Citrus flavours play a key role in the creation of many gins, and in how they are served. There is perhaps no other flavour profile, outside of plain juniper, that is as closely associated with gin, than citrus!

Believe it or not citrus has been noted as a botanical in gin since the 17th century at the very earliest. That’s a long time to experiment and perfect this tangy botanical. Traditionally it was a process of drying the peels of oranges and lemons, to release their fragrant oils and impart the gin with their wonderful citrus flavours we all know and love.

In more recent times we see a new generation of distillers adding fresh peels, and even citrus flesh to their gin.

Around the world we have seen an emergence of branching out into new citrus paths such as grapefruit, lime, tangello just to name a few. Today, driven by the increasing use of local and native botanicals, more than 100 different citrus varieties are used in gins across the world.