Hello!

WELCOME TO OUR FIRST BLOG POST!

I would like to start with a bit of an introduction to my small business and by saying that La Juniper wasn’t just named because of a love of gin (though, I do love gin!).

La Juniper has arisen from a love of gift giving, homes and craftsmanship (or craftwomanship), and the belief that it could be fun to spread this love a little further…

However, I want La Juniper to be more than just gift giving and home decor; I want it to be a company that gives a little more, and helps the world go round with a bit of positivity. This is why we are supporting designers and small businesses in the UK and ethical businesses from further afield. We are going to concentrate not just on the beauty of the products that we sell…but also the stories and the people behind them.

As well as supporting our producers and designers, we will be supporting charities, starting in January (We are very excited!)

Why the name?

I am not entirely sure, except for the fact that I like it. It is natural and Juniper is something that is useful, beautiful and comes in various forms (like the products we sell). Juniper is a plant that grows across Europe and America. The smoke from burning Juniper wood has been
used across the world for purification throughout history. It has been used medicinally, with the earliest recorded medicinal use in 1500BC. It is still used today and can be found as an active ingredient in our healing Muscle Rub.

Juniper is also a key ingredient in gin. And, so as not to disappoint the people who visited this blog looking for gin… here are some of our favourite gin related cocktails…

                                 When life gives you limes instead of lemons… it is time to make a Gimlet!

Start with a good gin…We like Sipsmith!

Pour 60mls of the gin into a tumbler of ice cubes. Add a tablespoon of lime juice, and two teaspoons of sugar syrup. (A teaspoon of clear honey adds a bit of a twist if you don’t have any sugar syrup in the house). Gently stir and then pour into a Martini glass…add a garnish of lime, and enjoy.

Alternatively (we first had this in Zanzibar)…The Gin Dawa!

Traditionally from Kenya and made using vodka instead of gin, the name Dawa derives from the Swahili word for ‘medicine’ (….honey is meant to be good for you).

Pour 60ml of gin into a glass (We use Sipsmith, but there are other lovely gins available). Add one table spoon of honey, one tea spoon brown sugar, a big squeeze of lime (we like a lot). Stir this all really well, and then add crushed ice. Finally add a lime wheel garnish (if you are feeling fancy).

                                                                                                (Please drink responsibly)

As well as loving gifts and home decor; I love travel, food, fashion, music, books… the list goes on. And we will be including a mix of all of these in our blog and across our online home. We will be releasing various competitions and discounts too!

And finally, the cat (who many of our social media followers will recognise) is Bert. He is our mascot. We also have his sister, but whereas he LOVES the camera, she hates it.

Thank you for following La Juniper, we are really glad you are coming along with us for the journey!

La Juniper Team x