First Impressions
Warner's Elderflower Gin is a labour of love — and that is not marketing hyperbole. Each bottle is infused with 300 individually hand-picked elderflowers from the hedgerows around Warner's Falls Farm in Northamptonshire, harvested just once a year during the brief elderflower season. The gin was inspired by Tom Warner's mother Adèle, and it is built on the foundation of Warner's Harrington Dry Gin — itself a well-regarded expression — with the elderflower providing a floral transformation.
The hand-picking operation is genuinely remarkable in its scale and commitment. Three hundred individual flowers per bottle means every batch requires an extraordinary investment of time and care, and the freshness of the elderflower is evident in the final spirit.
The Distillery
Warner's Distillery operates from Falls Farm in Harrington, Northamptonshire, and the farm itself provides many of the botanicals. The base gin uses juniper, coriander seed, cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, angelica root, orange peel, lemon peel, and a secret ingredient. The fresh hand-picked elderflower is then added to create this expression. The result is a gin that maintains the structural integrity of the base spirit while adding a floral dimension that is unmistakably natural.
Tasting
The nose is soft and floral. Elderflower leads — delicate, honeyed, and unmistakably fresh — with hints of lychee adding an exotic fruit quality and subtle juniper providing the gin foundation. It is an inviting, gentle nose that promises a drink of elegance rather than intensity.
On the palate, a lemony zing provides immediate freshness, blending beautifully with the elderflower to create a citrus-floral harmony. The mouthfeel is smooth — almost icing sugar-like in its silky sweetness — and delicate spice from the cardamom and cinnamon adds warmth without heat. A touch of vanilla rounds the mid-palate. The elderflower is the star, but the supporting cast ensures this remains recognisably gin.
The finish is one of the gin's strongest qualities. As the juniper fades, cardamom, cinnamon, and elderflower take the stage for a long, floral, spicy conclusion. The finish extends well beyond what the gentle palate might suggest, and the elderflower lingers with quiet persistence.
How to Drink It
Warner's Elderflower makes a sublime G&T — use Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and garnish with a slice of cucumber and a few fresh elderflower sprigs. The tonic's bitterness balances the floral sweetness perfectly. It also makes a beautiful Elderflower Collins: Warner's, fresh lemon juice, a touch of sugar, topped with soda.
In a Martini, the elderflower and vanilla notes create something close to an Elderflower Martini without any liqueur — elegant and sophisticated.
The Bottom Line
Warner's Elderflower earns a 7.5 for delivering genuine farm-to-bottle floral character with the commitment of hand-picking 300 elderflowers per bottle. The elderflower is fresh, natural, and beautifully integrated with the Harrington base gin. The long, spiced finish is a particular pleasure, and the lychee hint on the nose adds unexpected complexity. At around £35, the price reflects the labour-intensive production, and the quality justifies every penny. A gin that captures the English hedgerow in full flower.
