crossover drinks TREND WATCH:

Cross-category experiments in the drinks world – from beers brewed using grapes, to vineyards producing their own vodka – is a trend bearing increasingly rewarding fruit. Ncn’ean recently launched the Botanical Spirit, a hybrid creation that sees the base of the distillery’s new-make whisky redistilled with botanicals including grapefruit, bog myrtle, heather, coriander and juniper. The end result is an intriguing beast, with the warmth of whisky but the aromatics of a gin (ncnean.com).

Even more interesting is renowned cider maker Tom Oliver’s experiments in blurring the boundaries between cider and beer (oliversciderandperry.co.uk). His award-winning, hop-infused At the Hop ciders and perries are well worth seeking out, and his collaborations with brewer Jonny Mills – blending cider and brewing techniques – have produced intriguing beers such as Saison Lees and Spectre Sister, both of which were fermented using cider lees (left-over yeast). Keep an eye out for future releases (millsbrewing.wordpress.com).

Elsewhere, Welsh brewery Tiny Rebel (tinyrebel.co.uk) recently released three gins whose flavours are inspired by its favourite beers – fruity Clwb Tropicana, citrussy Cwtch and hoppy Dutty – while Kentish vineyard Chapel Down (chapeldown.com) has launched Bacchus Gin and Chardonnay Vodka, both made from distilled grape skins – a great way to use up waste from winemaking.