Pickering's Gin have launched a new Pink Grapefruit and Lemongrass Gin Liqueur.

One of the many benefits of the sunny weather is that it increases the already strong appeal of a chilled sharpener. Right on cue, Pickering's Gin have just launched a new Pink Grapefruit and Lemongrass Gin Liqueur which is tailor-made for sunny days.

Since launching in 2013, Pickering's Gin have always recommended pink grapefruit as the ideal garnish for their G 'n' Ts.

Their Pink Grapefruit and Lemongrass Gin Liqueur incorporates the fruit directly into the liqueur.

Based in Edinburgh's Summerhall arts venue, the Pickering's team tweaked their original Bombay gin recipe to showcase real pink grapefruit along with notes of lemongrass, cardamom and juniper.

Partially guided by feedback from fans, the new liqueur is bottled at 20% ABV.

Stevie Watson, UK brand ambassador for Pickering’s Gin commented:

'Drinking responsibly is about watching not only how many alcoholic drinks we consume, but how strong our drinks are and what they’re made with.

'Our Pink Grapefruit and Lemongrass Gin Liqueur is made with real fruit pulp and juices and uses our double-gold award winning gin as its base. Sitting at 20%, our fruity new expression perfectly fits into the forming trend for lower alcohol, spritz-style drinks.'

Pickering's Gin: 'sun-kissed, plump pink grapefruit'

According to the tasting notes, drinkers can look forward to 'sun-kissed, plump pink grapefruit from the first sip. Lusciously tart and tangy, the palate is engulfed with mouth-watering, natural sweetness'.

In the mouth, there is 'gentle warmth from the original gin’s spiced botanicals and a hint of fragrant lemongrass'. It has a 'sumptuously decadent and velvety finish'.

There has been a lot of interest lately in the way in which Scottish gin is labelled and defined. Pinning down provenance is becoming more important.

This has not gone unnoticed at Pickering's Gin. All set to sizzle.

To enable the company to expand production and create a new liqueur, Pickering’s teamed up with another Scottish firm to fulfil demand for the latest offering.

Matt Gammell, co-founder and head distiller said: 'We’re very proud to distil, bottle, label and wax every bottle of Pickering’s Gin from our 400 square foot distillery in the heart of Edinburgh. We engineer ourselves clever production solutions around the space we have as time goes on, but with markets like the U.S and China growing for us, we must keep our focus firmly on our distilling schedule.

'It’s one thing to distil, dilute and bottle. It’s quite another when you’re talking about bringing in equipment to blend distillate with fresh fruit. We simply don’t have the space. That’s why we teamed up with Morrison & Mackay in Perthshire, formerly known as the Scottish Liqueur Centre.'

At a time when discussions are opening up as to whether production facilities’ locations should be stated on the bottle, Pickering’s have detailed on their packaging that the liqueur is 'distilled in Edinburgh, blended in Perthshire'.

The 20%, 50cl bottle retails at £19.95.

Pickering's Gin launches bar in Beijing

These are busy times for the company. Pickering’s Gin will open the first ever dedicated gin bar in Beijing this Saturday.

Located in the popular Chaoyang district of Beijing, the Pickering’s Gin and Seafood Bar will showcase Pickering’s gins alongside fresh Scottish seafood.

The bar is part of a long-term export strategy for the Edinburgh distillery. They have plans to open Pickering’s Gin and Seafood Bars in many of the major cities in China.

Marcus Pickering, co-founder and head of export, sees the bar as a stepping stone for both Pickering’s Gin and Scottish produce to take hold in China.

He said: 'Our water is world famous. Whether it is the fish that swim in it; the alcohol we distil with it, or the ice we make from it. Our bar is a celebration of the best to come from Scotland’s exceptional waters. From gin to salmon, whisky to beer – we’ll be flying the flag for quality Scottish produce in China.'