself. This really lets the flavours in the gin come through fully. 50ml of the gin, 150ml of the tonic, lots of ice and you've a great drink. For a great garnish, try a slice of lemon and a sprig of rosemary, which both compliment the botanicals in the gin.