Gin
Gin is thought to be a British adaptation of the Dutch spirit genever, though the origins of both gin and genever are subject to debate. Gin is, in essence, a flavored vodka as it is in fact a neutral spirit with certain flavorings added to it, though gin distillers won’t thank you for saying that. The key, characteristic flavor of gin must be of juniper, and historically juniper has been an overwhelming component of the spirit. In recent years, distillers have moved to tempering the impact of juniper and pumping up other flavors in the bottle, sometimes resulting in a spirit that’s closer to a flavored vodka. In the European Union and some other places gin must be at least 75 proof, while in the U.S. it must be at least 80 proof. “Navy Strength” gins are often bottled at 114 proof. Today, numerous sub-styles of gin have emerged out of the classic London Dry, including a resurgence of the archaic Old Tom gin style, Plymouth gin (which is also a famous brand), and New Western (or New American) gin, which tends to push the flavor boundaries of the spirit. Aside from Plymouth gin, which must be produced in a specific town in England, these gins have no formal, legal definitions or requirements.
Top Gin Posts:
The Botanist Gin
Tanqueray No. Ten Gin
Recipes for National Gin and Tonic Day
Earlier this year we brought you coverage of California Fernet, a fun spin on the classic Italian style that mixes in both Californian and Swedish sensibilities. Now we’re back to the well with five more ...
This is round 3 (of 4 products in total) with Gin Lane 1751, as we turn our attention to the brand’s “royal strength” — in lieu of navy strength — offering. Pot-distilled and made in ...
Coit Spirits traces a path from Australia vineyards to Sonoma, California, courtesy of winemaker Gerry Rowland, who has of late turned his eyes to the hard stuff. (That’s San Francisco’s Coit Tower on the bottle.) ...
Originally launched in 2015, Hepple Gin is the result of a “pursuit of a gin to make the perfect dry martini,” culminating in a “complete rethinking” of how gin is made. The British gin is ...
Crater Lake Spirits (formerly known as Bendistillery), based in Bend, Oregon, produces at least a dozen spirits — a few of which we’ve reviewed in earlier incarnations. One of its most visible products is this ...
Tenth Ward Distilling can be found in downtown Frederick, Maryland, where it produces a dazzling array of craft spirits, ranging from honeyjack (distilled mead) to Maryland’s only absinthe. Today we look at a pair of ...
Gray Whale Gin is a Sonoma, California-made spirit designed to celebrate the California gray whale. Per the producer, Golden State Distillery, “the spirit takes the drinker on a gustatory journey up the Pacific coastline along ...
Krater Noster Dry Gin is made in Bavaria, Germany, and a small bottle of this gin — not available in the U.S. — was gifted to us by a friend of the site, visiting from ...
Virago Spirits is a very young craft distillery, opening just two years ago in the hip Scott’s Addition neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. The distillery was started by three brothers, Barry, Brad, and Bart Haneberg (seriously), ...
Kentucky’s Limestone Branch Distillery, best known for Yellowstone and Minor Case whiskeys, has added its first gin to its arsenal. Bowling & Burch Premium Gin “is named after Head Distiller Steve Beam’s two sides of ...
