Reviewed by
Evelyn
Fellow gin lovers, if you’re not already subscribed to I Love Gin you need to be putting through an online order to them ASAP. I Love Gin is a subscription box for gin lovers; it’s as simple as that!
Every month they will send you a box of Gins and Mixers so that you can make four Gin & Tonics in the comfort of your home. Share them with friends and family, or simply keep them for yourself to indulge in over the weekend. Either way, this is a box that is sure to please anyone who enjoys trying out new gins!
I was very kindly sent their August box to try out which is themed ‘The Cool As A Cucumber Box‘.
The bottles arrived in a sturdy cardboard box which had individual sections and plenty of soft sponge cushioning underneath to protect them during transit. I’m happy to say that everything arrived safely in perfect condition!
On top of the bottles was a booklet which details all of this month’s contents and includes ideas on how best to serve your Gin and Tonics. There’s also a section where you can rate the gins and mixers, and there are plenty of links at the back to help you get the most out of the I Love Gin website with exclusive subscribers offers, online shop deals and much more.
I received two small bottles of Gin and two larger bottles of Mixers:-
Cucumber Gin (40%, 50ml)
Cucumber Gin is a relatively new gin that launched onto the market only last year and was created by Graham who runs The English Drinks Company. This gin is a mix of two main flavours; Juniper and Cucumber, blended with a range of aromatic botanicals. It’s wonderfully fresh and tastes mainly of Cucumber which gives it a little sweetness. Unusual but very good!
Qcumber Mixer (200ml)
To compliment the Cucumber Gin, Qcumber is a lightly sparkling, cucumber flavoured soda which is made by the same company as the Cucumber Gin. It’s made from all-natural ingredients and is low in calories, making it an ideal mixer for gin. On its own, it’s very refreshing with a lovely clean taste.
Pickering’s Original 1947 Gin (42%, 50ml)
This edition of Pickering’s Gin has been made exactly to their original 1947 recipe and the wax sealed Orange Top indicates that it’s a spicier, sweeter and more intense than the Red Top Pickering’s, and indeed it is. This gin has a crisp, warming and slightly spicy and sweet flavour thanks to a blend of botanicals which includes Cinnamon, Coriander, Clove and Cardamom. Delicious!
Double Dutch Indian Tonic Water (200ml)
This Indian Tonic Water was specially made for the premium market as the founders of Double Dutch didn’t want to make just another boring tonic water. Instead, this one has much more flavour to it, with Pink Grapefruit and Juniper Berry helping to balance out and reduce the bitter aftertaste that many tonic waters have. The result is one of the best tonics that I’ve ever tried!
For my first Gin & Tonic, I made the Cucumber G&T which contains 25ml Cucumber Gin, 60ml Double Dutch Indian Tonic Water and a slice of Cucumber. It was absolutely delicious and very refreshing – perfect for a late-Summer’s evening.
The Mount Mary G&T was the second one that I tried and this involved a mix of Pickering’s 1947 Gin with 60ml of Double Dutch Indian Tonic Water and a slice of orange. The combination of the spicy Pickering’s with the Double Dutch was perfect, and the extra citrusy flavour from just one orange slice perked it up even more!
The third Gin & Tonic pictured above is called a G&Q and used 25ml of Pickering’s 1947 Gin with 60ml of the Qcumber mixer, finished off with a slice of lemon. The spicy sweet Pickering’s Gin went surprisingly well with the Qcumber, but I think the fourth Gin & Tonic recipe, this time a G&Q with the Cucumber Gin and Qcumber, was much better as the two cucumber flavours together were a match made in heaven!
