Cygnet Welsh Dry Gin 70cl
Cygnet Welsh Dry Gin is the distillery's everyday classic, a clean, juniper-led London Dry style made on the Swansea coast. This is the bottle for people who want their gin to taste like gin.
Cygnet Distillery built its name on aromatic, botanical-heavy releases, but this is the workhorse of the range, distilled in small batches to a more traditional recipe. Where the 22 and 77 chase complexity, the Welsh Dry keeps things focused, letting juniper lead with citrus and coriander in support.
The nose is crisp and classic, with pine-fresh juniper, lemon and orange peel and a touch of earthy root spice. On the palate it is dry and clean, with a well-judged citrus brightness and a peppery warmth on the finish. Nothing here is showing off, and that is rather the point: it makes a proper, textbook gin and tonic and a genuinely good martini.
At around £40 it is fairly priced for a small-batch craft gin that performs above supermarket own-label without the premium price of the flagship bottles. This is the everyday Welsh gin to keep in the cabinet and reach for without a second thought.
How to Serve
Pour over ice with a classic Indian tonic and a wedge of lime or a twist of lemon. A highball or copa both work well.
Where to Drink It
Bar Termini in Soho, for a sharp classic serve. The Coach in Clerkenwell, for a reliable G&T. Callooh Callay in Shoreditch, for a well-made martini.
Food Pairings
Fish and chips with plenty of lemon, or a plate of dressed crab.
