Gin & Bitter Lemon - 2 Ways

Bitter lemon was always a staple soft drink when I grew up in England. Schweppes Bitter Lemon. It was a common drink and as a kid I remember it being “too sour” for me. Later I discovered that you could use it with gin to make a low-rent Tom Collins. That's before I learned to make “proper “ cocktails.

However, like cheese 'n' onion crisps (yes, I know – they're called chips in NZ) it's an English thing that never caught on in New Zealand. Until now. Soft drink maker StrangeLove now make bitter lemon, as well as a couple of other groovy soft drinks (Hot Ginger Beer anyone?).

So today we have bitter lemon with a couple of different gins in a couple of different ways. Both are refreshing options for the hot summer months that are no doubt approaching. And they don't require shaking – it's just a simple stir. How easy can you get?

 

FOUR PILLARS BLOODY SHIRAZ GIN & BITTER LEMON

Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz is made by steeping Shiraz grapes in gin for eight weeks and then combining them with Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin. The result is a fruity, spicy gin, 38.9% ABV. Each year's batch is different, depending on the Shiraz harvest. Four Pillars describes the gin's character as containing "fresh pine needles, citrus and spice, and distinct peppery, dense raspberry notes. The palate is lovely and sweet with a long juniper and spice character on the finish."

Ingredients

• 60ml Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz gin
  
• 120ml StrangeLove Bitter Lemon
• Orange wedge

Method

• Fill a glass with ice
• Pour in the liquids
• Garnish with orange

 

LONDON DRY GIN & BITTER LEMON

Bitter lemon also picks up beautifully on the citrus and spicy notes in most London Dry gins. The extra touch of lime or lemon juice adds to this. I used Haymans here because it's our “house gin” - high quality, very classically London dry and surprisingly reasonably priced. 

Ingredients

• 60ml London Dry gin
• 120ml StrangeLove Bitter Lemon
• 10ml fresh lime or lemon juice
• lime or lemon wedge

Method

• Fill a glass with ice
• Pour in the liquids
• Garnish with orange

So there we go. Two ways with gin and bitter lemon. The second one is a little more "sour" so those of you with a sweeter tooth might like to add a little simple syrup. Big kudos to StrangeLove for finally introducing Bitter Lemon to New Zealand - Cheers!