New gins on the market always attract my attention and SW4 is no exception. It is somewhat of a rarity in that it is a handcrafted London Dry Gin that is actually distilled and bottled in London. Clapham in South London to be precise. Cue fake South London accent – Now if that ain’t pukka I dunno what is!

Unusually for a new gin, it hasn’t been created specifically for the cocktail market. In fact, the idea behind SW4 was to create a gin that would work wonderfully well with tonic. Martin Price, the driving force behind SW4, worked with master distiller Charles Maxwell, to produce a gin in the style of the 19th century gins – a classic, complex dry gin that wouldn’t be overpowered by strongly-flavoured mixers like tonic or ginger beer.

Before making that G & T, it is certainly worth tasting the gin neat. Twelve botanicals are used in the maceration process prior to distillation in a single pot still and give SW4 its complexity. On first taste there is a real creaminess to it. Juniper berries predominate. However, strong notes of citrus, pepper and spice come through, highlighting the lemon and orange peel, the cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Stay with it and you get hints of coriander and marzipan. The finish is slightly sweet and perfumed but immensely satisfying.

SW4 works fantastically well with a good tonic, a big slice of lemon and loads of ice. Even though I first tried this on a miserable Saturday night in February it brought to mind an image of standing in an old colonial bar, a lazy ceiling fan casually rotating overhead, and a glass of SW4 and tonic on the bar dripping with condensation.

Although best served with tonic, SW4 makes a rather good dry martini. I find the way to enjoy its complexity is to make the martini as dry as possible – a rinse of the vermouth and no more than a couple of drops of orange bitters to bring out the citrus flavour. Stir over ice and serve with a twist of lemon.