We have some fantastic new products in the shop this week – but visually, I think Pinkster Gin wins the prize – with a selection of Pinkster Gin bottles as well as their boozy berries and Gin Jam, there’s a splash of pink in the drinks shelf. They join our growing selection of gins, including Chilgrove Gin, Lymington Gin, Winchester Gin and Twisted Nose.
Pinkster Gin uses fresh raspberries to give its distinctive colour.
It all came about when founder Stephen realised wine and beer no longer agreed with him. A keen maker of sloe liqueurs and other concoctions, he turned his attention to spirits and started experimenting at home, mashing assorted fruits with different spirit strengths.
He wasn’t intentionally creating a pink drink, it’s just that after working his way through an entire fruit bowl, raspberry delivered the best flavour.
G&J Distillers, one of the world’s oldest gin distilleries, was recruited to the cause. They produce the core spirit with five botanicals to the pinkster original recipe. They then macerate with a further three botanicals, including fresh raspberries grown locally to their rural base outside Cambridge.
Pinkster makes a refreshingly different G&T, with the delicate flavour appealing both to seasoned gin drinkers and recent converts.
Best of all, the raspberries are recycled, albeit slightly intoxicated, and go to make Boozy Berries. Check out some cocktail recipes here…