Best gins to try
Explore some of our tried-and-tested favourite gins, from iconic classics to indie newcomers, navy strength to unique flavours
Looking for the best gins to try? The craft gin scene has never been so vibrant, with a mind-boggling variety of gins to discover and more emerging every year, from classic juniper-led numbers to savoury, citrus and navy-strength gins.
Read on for some of our favourite gins, and if you're keen to discover more then check out our round ups of UK gins that showcase unique local and regional botanicals, flavoured gins and gins from around the world. You can also order drinks online and explore our favourite online bottle shops to stock up your home.
Best gins to try
Jensen’s London Distilled Bermondsey Dry Gin
- Available from Amazon (£41.15), olive shop (£30.79)
A rich, heady gin made in the classic London dry style, with subtle citrus and floral notes.
Flavour profile: juniper forward
Perfect pairing: Use in a dry martini.
Available from:
Amazon (£41.15)
olive shop (£30.79)
Holyrood Distillery Height of Arrows Gin, £31.95/70cl, The Whisky Exchange
Thought that a good gin needed lots of different botanicals? Think again. This striking, minimalist spirit uses just three: juniper, sea salt and beeswax, yet the results are excitingly complex, elegant and refined: clean, refreshing piney juniper, lemon peel and woody herbs, with an oily mouthfeel and hint of pepperiness.
Botanicals: Juniper, sea salt, beeswax
Flavour profile: juniper led
Perfect pairing: Sip neat over ice, or use in a martini with a lemon twist.
Audemus Spirits Umami Oak Finished Gin, £34.95/50cl, The Whisky Exchange
Named after the fifth taste – savouriness – this gin may be a Marmite affair for those with a sweeter tooth, but we loved it. With some out-there botanicals including Italian capers and Parmigiano Reggiano, it could easily have been over the top, but instead this is a moreishly savoury gin with a subtle briny twang and woody notes from ageing in ex-cognac barrels.
Flavour profile: savoury
Botanicals: Sicilian capers, juniper, Parmigiano-Reggiano, bergamot
Perfect pairing: this is smashing in a gibson martini with a pickled onion garnish.
Monkey 47, £38.95/50cl, 31 Dover
Using an impressive 47 botanicals (hence the name), this critically acclaimed gin is made in Germany’s Black Forest. Rich and seriously complex, this is a full-on number with robust herb and spice notes.
Flavour profile: spiced/herbaceous
Botanicals: cranberries, lingonberries, spruce shoots, bramble leaves, sage, verbena and chamomile, amongst others
Perfect pairing: tonic water and cranberries.
HYKE Gin Very Special, £32.95/70cl, Master of Malt
HYKE’s first (delicious) gin was made from surplus table grapes and they’ve continued the theme for their next release, using English wine grape pomace (crushed grape seeds, stems and skins leftover from winemaking) to make their base spirit. There's also a secret ingredient – a tiny drop of specially aged brandy in each bottle. This is a full-bodied and aromatic gin, heady with juniper and black pepper, and subtle floral notes.
More like this
Flavour profile: juniper-led
Botanicals: Juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, orris, liquorice root, black pepper, cubeb, ginger, dried lemon peel, sambrani, earl grey, lapsang souchong, red sandalwood, angelica seed, grapefruit peel, lemon peel, lavender, chamomile, timur pepper
Perfect pairing: A strip of lemon zest.
The Source Pure Cardrona Gin, New Zealand, £58.99/70cl, Specialist Cellars
This award-winning Kiwi gin hails from the Cardrona Valley in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, and features locally sourced rosehips as well as a host of more traditional botanicals. Despite being a hefty 47%ABV, this is a really fresh and elegant gin, with soaring piney notes, fragrant lemon peel and rich floral undertones.
Flavour profile: juniper-led
Botanicals: rosehip, juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, lemon and orange zest.
Perfect pairing: mix with apple juice.
Porter’s Tropical Old Tom Gin, £40.87/70cl, Amazon
With botanicals of passion fruit and guava this subtly sweet old tom gin is well proportioned, with juicy tropical notes balanced by an earthy, classic juniper base.
Flavour profile: fruity
Botanicals: juniper, passion fruit, guava, white tea, coriander, angelica, orange, lemon, orris, cassia, cinnamon, liquorice, almond
Perfect pairing: tonic water and fresh passion fruit.
Slingsby Gooseberry Gin, £36.95/70cl, Master of Malt
Slingsby’s rhubarb gin was a hit at olive HQ and now the Yorkshire distillery has released another tart and zesty winner. Here, tangily fruity gooseberries (also sourced in Yorkshire) marry perfectly with the citrussy notes of the base gin.
Flavour profile: citrus
Botanicals: severn sea rosemary, silver posie thyme, green and jasmine tea, citrus thyme, garden thyme, rhubarb, sage, lovage, chervil, nettle, sweet cicely, rose hip, angelica, cassia, orris root, coriander, liquorice, grapefruit and juniper
Perfect pairing: the gin’s creamy mouthfeel means it would be lovely sipped neat with ice, or try topping up with some sparkling white wine for a spring-like spritz.
Gin Mare, £39.50/70cl, Waitrose Cellar
With rosemary, thyme, olive and basil included in the botanical line up, this savoury, herbaceous Spanish number evokes Mediterranean summer like no other gin. Drink in a copa de balon glass with plenty of ice for ultimate holiday vibes.
Flavour profile: herbaceous
Botanicals: rosemary, thyme, olive, basil, orange, lemon, coriander, juniper and cardamom
Perfect pairing: Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic water, a sprig of rosemary and a slice of fresh orange.
Cambridge Distillery Japanese Gin, £65/70cl, Cambridge Distillery
One of the first gins to focus exclusively on Japanese botanicals (with each distilled individually and then blended together, as per the brand’s distinctive distillation process), this is an elegant, complex yet balanced gin, with cool, vegetal cucumber notes, citrus from yuzu, earthy spice and subtle pepperiness. Combine with a beautiful bottle and this would be a great gift for a gin connoisseur looking for something more unusual to try.
Flavour profile: citrus
Botanicals: juniper, sesame seeds, shiso leaf, cucumber, sansho and yuzu
Perfect pairing: tonic and a slice of green apple
Darnley’s Spiced Gin, £25.77/70cl, Amazon
One for those who can find some spiced gins a little overpowering, this Scottish number has a subtle, restrained spice that’s balanced by juniper, with a lingering, peppery finish.
Flavour profile: spiced
Botanicals: juniper, cloves, grains of paradise and ginger
Perfect pairing: drink with ginger ale.
Ki No Bi Kyoto Dry Gin, £42.90/70cl, Master of Malt
Meaning ‘the beauty of the seasons’, this Japanese creation is made using a rice spirit base distilled with regional botanicals including yuzu, hinoki wood chips (Japanese cyprus), sansho pepper and gyokuro green tea. A decidedly elegant gin, whose classic juniper notes match well with the unusual local ingredients.
Flavour profile: floral
Botanicals: yuzu, hinoki wood chips, orris, lemon, ginger, red shiso leaves, bamboo leaves, sansho pepper and gyokuro green tea
Perfect pairing: tonic water and yuzu peel, or as a ‘sonic’ with a mixture of soda and tonic.
Hendrick's Gin, £31/70cl, Waitrose Cellar
Clean, floral and refreshing, since launching in 2001 Hendrick’s Gin has been the success story that has set the template for modern gin brands to follow, spearheading a resurgence in the spirit. It can now be found in all bars across the globe, with glasses of Hendrick’s and tonic served with cucumber instead of lemon or lime. We’d recommend that if you don’t like gin or don’t know where to start, this is the place to do so as Hendrick’s is not a juniper-forward gin.
Flavour profile: floral
Botanicals: juniper, rose, cubeb berries, elderflower, chamomile, yarrow, coriander, angelica root, lemon & orange peel, orris root
Perfect pairing: tonic and a slice of cucumber, or a twist of lemon peel.
Tanqueray No.10, £32.95/70cl, The Whisky Exchange
Launched in 2000, Tanqueray No. 10 is an exceptionally smooth and fresh tasting gin, with a full-bodied grapefruit and citrus hit. There’s still plenty of juniper in the mix, as well as a lovely floral note on the nose, and a smooth citrus finish. One of the very best on the market.
Flavour profile: citrus
Botanicals: juniper, grapefruit, lime, orange, chamomile flower, coriander, angelica, liquorice root
Perfect pairing: tonic and a wedge of grapefruit or a bay leaf.
Star of Bombay, £36.95/70cl, The Whisky Exchange
Featuring two additional botanicals – Bergamot orange peel from Calabria in southern Italy and Ambrette seed from Ecuador – on top of the 10 botanicals that feature in its flagship gin Bombay Sapphire, Star of Bombay is slightly musty on the nose, with dried flowers and an underlying spice.
The classic notes of juniper, angelica and coriander have been intensified, but ambrette is immediately apparent. It's jammy to taste, with piquant spice, bergamot and ambrette seeds offering an exotic twist. At 47.5% ABV, the finish is both long and richly aromatic.
Flavour profile: spiced
Botanicals: juniper, grains of paradise, coriander seeds, cassia bark, orris root, liquorice, lemon peel, cubeb berries, angelica root, almonds, bergamot peel, ambrette seeds
Perfect pairing: tonic and a wedge of orange.
Portobello Road Gin, £26/70cl, Waitrose Cellar
With its booming juniper, classic coriander seed core and peppery nutmeg finish, this gin is the perfect choice for those who like a classic G&T with a wedge of lime. Great price and great design – it's a modern classic.
Flavour profile: citrus/spiced
Botanicals: juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root, lemon peel, orange peel, liquorice root, cassia bark, nutmeg
Perfect pairing: tonic and grapefruit peel and cracked black pepper.
Caorunn Gin, £26.99/70cl, Amazon
Distilled and bottled in Scotland, Caorunn firmly takes on the mantle of a national product. The distillery is situated in the heart of the Cairngorm National Park, at the foot of the Haughs of Cromdale. It's inspired by the landscape that surrounded them – Simon Buley (one of the distillers) wanted to use the ancient skills and recipes of spirit-making, using age-old Celtic botanicals that grow on the surrounding hills of Balmenach Distillery.
Drunk on its own, the gin is crisp, dry and well-balanced yet still full-bodied. The botanicals jump out in the palate with spices, citrus and floral notes all working well to compliment a dry juniper note that leaves you with a crisp, clean finish.
Flavour profile: floral
Botanicals: juniper, coriander, lemon peel, orange peel, angelica root, cassia bark, rowan berry, heather, dandelion, coul blush apple
Perfect pairing: tonic and thin wedge of red apple.
Hayman's Royal Dock Gin, £31.65/70cl, Master of Malt
Navy Strength Gins are at 57.5% ABV and as a result, Hayman’s Royal Dock has an aromatic nose with citrus and floral notes, namely orange blossom wafting out as soon as you begin to pour. The mouthfeel is smooth, but also carries an unrivalled botanical intensity of flavour thanks to the higher strength. It’s a classic of the genre and a must-have gin for lovers of this over proof style.
Flavour profile: juniper forward
Botanicals: juniper, citrus, coriander
Perfect pairing: tonic and a wedge of lime.
Rock Rose, £34/70cl, Amazon
Proving the British craft distilling movement has gone all the way to the northern tip of Scotland, Rock Rose harnesses its regionality in its gin – it's a bright spirit packed with fruity berries and a delicate astringency. Combined with a beautiful ceramic bottle, this gin is perfect for summer.
Flavour profile: floral
Botanicals: juniper, rose root, sea buckthorn, rowan berries, bilberries, cardamom, coriander seed, verbena
Perfect pairing: tonic and a sprig of rosemary.
Ophir Oriental Spiced Gin, £23/70cl, Amazon
A well-balanced gin, perfect for colder nights, with exotic, spicy botanicals that make it warming and easy to drink.
Flavour profile: spiced
Botanicals: juniper, cubeb peppers, cumin seeds, coriander, black pepper, orange peel
Perfect pairing: tonic and a slice of fresh ginger.
Silent Pool Gin, £37.75/70cl, 31 Dover
A clean juniper-driven spirit that uses an impressive 24 botanicals and fresh spring water from the Albury Estate, where the gin is made. The end result has gentle citrus and perfumed floral notes that make it the perfect summer tipple.
Flavour profile: floral
Botanicals: juniper, chamomile, lavender, citrus, honey
Perfect pairing: tonic and a twist of orange peel.
Victory Gin, £31.95/70cl, The Whisky Exchange
A peppery gin made with 10 botanicals, this cold-distilled gin is light and fresh with bright notes of orange and anise, warmth from cardamom and black pepper plus a subtle sweetness from liquorice and chestnut.
Flavour profile: spiced
Botanicals: juniper, coriander, liquorice root, angelica, orange, cassia bark, orris root, black pepper, cardamom, chestnut
Perfect pairing: tonic and a twist of orange peel.
Sipsmith London Dry Gin, £28.50/70cl, Waitrose Cellar
In 2009 the first new licence to distill in London since 1820 was granted to Sipsmith Independent Spirits and since then, a raft of new micro-distilleries have followed. This original recipe is bold, complex and aromatic with a floral nose followed by dry juniper and citrus on the palate.
Flavour profile: juniper forward
Botanicals: juniper, angelica root, coriander seed, cassia bark, orris root, ground almond, cinnamon bark, liquorice root, lemon peel, seville orange peel
Perfect pairing: tonic and a wedge of lime, or a few coriander seeds
Boatyard Double Gin, £33.95/70cl, Master of Malt
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but this smooth, juniper- led gin lives up to its classy label. It also has a hint of floral sweetness thanks to the wild sweet gale that’s foraged from Boatyard’s farm in Fermanagh.
Flavour profile: juniper led
Botanicals: juniper, sweet gale, grains of paradise, angelica, lemon, orris, liquorice root, coriander
Perfect pairing: tonic and a twist of orange peel and juniper berries.
LoneWolf London Dry Gin, £25/70cl, Waitrose
The first gin from beer legends BrewDog, made from their own malted barley spirit and using a BrewDog yeast to create the desired flavour combination. It’s a precise and thorough labour of love. To taste, there’s an initial whack of citrus, especially lemon peel, with underlying lavender tones. Next, a hint of lingering pine needles, a little coriander seed and lemongrass. But the overall impression is definitely a citrussy one.
Flavour profile: citrus
Botanicals: juniper, Scots pine, grapefruit peel, lemon peel, coriander seed, cardamom, angelica root, orris root, Thai lemongrass, pink peppercorn, kaffir lime leaf, mace, almond, lavender flower
Perfect pairing: tonic water and a sprig of lavender or, if you really want to ramp the citrus up, a slice of grapefruit.
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