Rhubarb gins have become one of the most crowded corners of the flavoured gin market. Everyone from craft micro-distillers to supermarket own-labels has taken a swing at it. So when a bottle lands on my desk, the question isn't whether rhubarb works in gin — we know it does — but whether this particular expression does anything worth paying attention to.
Jim and Tonic Roobee Rhubarb Gin
Jim and Tonic's Roobee Rhubarb Gin sits squarely in the flavoured category at 40% ABV, which is a good start. Too many fruit-led gins drop the strength to mask a thin base spirit, so holding the line at 40% suggests some confidence in the underlying distillate. The branding is playful — almost cartoonish — and the smaller bottle format at £18.75 makes it an easy entry point for anyone curious about the brand without committing to a full-sized purchase.
Rhubarb as a botanical brings a tart, slightly vegetal sweetness that can either lift a gin or flatten it, depending on how it's balanced against the juniper backbone. The best rhubarb gins keep that sharp, almost sour edge intact rather than burying it under sugar. Without confirmed details on the full botanical bill or distillery, it's hard to know exactly how Jim and Tonic approach the balance here, but the category demands that interplay between fruit and juniper to really sing.
At this price point and size, it's a solid option for trying something lighthearted without breaking the bank. It doesn't quite push into the territory of the more complex flavoured gins I've encountered, but it does its job with a sense of fun. A 7.4 feels right — competent and enjoyable, with room to surprise.
Best served: In a tall glass over ice with premium tonic, a twist of pink grapefruit peel, and a thin slice of fresh ginger. The ginger's heat plays brilliantly against rhubarb's tartness — a trick I picked up at a rooftop bar in Singapore that works every time.
