It would be easy to say that gin is a spirit entirely defined by juniper. But it was something other than the fragrant berries that brought gin to everyone’s attention after Hendricks first launched more than twenty years ago. It was the innovative use of botanicals. To be classified as gin, the spirit must have a certain level of juniper, which is where the fresh pine taste comes from. Other than that, gin distillers are free to choose their botanicals.

Juniper makes gin. There is no debate about that. But what do we know about the plant and the berries that give our favourite spirit its distinctive taste? And even though there is a rich history of Scottish juniper, why do hardly any distillers use it nowadays?