Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin 70cl

Four Pillars puts whole organic oranges into the still — not just the peel — which is where Rare Dry Gin gets its juicy citrus core. Around it sit native Australian botanicals: lemon myrtle and Tasmanian mountain pepper give it a lift and a warm, peppery spice you won't find in a London Dry.

The distillery started in 2013 in the Yarra Valley outside Melbourne and became one of the faces of modern Australian gin. Rare Dry is its flagship, distilled on a German-made copper still with a botanical bill that also runs to star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, lavender and angelica alongside the citrus and juniper.

The nose is bright and orange-led, with a resinous juniper note behind it. The palate is rounded and warm — candied orange and juniper first, then baking spice and a slow build of white pepper from the mountain pepper, drying out on the finish with a touch of liquorice. It's balanced and confident at 41.8%. It makes an excellent G&T and holds its own in a martini too.

Pour it when you want a gin with warmth and citrus rather than austere, juniper-heavy dryness.

How to Serve

A proper G&T is the move — plenty of ice, a good neutral tonic, and a wheel of fresh orange to echo the still. It also shines in a slightly wetter martini.

Where to Drink It

American Bar at The Savoy — polished classics done right. Boisdale of Belgravia — for something livelier, with music. Bar Lotus — relaxed enough for an easy G&T.

Food Pairings

Good with roast chicken and orange, or a spiced tagine — the pepperberry and citrus play nicely with warm spice.