Dancing Dragontail Summer Gin
Dancing Dragontail Summer Gin
Botanicals: including juniper, cardamon, pink grapefruit
Cardamom has a big influence on this gin, named after a small butterfly native to the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia, and is the principal taste of Dancing Dragontail Summer Gin.
The Gin Kitchen co-founders Helen Muncie and Kate Gregory wanted to capture the essence of summer in a bottle. Aromatic cardamom, citrus and unspecified exotic botanicals were combined to give a sweet warmth. To complement the gin, a local friend and artist, Helen Sweeting, was commissioned to paint a butterfly garden that they could use on the label. The bottle looks very classy; classy enough for Fortnum & Mason, where Dancing Dragontail was launched after Helen and Kate ambushed the spirits purchaser and persuaded them to try the gin. It was immediately accepted and now sits proudly in the food hall and is increasingly to be found elsewhere as news of its quality quickly spreads.
Neat, there is lovely, deep warmth with juniper, citrus notes from pink grapefruit and a large dose of cardamom. Very smooth, considering it is 48% ABV.
We conjured up a good martini but feel that a G&T is where this gin really shines; add a light tonic, lashings of ice, lemon and lime and you have a smooth refreshing drink that is perfect on a sunny summer’s eve.
A very distinctive, imaginative and edgy gin, with plenty of character. Maybe not for the traditionalist but definitely for those who like to experiment in bold tasting beverages that are different from the norm. Watch The Gin Kitchen closely; we predict great things for them in the future.
