Craft Gin Club Subscription Box Review | October 2020

I expected nothing less than a Halloween themed gin delivery from Craft Gin Club this October, and they certainly delivered. Admittedly, their change in courier to Yodel this month almost felt like a massive bloody prank, but let’s not dwell on that. This month’s offerings were pretty good, with a fabulous gin, some perfectly paired tonics, and quite an impressive variety of snacks.

Craft Gin Club Box Review - October 2020

Disclaimer: I am not an affiliate for Craft Gin Club, and have not been compensated in any way for this post. My gin subscription is ordered and paid for out of my own money and all opinions are my own.

What’s in the Box?

Whitby Gin – The Demeter Edition

Merchant’s Heart Spirit Enhancers – Floral Aromatics Tonic Water and Pink Peppercorn Tonic Water

Chardonnay Wine Vinegar Yorkshire Crisps

Gusto Organic Sicilian Blood Orange

Bahlsen Choco Leibniz Baileys

Gunna Muscovite Lemonade & Mint

Peter’s Yard Original Sourdough Crispbreads

Angostura Orange Bitters

Nibnibs Pesto Mini Breadsticks

Orange slices and black peppercorn garnish

Full Moon Fizz cocktail syrup

Whitby Gin The Demeter Edition

Made exclusively for Craft Gin Club members, Whitby Gin Demeter Edition is named after the ship that brought Count Dracula to the seaside town of Whitby, Yorkshire, in Bram Stoker’s classic novel. It’s created with a blend of juniper, plum, heather tip, licorice root cardamom, pink pepper and vanilla, among other botanicals, to create a rich and fragrant gin. Initially, you’re greeted with the notes of plum and vanilla, and it finishes with a warm and spicy kick. I’ll be honest, I’m writing this review mid-October, and there is probably one serving of this gorgeous gin left – I love it! It’s incredibly fragrant and rich, the perfect autumnal gin, and it paired beautifully with both of the tonics in this month’s box. I think we should also appreciate how pretty the bottle is too – the glass texture, the black and purple colour palette, and the cork made with dark wood as tribute to Whitby’s ship-building industry. Would I buy it again? Absolutely.

Merchant’s Heart Spirit Enhancers – Floral Aromatics Tonic Water & Pink Peppercorn Tonic Water

I’ve tried a few varieties of Merchant’s Heart tonics before and I’ve loved them. The pink peppercorn one is a version I’ve willingly bought a few times when it’s been on offer, because it’s gorgeous. It’s got a really light but spicy flavour and in all honesty I haven’t found a gin that I don’t like with it yet. It paired so well with this month’s gin too and it really brought out the warm spiced flavours. I’d never tried the floral aromatic one before but it was really fragrant and light with floral and citrus notes – again, working really well with the gin and almost creating a whole different flavour.

Snacks

There’s been quite a nice mixed bag of snacks in this month’s box. I especially enjoyed the Yorkshire Crisps, which were the perfect hangover food following a prosecco filled night of games with our friends! Genuinely wish the bag was bigger. I also tried the sourdough crispbreads after a night of drinking and while they weren’t particularly packed with flavour I would have loved to try them with a dip of some sorts. While I’ve not tried the Bailey’s Choco Leibniz biscuits yet, I have every faith that they’ll be my jam – I bloody love those biscuits.

The Cocktail: Full Moon Fizz

Over the last few months, the cocktails have been a bit of a mixed bag, but this month’s was definitely a nice surprise. Looking at the name of the cocktail and the description of it, I was expecting something that was quite rich and perhaps even a little bit sickly, but to be honest, it was the opposite. The Full Moon Fizz combines the warm, floral notes of the Whitby Gin with the refreshing citrus and mint notes of the Gunna Moscovite Lemonade and Mint, along with a splash of the Angostura Bitters for some extra warmth. I loved this cocktail – the citrus and mint flavours in the Gunna Moscovite were so refreshing and light, you wouldn’t expect it to be an autumnal cocktail! I would have happily drank several of these given the chance!

Final Thoughts

October’s Craft Gin Club box was certainly one of my favourites so far. There was a varied selection of snacks – pretty much all of which I’d willingly eat, and the gin and mixers were a perfect pairing. I also really enjoyed this month’s cocktail too – with autumnal flavours you’d expect something rich and sickly, but this was lovely, light and refreshing. Definitely a winning box in my opinion!