Whitley Neill Quince Gin 70cl

Product Information

It was inspired by a fruiting quince tree growing within sight of Adnams Copper House Distillery and it proved to be the most popular of the season’s distillations. For the perfect serve fill a large copa balloon gin glass with ice, pour in 50ml of gin and top up with Fever Tree's Mediterranean Tonic.

Adnams Limited Edition Quince Gin is made from grain to glass using a distillery wash of 100% East Anglian malted barley. Lots of quince— its has some hints of Honeycrisp apple, round soft notes of canned Bartlett pear and a spiced juniper note. When the time is up, take your sterilised bottle and using a funnel with some muslin or a coffee filter in it; strain the gin into the bottle. A splash of clove and cinnamon-laced allspice dram complements the pear and quince and ties everything together.Make it in advance and leave to mature for around two to three months to get the most from these fabulous fruits.

I have braised them with lamb, adding honey, fresh ginger and saffron; roasted them with pork and marsala and baked them at a leisurely pace, basting the halves of fruit as they roasted with butter, lemon and sugar.

That makes sense as Quince is especially high in pectin and by cooking it, the pectin has been released. This limited edition, seasonal offering was inspired by a fruiting Quince tree growing near our Copper House distillery. This week I stewed a couple of them slowly with sugar and lemon, then tucked roughly torn pieces of panettone among them to give a warming winter pudding. It's true, it is comparatively sweet, but you can either add a squeeze of fresh lemon - or personally I add a few drops of Frankincense bitters - DIVINE! And I wouldn’t stop at the firm Spanish cheeses that this slightly gritty amber spread traditionally accompanies.

You can drink the quince liqueur with the residue or strain it again through a fine-mesh cheesecloth if you want to give the liqueur as a gift. Use your gin to create showstopping cocktails or give your bottles away as thoughtful homemade gifts for special occasions. Place the quince, sugar, spices and vanilla in the jar and top up with gin, up to one inch from the top, making sure all the ingredients are covered. I like the idea of making a tiny parcel of blue cheese, wrapping it in pastry and serving it with membrillo, as quince paste is known, on the side.I’ve used 50ml of this ‘liqueur’ mixed with lemonade and ice and it’s fabulous and with a very gentle pink tinge. With soft hints of cardamom and sweet orange peel and light florals, it is an uplifting, fresh and fruity gin.