It’s November – which means the most wonderful time of the year is nearly upon us. The official season of parties, feasting and frivolity is just around the corner and, if you’re looking for a suitably wintry way to get into the festive spirit, 44°N gin has you covered.

The fine French gin brand will be popping up at Canary Wharf’s Off Piste bar on 18 November to offer guests a tasting session of some of its best-selling spirits. Complete with cosy alpine surroundings and a view over the Estate’s ever-popular ice rink, we can think of few finer ways to kick start the holiday season.

Founded by Bhagath Reddy, and headquartered in the famed former Bertrand & Fils perfumery in Grasse on the Côte d’Azur, the Comte de Grasse distillery was formed with a mission to create sustainable luxury spirits and innovate the distillation process. In 2018 the first gin, 44°N, was born. Using traditional perfumery extraction techniques rarely seen in the spirit distillation process, and highlighting local ingredients including mimosa, bitter orange, rose centifolia and samphire, its deep flavour develops from fresh to floral through to an elegant spice that sees it stand head and shoulders above other gins on the market.

Of course, while 44°N can be enjoyed as a classically refreshing gin and tonic (and there will be plenty of those on offer during the pop-up), Comte de Grasse soon realised that its gin was also the ideal base for creating its own unique ready-to-drink bottled cocktails – which promptly won awards. Crafted by a master mixologist tasked with capturing the spirit of ‘Art Luxueux’, the French tradition of crafting something seemingly simple but which has actually been painstakingly perfected, Comte de Grasse will be offering guests the chance to taste three of its best-selling cocktails.

First up, Baies Sauvages blends 44°N gin with vermouth and Crème de Cassis for an elegantly bittersweet concoction ideal for enjoying as an aperitif. More of a Negroni fan? Comte de Grasse’s Divine Orange offers a playful take on this classic using a traditional base of 44°N gin, bitters and vermouth finished with a subtle sweet and floral top note. Finally, Explosion Florale offers a contemporary twist on the martini by replacing the vermouth with peach wine and adding a splash of verjus to invoke the flavours of Provence.

Sold pre-mixed and with handy instructions on how best to serve, they’re the ideal solution for Christmas party hosts who would rather not stand behind the bar all night. Happily, Comte de Grasse will have bottles of its 44°N gin, plus a range of cocktails, for sale during the pop-up and will be offering a special gift with purchase for every guest – the ideal opportunity to stock up before your next soiree.

Walk-ins are more than welcome and no tickets are necessary for the pop-up. The only thing you need do? Save the date. We’ll see you there.