The Gin Passport

The Seventh Day of Christmas

The Swan
1 part Sipsmith Gin
1 part Orange Liqueur
A dash of bitters
Juice of half a lime

Shake with ice and strain into your favourite glass.



🦢🦢🦢🦢🦢🦢🦢

For the Seventh Day of Christmas, I've chosen to adorn a cocktail called “The Swan” with a little lucite collectable swan that probably dates back to the 1970s.

I have absolutely no idea why we all seemed to collect these slightly questionable plastic ornaments back in the day, but a quick look on eBay tells me they were definitely a thing — and some are apparently worth more than the odd penny!

Anyway, it has finally found its purpose and came in very handy today. Although balancing it on a slippery ice cube was a little more challenging than expected!

Atlas note:  The swan neck is the curved section of a traditional pot still that carries the alcohol vapours away from the boiling chamber and towards the condenser. Its elegant shape is more than just for looks — the angle and length help influence the character of the final spirit. A longer, taller swan neck encourages more reflux, meaning heavier compounds fall back into the still while lighter, more delicate vapours continue through, creating a smoother, cleaner spirit.  If you look closely at Sipsmith's logo, you'll see the swan — a nod to the graceful swan neck of their copper pot still and a symbol of their traditional approach to distilling.