While pretty much all of the Craft Gin Club boxes have a theme to them, I especially love when they have a theme linked to the time of year – Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day etc. Last year’s February delivery didn’t have much of a Valentine’s theme, so it was a refreshing change to see that this year’s contents were all about V-Day, with a British gin inspired by Victorian romance, and a whole bunch of snacks and mixers to go alongside it. I instantly knew this month would be a good one as soon as I saw the bottle – it’s BEAUTIFUL!
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?
Hawkridge London Dry Victorian Aphrodisiac Blend Gin
Fitch & Leeds Grapefruit Tonic
Flawsome! Apple & Strawberry Lightly Sparkling Juice
Charbonnel et Walker Pink Marc De Champagne Truffles
Sekforde Raspberry, Rose & Sage Soda
Urban Fruit Strawberry
Magners Rosé
Savoursmiths Truffle and Rosemary Potato Crisps
Manomasa Tortillas Manchego & Green Olive
Gin Crush Cocktail Syrup
Lime & Juniper Garnish
Hawkridge London Dry Victorian Aphrodisiac Blend Gin
The first thing that strikes you about this gin is its beautiful ruby red bottle, which alone is enough to capture the Valentine’s theme of this month’s box. The shape of the bottle is inspired by the lavish gowns women wore to 19th century balls at Hawkridge House, the beautiful manor house located in the Berkshire countryside where this month’s gin originates. The gin itself combines a range of botanicals that are perfect for Valentine’s, with floral notes of lavender, rose and jasmine, paired with honey to introduce a touch of sweetness.
In the two years that I’ve been a member of Craft Gin Club, Hawkridge Victorian Aphrodisiac Blend has to be one of my favourite gins. It’s a beautiful, floral gin, and I loved how the fragrance of lavender and rose was the first thing you notice as you open the bottle. I’ve tried it with a couple of different tonics so far, and each time it’s been lovely – it’s light and refreshing, but the floral notes really bring out something a little extra special. I read in this month’s magazine that Hawkridge Distillery also have a Victorian Garden Blend gin that’s packed with notes of citrus, herbs and honey – MY JAM BEBEH. Plus, it comes an an equally gorgeous blue bottle! I may have to treat myself…
Fitch & Leeds Grapefruit Tonic
Continuing with the Valentine’s theme, this month’s tonic was a refreshing grapefruit blend that is also the most gorgeous shade of pink! Fitch & Leedes tonic has featured in earlier boxes, but I had never tried their grapefruit flavour before. Normally, I find grapefruit flavoured tonics a bit too sweet and overpowering, but this one worked so well with the gin and really seemed to have the sweet and tart balance nailed. Also, I also have to give a mention to the can, which, with the black and pink heart design, is just adorable (yes, I’m a sucker for themed shit).
Snacks
Everyone’s favourite part of these reviews, am I right?! Okay, so, let’s get the negatives out of the way first. The Manomasa Tortilla chips were put straight in the ambiguous snack bag because the thought of manchego cheese and green olive as a flavour makes me gag. The truffle and rosemary crisps are currently sat in my food cupboard yet to be eaten – I feel they may end up being another “shit-faced snack” as I have affectionately named. I don’t know, the rosemary flavour seems fine to me, but the truffle flavour just doesn’t appeal. It’s a similar thing with the champagne truffles – I’m not really a chocolate truffles person, but they may get eaten if I drink enough prosecco at some point.
Also – and I don’t want to seem ungrateful here…actually, fuck it, I pay for this shit – why did they think tossing in a can of Magners was a nice touch? I get it. it’s Rosé Magners so yes, that apparently qualifies for it to fit in with the Valentine’s theme, but REALLY? Does Magners say romance? I can’t say I’ve ever been gagging for a can of Rosé Magners on a romantic date. A can of Magners just brings back memories of being 17 and trying to force myself to like cider in a bid to fit in with the friendship group I just joined. So, you may not be surprised to know that this can is still in my fridge and I have no intention to drink it.
Okay, rant over. It may seem as though I’ve slagged off most of the snacks in this month’s box, but I have to say that the addition of Urban Fruit Strawberries meant all was forgiven. They’re one of my favourite snacks but because they’re often a bit pricey, I don’t always go for them. It’s not even like they were a new thing for me to try – I just bloody love them and they were a nice surprise. Finally, we come to the Sekforde Raspberry Rose & Soda, which I paired with the gin from this month’s box. I’m not sure I can see the appeal as a generic soft drink, but as a mixer, it worked really well with the Hawkridge Victorian Aphrodisiac gin. The floral notes were the perfect pairing, and I think it made a really nice alternative for those who prefer more subtle flavours.
The Cocktail: Gin Crush
This month’s cocktail was a really lovely treat, and I wish I had the patience to create little strawberry hearts to decorate it as they did in the magazine. However, I was just gagging for that sweet, sweet booze, as per. The Gin Crush cocktail made use of the Flawsome! Apple and Strawberry juice, and it was gorgeous. Apple and strawberry as a flavour has always been something I’ve enjoyed, and it worked so well with the floral flavours of the gin. It was light, but still had some really vibrant flavours, and it was one of the rare occasions that I actually made a second helping of it. Definitely a winner!
Final Thoughts
Despite a few snack offerings letting the side down (look guys, just lob in a couple more tonics or a gin sample and I’ll stop being a bitch, kay?), this month’s box has been one of my favourites over the last few months. I loved the theme, and I especially loved the gin and the mixers. It has definitely been one of the better “themed” boxes over the last few months and it’s really got me looking forward to the offerings Craft Gin Club will be sending through during the Spring.
Sassy Cat Lady 
If they ditched the snacks altogether and just sent you more gin instead, I think you’d be fine with that. 😂
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