Yahoo Lifestyle The 11 Best Gins to Drink Right Now, From Roku to Monkey 47
Long gone are the days when gin just meant a bracingly dry, predictable, juniper-forward clear spirit that was only used in Martinis and Gin and Tonics. Nowadays you can find gin made in practically every state in the U.S. and every corner of the world, each expression representing the flavor and character of a particular region through the use of local botanicals (with juniper still playing an important role in the mix, of course). For this list, we turned our focus to new-school gins that stand out from the pack. The old guard brands that are made in the London dry style—Beefeater, Gordon’s, Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire—are all great, but here you’ll find 11 examples of gins that stand out for their flavor and botanical mixture. All of these are great for using in a cocktail, but also worthy of sipping on their own, so give them a try and see what you think for yourself.
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Best Overall Gin: Sipsmith
There are many British gin brands that have long histories spanning centuries. Sipsmith is not one of them. This distillery was founded in 2007 with a focus on making London dry gin, and it succeeded in releasing its first expression just two years later. The gin is a modern example of the style, with a juniper-forward palate balanced with notes of citrus and spice. This is the perfect spirit to use in any classic or modern cocktail.
Best Irish Gin: Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin
Ireland is best known for its whiskey, but the country also makes some truly fantastic gin. One of the most interesting is Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin, made from an array of botanicals including local meadowflower, Morrocan orris root, and gunpowder tea from China. This gives it a really unique flavor profile of spice and, yes, tea, that separate this from the pack.
Best Botanical Mixture: Monkey 47
It’s right there in the name—this German gin made at a distillery in the Black Forest uses a total of 47 botanicals in its recipe to create its distinctive flavor profile. That might seem like overkill, but it works here. This is a pricy gin, but worth the cost. And check out the annual Distiller’s Cut release which adds a 48th ingredient, the most recent of which was maple syrup.
Best Gin for a Martini: Fords Gin
Fords was really designed to be used in cocktails. This gin was created by expert and namesake Simon Ford and master distiller Charles Maxwell, who came up with a recipe of nine botanicals, including juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, grapefruit peels, and jasmine flower. This is an excellent new-school gin to use in a Martini how ever you like it, with a twist or some olives.
Best Barrel-Aged: Freeland Old Tom Style Gin
Freeland Spirits is a women-owned distillery in Portland, Oregon that makes a variety of spirits, including several different gin expressions. The latest is a barrel-aged gin, which takes the core Dry Gin and matures it in used Uncle Nearest barrels for six months. This is a limited release worth seeking out, with notes of caramel, vanilla, and oak complementing the juniper and spice botanical mixture.
Best Japanese Gin: Roku
Fans of Japanese whisky are familiar with Suntory for the single malts that are made at the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries. But a few years ago, the company launched a vodka and a gin here in the U.S. Roku Gin captures the essence of Japan by using six botanicals from that country: sakura flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea (green tea), gyokuro tea (refined green tea) and sanshō pepper. There are other Japanese gins to try, but start your journey here.
Best for Gin and Tonic: Waymar Gin House Signature Dry Gin
Memphis isn’t exactly a bastion of gin, but this new brand might put it on the botanical map. Waymar Gin House decribes its Signature Dry Gin as “jazzy and crisp.” Okay, but what that translates to is a great Gin and Tonic gin, with bright citrus, sharp spice, and piney juniper notes. A wheel of lime brings the cocktail to life when using this spirit, give it a try to see for yourself. And if you’re feeling more adventurous, you can try one of their four cask-finished bottlings.
Best New-School London Dry Gin: Silent Pool
This gin has been around in the U.K. for some time, but just arrived stateside. It’s made from a recipe of 24 botanicals (no Monkey 47, but still), including lavender, chamomile, elderflower, and linden. But the key ingredient is Aubrey honey, which provides a bit of sweetness to the palate. This is a refreshing take on the storied London dry category.
Best American: Vara High Desert Gin
The American gin scene is wide and varied, with many expressions acting as attempt to capture the specific flavors that define a region. For the Southwest, and New Mexico in particular, Vara High Desert Gin takes the prize, and is in fact one of the best new American gins overall. It’s made from a grape spirit base, and is said to be inspired by walks through the desert. That comes through with sage, pine, and citrus flavors.
Best Sipping Gin: Procera Green Dot 2023 Vintage
This African gin brand is made using fresh instead of dried juniper, but that’s not the only unique thing about it. This 2023 vintage release was made using juniper berries, foliage, and wood from a single tree, taking the “single estate” concept to new levels. This is a really delicate gin that is made for sipping, with complex notes of juniper, earth, and a hint of citrus that might be lost if used in a cocktail.
Best French Gin: Citadelle Gin
What does Citadelle Gin have in common with Cognac? Well, the owner of the brand, Alexandre Gabriel, is also the master blender for Maison Ferrand. A new distillery just opened in the Cognac region where this French gin is produced, using a 19 botanical recipe that is steeped in the wheat-based neutral spirit that is distilled in a Charentaise pot still. Citadelle is bright and aromatic, and works well in any gin cocktail you can think of.
Gin FAQs
What are different types of gin?
There are a few different categories within the greater world of gin. Despite its name, London dry gin does not have to be made in the UK. This refers to gin that is juniper-forward, and the botanicals used to flavor the gin during distillation—no color or flavor can be added afterwards. Plymouth Gin is a category that is made up only of the eponymous brand. Old Tom gin is often sweetened with some sugar and sometimes barrel-aged. And New Western gin pretty much refers to anything that doesn’t quite fit into the previous categories, and often gets very creative with its botanical mixture.
How should you drink gin?
The short answer is however you like it. There is no wrong or right way to enjoy gin. That being said, while it’s a good idea to at least taste a gin neat to really discover its character, this spirit is most often used in cocktails ranging from classics like the Martini, Gin and Tonic, and Aviation to modern creations.
How did we choose the gin on this list?
We considered different factors when picking these gins, with the emphasis being on taste. Because after all, despite a bottle’s availability or the hype surrounding it, that is the most important thing. Tasting gin involves a combination of sensations, including the nose, palate, mouthfeel and finish. And each category has different characteristics, so part of the process is to consider how an individual pick fits into its style overall. The bottles on this list represent the best gin brands based on all of these options, providing a good overview of selections you can easily purchase in person or online that are good examples of each individual category.
Why should you trust us?
Jonah Flicker has been writing about whiskey and other spirits for a decade, visiting distilleries around the world to meet the people behind the bottles and find out more about their stories. He is a judge for the John Barleycorn Awards and New York World Wine and Spirits Competition, and his work has appeared in many national other lifestyle outlets besides Robb Report, including Esquire, Food & Wine, Men’s Journal, CNN, USA Today and more.
