You’ll see the hat first: Broker’s Gin has a fun little bit of surprise & delight: A bowler hat affixed to the lid of the bottle, a hat which will certainly someday end up on the head of my daughter’s Ken doll. It is too manly for Barbie.
But Broker’s is hardly a gimmick in search of a semi-drunk buyer looking for kitsch. It’s a solid and enjoyable gin — one of few which is really quite tolerable on its own, and at room temperature at that.
Distilled in England and bottled at a hearty 94 proof (an 80 proof version is also available), Broker’s doesn’t enumerate its botanicals but admits to a total of 10, imported from three continents.
Whatever they’ve done, it works. You get incredible flavors of lemon oil, clover, honey, cardamon, anise, and hints of licorice, with juniper bringing up the rear. The balance is amazing: No overwhelming evergreen to punch you in the face, just lots of citrus intercut with herbs and spices galore. Pleasantly both sweet and tart, you’ll find zero bite: Broker’s leaves you instead with a lengthy and warming finish. It’s almost impossible to believe this is 94 proof.
At under $20 a bottle it’s one of the best bargains in gin going. And, in case I failed to mention it: They throw in a free bowler hat! Buy now!
A / $19 / brokersgin.com
