CambridgeDistillery Darwin - Part 1

This is the first release in Cambridge Distillery's Darwin Collection — a series retracing the plants Charles Darwin encountered on the voyage of HMS Beagle. Part One, Americas Herbarium, gathers botanicals from his South American landfalls, which makes for one of the more genuinely original gins you'll come across. Cambridge are known for doing things properly, and this is no gimmick.

The recipe draws on what Darwin catalogued along the way: juniper and cinnamon leaf for the warm, spicy core, then wild strawberry and barberry for layered red-fruit character, tied together by baccharis magellanica — a hardy Patagonian shrub — for an earthy, herbal kick. It's a story you can taste.

Bottled at 42%, it opens with honeyed florals and a crisp note of red berry. The palate follows through: wild strawberry and tart barberry, that cinnamon-and-juniper spine keeping it recognisably gin, and a soft sweetness on the finish. It's aromatic and a little unexpected — fruit-forward without ever tipping into sweet. A gin for the curious, and a lovely talking point.

Sip it thoughtfully, or build a G&T that lets the red fruit come through.

How to Serve

In a G&T with a light tonic and a fresh strawberry or twist of orange to echo the fruit. It also makes an intriguing, berry-tinged Negroni.

Where to Drink It

Artesian at The Langham for adventurous serves. Tayēr + Elementary, Shoreditch. Swift in Soho.

Food Pairings

Try it alongside a goat's cheese and beetroot salad, or charcuterie with a little fruit chutney.