Everyone’s talking about it – Brussels Sprout Gin. Would you dare try it? Read on to see what all the hype has been about.

The Pickering Gin Baubles have been a massive success since their big launch back in 2016 – where they sold out 30,000 baubles in around a minute! Now they are making well in excess of 1 million baubles. This year for the first time the gin baubles are available in the USA and they have a new set alongside the originals, Festive Flavoured Baubles. Causing quite a stir with their Brussels Sprout flavour I have taste tested them all to give you all the low down!

Let’s kick off with the Figgy Pudding Gin. It truly is a dessert in a glass. A big hug of Christmas. Lots of spice when you first smell it and it keeps that warmth when tasted. Surprisingly it doesn’t have the sweetness that I expected from that pudding-like smell. I found it a little too bitter to enjoy on its own and much preferred it with the Fever Tree Clementine Tonic with Cinnamon. It was a delicious and properly festive tipple. The recommended cocktail for this gin involved Triple Sec, Golden Syrup and Angostura Bitters and it was just my cup of tea.

Cranberry Gin. The loveliest aroma. A real fruity burst. I could really taste the original gin botanicals in this one rather than just the cranberry flavour. But I couldn’t initially determine what flavour it was meant to be in a blind tasting but when tonic was added it completely opened up and you started to get all the delicious cranberry flavour and it becomes obvious. It’s such a pretty colour and I liked it best with Gallybird Tonic it was light enough to balance the flavour and nice and fizzy to make it a refreshing drink. The recommended cocktail has now become a firm favourite. It involves Cranberry gin, Cranberry Sauce (we all have it at Christmas!), Cranberry juice, Triple Sec, lime juice and a dash of Angostura bitters. Yum.

Spiced Pear Gin. Really nice to smell, and reminded me of a poached pear dessert I once had at Two Fat Ladies restaurant in Glasgow! This gin had the best aftertaste out of all of them. You keep getting different spices and tastes opening up which made it really interesting. I found it paired really well with Merchants Heart Tonic, with a 50/50 tonic to gin ratio being incredible. The recommended cocktail involves Spiced Pear Gin, Cloudy Apple Juice, Cinnamon Syrup, Lemon Juice and Prosecco. I only wish I had more to make these for everyone on Christmas morning!

Clementine Gin. My favourite without a doubt. Total crowd pleaser of a flavoured gin. Bright, full of flavour but still with a distinct gin heavy base which made me happy! I hate when the gin is lost in the flavouring. Bursting with citrus this will cause arguments over who gets to finish this one!! Recommended cocktail includes Clementine Gin, Marmalade, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup and Fiery Ginger Beer. This cocktail didn’t do it for me as I felt you lost too much of the original gorgeous flavour. Much preferred it with an Indian Fever Tree Tonic and loads of ice. But also just great on it’s own!

Plum and Ginger Gin. A massive contender for my Christmas gin of the year. On the nose it has a jammy sweetness and nice warmth. The colour is absolutely beautiful. On tasting it is surprisingly fresh with the right level of sweetness and spicing. The flavour extends after you finish drinking and it is only made better as a long drink with a quality tonic like 1724 Tonic. Recommended cocktail has Plum and Ginger Gin, Plum Jam, p
Pomegranate Juice, Ginger Cordial, Fresh Lime Juice and Soda – have to admit this is the only one I couldn’t make as I couldn’t find pomegranate juice for love nor money! Sounds great though.

And so we get to the Brussels Sprout Gin. The gin flavour that has made the biggest splash this Christmas, causing arguments by people who haven’t even tasted it yet! First let me tell you a little about it. Pickering got their sprouts from Crofts Farm in Arbroath. They use only the forgotten sprouts from 2018 – 10,000 of them. And a donation from every pack of Feative Baubles is being given to Contact for the Elderly’s Christmas Community Campaign to fund Christmas lunches for those who otherwise may not get a home cooked meal. This gets a huge thumbs up right away. Now on first sniff this had me recoiling with memories of being force fed the horrid green balls every Christmas as a child. On second sniff it actually makes me think more of celery salt. A bit spicy. My first sip made me all confused as the gin hit my palate it really reminded me of their Pickering 1947 – which is my favourite. It has a really good body with the right level of spicing. You most definitely get sprouts but weirdly it works. The iconic sprout smell goes away when you add tonic and you are left with a spiced savoury forward gin which I enjoyed. Mind blown! I enjoyed it with Merchant’s Heart Ginger Ale as well as Fever Tree Indian Tonic. Their recommended cocktail has Brussels Sprout Gin, Fresh Cucumber, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Orange Bitters and Elderflower Tonic. Just yes! Make it. Thank Pickering later.

So there you have it. The gift for the gin lover in your life has got to be these amazing Festive Flavoured Gin Baubles from Pickering this Christmas – if you can get your hands on any. They look amazing on your tree (just don’t leave them where kids can reach!) and the flavours are a major talking point at any festive gathering.

Let me know if you have tasted any and what you think!

You can get your hand on the Original and Festive Flavoured Gin Baubles here – Pickering.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pam