Tarquin's has built a reputation for doing flavoured gin with genuine craft behind it, and their Strawberry and Lime expression is a perfect example of the category done right. At 38% ABV, it sits at the lower end of the spectrum — a deliberate choice that lets the fruit character lead without the burn.
Style and Character
This is a flavoured gin that wears its identity on its sleeve. Strawberry and lime is a pairing that works on paper and, more importantly, in the glass. The strawberry brings sweetness and body while the lime adds a citrus sharpness that stops things from becoming cloying. It's a balancing act, and one that flavoured gins often get wrong. Tarquin's, to their credit, understand restraint.
What I appreciate here is that this doesn't taste like a gin-flavoured soft drink. There's structure beneath the fruit. The juniper backbone is softer than in a classic London Dry, naturally, but it's present enough to remind you this is still gin. At £37.25, you're paying a small premium over supermarket flavoured offerings, but the difference in quality is noticeable.
Best Served
Skip the usual lemonade. Build a long serve with a quality Indian tonic, a generous squeeze of fresh lime, and a couple of sliced strawberries muddled lightly in the glass. For something more adventurous, try it in a twist on a Singapore Sling — the strawberry and lime profile slots in beautifully where the cherry liqueur usually sits. A few torn Thai basil leaves on top add an aromatic lift that takes the whole drink somewhere unexpected.
A well-executed flavoured gin that respects both the fruit and the spirit. 7.7 out of 10.
