Earlier this summer, I was in a pub in Clerkenwell when I noticed a bottle on the shelf behind the bartender. Made of pale green glass, it was topped off with a rose gold cap, and bore a navy-trimmed label adorned with an old-fashioned ship. I squinted at the brand name: Plymouth Gin.
Days later, I received an email informing me that Plymouth Gin was launching a new limited edition bottle - Mr King’s 1842 Recipe, based on a recipe discovered 177 years ago. Distilled from orris root and handpicked Italian juniper, it’s a clean, smooth, almost creamy spirit. And the new bottle (pictured) is achingly pretty. Buy as a gift or for yourself; you won’t regret it. £41.95, The Whisky Exchange