When the evenings draw in, berry gins can feel a bit too summery. This raspberry pink peppercorn gin cocktail fixes that. We've paired fruit and gentle spice with cloudy Norfolk-style apple juice, a squeeze of lemon and a spoonful of honey. It tastes like autumn, and you need nothing fancier than a jam jar to make it.
We call it the Orchard Owl. It's an easy one to start with: try it once, tweak it to your taste, then pour it for friends.
Why raspberry pink peppercorn gin works in an autumn cocktail
Our Raspberry & Pink Peppercorn Gin is hand-distilled at our King Street distillery in King's Lynn. It's made with real fruit and bottled at full strength, 40% ABV. A 70cl bottle is £44.
Raspberry brings the fruit. Pink peppercorns, despite the name, are fragrant and warm rather than fiery. Together they suit the apples, honey and cosy evenings of October and November. Apple keeps the drink fresh, lemon adds some backbone and honey rounds off the edges.
The Orchard Owl: what you'll need
- 50ml WhataHoot Raspberry & Pink Peppercorn Gin
- 50ml cloudy apple juice
- 20ml fresh lemon juice
- 15ml honey syrup (equal parts runny honey and warm water, stirred together and cooled)
- Ice
- To garnish: a few fresh or dried raspberries and a pinch of pink peppercorns
How to make it
- Make the honey syrup: stir 1 tablespoon of honey into 1 tablespoon of warm water until it dissolves, then leave it to cool.
- Chill a coupe glass by filling it with ice and water while you mix.
- Add the gin, apple juice, lemon juice and honey syrup to a shaker (or a jam jar with a tight lid) and fill it with ice.
- Shake hard for about 15 seconds, until the outside feels very cold.
- Tip the ice out of the glass, then strain the cocktail in. Use a fine strainer too if you have one.
- Garnish with raspberries and a few pink peppercorns floated on top.
Ways to change it up
- Make it long: pour it over ice in a highball glass and top with 75ml ginger ale for a lighter, sparkling version.
- Make it sharper: cut the honey syrup down to 10ml if your apple juice is on the sweet side.
- Go darker: later in the season, try the same recipe with our Sloe Gin, using less honey because sloe gin is already sweet.
If this has got you thinking about botanicals, our Wise Old Owl gin making experience lets you make a bottle of your own here in King's Lynn.
Please enjoy your cocktails responsibly. This recipe is for adults aged 18 and over.
FAQ
Can I make this cocktail without a shaker?
Yes. A clean jam jar with a tight lid works just as well. Strain it through a tea strainer as you pour.
Should I use fresh or dried raspberries for the garnish?
Either works. Fresh ones are juicier. Dried ones float well and keep for weeks, which helps once raspberries go out of season.
Can I batch it for a gathering?
You can. Mix the gin, apple juice, lemon and honey syrup in a jug and keep it in the fridge for a few hours. Shake each serve over ice just before pouring.
The Orchard Owl
Serves 1 · Glass: Coupe (or highball for the long version) · 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 50ml WhataHoot Raspberry & Pink Peppercorn Gin
- 50ml cloudy apple juice
- 20ml fresh lemon juice
- 15ml honey syrup (equal parts runny honey and warm water)
- Ice
Method
- Make the honey syrup: stir 1 tablespoon of honey into 1 tablespoon of warm water until it dissolves, then leave it to cool.
- Chill a coupe glass by filling it with ice and water while you mix.
- Add the gin, apple juice, lemon juice and honey syrup to a shaker and fill it with ice.
- Shake hard for about 15 seconds, until the outside feels very cold.
- Tip the ice out of the glass, then strain the cocktail in, using a fine strainer too if you have one.
- Garnish with raspberries and a few pink peppercorns floated on top.
Garnish: A few fresh or dried raspberries and a pinch of pink peppercorns