Ester Strong Gin 100ml

Ester Strong Gin is a 57 per cent navy-strength gin in a 100ml bottle.

The recipe pushes juniper, finger lime and lemon myrtle harder than the standard dry gin, because at 57 per cent the botanicals need to be loud enough to answer the alcohol. Cardamom, coriander, orris, angelica, liquorice, clove, cassia, macadamia and pepperberry fill in around them. The result is thick, intense and layered, with a savoury undertow, and it is remarkably well behaved for the strength. A 100ml bottle gives two cocktails, which is the sensible way to find out whether navy strength suits the way you drink.

Use it where a normal gin gets buried: a Negroni, a Gimlet, or a sour with plenty of citrus. In a Gin and Tonic, use a tall glass and a lot of ice. Neat, pour small and very cold.