Romance is in the air, what with Valentine’s Day coming up. But at Master of Malt, we’re doing things a little differently by celebrating the drinks we adore, rather than people. First up is a love letter to gin.
To paraphrase Samuel Johnson, when you are bored of gin, you are bored of life. Or to quote another top writer, William Shakespeare: “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety”. Now he was talking about Cleopatra, those words were from her lover Marc Anthony, and I’m thinking about gin, but you get my point.
You can never tire of gin because there are so many types out there. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a really old school gin like Beefeater or Tanqueray, mixed nice and strong with Schweppes, lots of ice and a slice of lemon.
A love letter to gin
But at others, I want to put myself in the hands of an experienced distiller who will take my taste buds on a wild ride – as long as that wild ride is firmly grounded in juniper. That’s the beauty of gin: it can be fun and experimental, but there are rules, so things never get out of control.
You probably don’t need any help buying a good traditional gin, so for today’s love-themed feature, I’ve picked a few gins that do something a bit different. And cocktails to enjoy them in. Let the loving start!
Jaffa Cake Gin
This is about as cuckoo as gin gets, as it’s flavoured with Jaffa Cakes. Not with the essence of Jaffa Cake but with real Jaffa Cakes. Don’t ask me how they get them in the gin, something to do with magnets, I imagine, but it really does taste like Jaffa Cakes, and it manages to taste like gin too. That’s some special alchemy there.
How do I drink it?
In a Jaffa Cake Negroni, naturally. Just mix with equal parts Campari and Martini Rosso for the orangiest Negroni you’ve ever had.
Monkey 47 Dry Gin
An unusual gin from the Black Forest in Germany, Monkey 47 contains a unique ingredient. No, not that! Lingonberries! The 47 comes from the number of botanicals that go into this unique gin, and the fact that it’s bottled at a healthy 47% ABV. It seems that the botanicals speak for themselves, as the gin has received bucketfuls of critical acclaim.
How do I drink it?
A gin as gorgeous as this really requires a very simple cocktail, so we’re going for a very, very Dry Martini made with just a thimbleful of Dolin vermouth. So sophisticated.
Mermaid Pink Gin
A pink gin, because nothing says it’s Valentine’s bloody day than something pink. This one comes from one of our favourite little distilleries on the Isle of Wight. The classic gin is made with rock samphire foraged from the shoreline, and this version combines that with island strawberries.
How do I drink it?
We think this is best in a strawberry-themed twist on the Bramble. Shake 50ml gin, 25ml lemon juice and 10ml sugar syrup with ice in a shaker, double-strain into a tumbler filled with crushed ice. Drizzle crème de fraise on the top and garnish with a strawberry.
Bathtub Gin – Rose & Cardamom
Bathtub Gin is one of our bestselling products, so you don’t mess around with a classic unless you’re going to come up with something different. In this case, those boffins at Atom Labs have done with this floral spicy take on the original.
How do I drink it?
We think this makes a lovely Gin and Tonic, especially if you scatter some pomegranate seeds and rose petals on the top so that it looks all fancy and stuff.
This article was originally published on 7 February 2023. It was updated and republished on 11 February 2026.
