Choosing the best gin is a very personal decision to make, as everyone has their own personal preferences. Good gin brings out the aroma and flavour of the botanicals added during the redistillation process, so you should be able to notice the difference in the quality of the ingredients used. All gins have some level of juniper, which is where the pine taste comes from, but gin distillers are mostly free to choose their botanicals as they wish.
With so many different brands and styles of gin to choose from, we understand it can be daunting making that choice. To help you during your decision-making process of deciding the perfect gin, we have put together a list of some of the classic gins which may excite you.
Types of gin
By definition, gin is distilled (or redistilled) with botanicals, most noticeably juniper, to create a unique flavour. Being the base spirit for many modern cocktails, gin has a lot of different flavour variants, so there really is something for everyone when it comes to this iconic spirit.
London Dry Gin
Being the highest-quality gin you can produce, this gin is a traditionally dry flavour which has been distilled to a completely neutral spirit of 96% ABV. Many of the world’s top-selling gin brands, including Beefeater, Bombay, Tanqueray, are London Drys, often being noted for their flowery and aromatic characteristics as the botanicals are added during their second or third distillation.
Old Tom
This gin is a sweeter version of London Dry gin, being much lighter too. This style is gin was very popular in the late 1800s and is still just as popular to this day - but is mostly used in cocktails. This variant of gin is used primarily in the Tom Collins cocktail, the go-to spirit for classic mixology. Although Old Tom gins are flavoured with juniper like their London Dry counterparts, they are typically less juniper-heavy. If you do not like the botanical sharpness of other gins, the Old Tom style may be the choice for you.
New Western Dry
In the early-to-mid 2000’s, new flavours and variants of gin started to hit the market - including brands like Hendrick’s and Martin Miller’s. They started to embrace unusual and exotic botanical blends, being quite adventurous and different from the classic traditional gins already available to purchase.
The main difference with New Western Dry gin is the fact that the juniper flavour, which is normally centre stage, is instead much more of a muted flavour and is instead taken over by other noticeable botanicals. Many of these gins are produced with modern cocktails in mind - appealing to consumers who are not fond of the heavy pine flavour in their gins.
Summary
The gins we have mentioned are only three of many different types of gin out there, and there really is many to try. Choosing your gin is completely down to your personal preference, as the variety of flavours means the market is able to satisfy the demands of a more sophisticated and diverse clientele. Just always remember, a more expensive bottle does not mean a better gin - the price is truly dependant on the production volume, rather than the quality.
Here at Vemacity, we count ourselves a team of passionate gin enthusiasts who have designed specialist gin glasses to enhance the flavour and elevate the experience of drinking gin at home. Each of our gin glasses sets comes presented in a stylish gift box, with glasses and accessories which are truly stunning.
If you would like to learn about our gin glasses in more detail, our dedicated FAQ page will most likely ensure your queries find answers.