Puerto de Indias Strawberry Gin arrived on the flavoured gin scene before the category exploded into every colour of the rainbow. That matters. While dozens of imitators now crowd supermarket shelves, this was one of the bottles that proved fruit-forward gins could be more than a novelty — they could be genuinely enjoyable.
Style & Character
At 37.5% ABV, this sits right at the legal minimum for gin in the EU, which tells you something about the intent. Puerto de Indias Strawberry is designed to be approachable, easy-drinking, and unashamedly crowd-pleasing. The strawberry influence is the headline act here, and the juniper takes a supporting role. That's a deliberate choice, not a flaw — though purists will have opinions.
What I appreciate is the restraint. Some flavoured gins taste like someone emptied a bag of sweets into a bottle of neutral spirit. Puerto de Indias manages a lighter touch. The strawberry character feels more natural than synthetic, lending the gin a soft, fruity personality without bulldozing everything else in its path.
Best Served
Skip the usual lemon wheel. This works best in a copa glass with premium tonic, a few freeze-dried strawberries, and — trust me on this — a torn Thai basil leaf. The herbal anise note from the basil plays beautifully against the berry sweetness. It also makes a surprisingly good base for a Clover Club riff if you want to push it into cocktail territory.
At £29.95, Puerto de Indias Strawberry is fair value for what it delivers. It won't convert the juniper-or-nothing crowd, but for a summer sundowner or a gateway gin for someone new to the category, it does the job with charm. A solid 7.7 out of 10.
