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
Renais is a luxury gin brand in the UK that’s so fancy they released a limited edition bottle featuring artwork from Emma Watson. On a recent trip to London the brand was kind enough to send me a sample of the gin — in the boring old normal person bottle, mind you — which I…
The importance of terroir to wine is well known. The distillers at Procera bring the same concept to gin by carefully sourcing the fresh, African juniper berries they use. For the 2023 release of their apparently annual Green Dot Gin, Procera has taken this approach one rather giant step further, sourcing all the juniper berries,…
Old Tom gin was popular in the eighteenth century and appears to be making something of a comeback today. That stated, there is no clear definition of what Old Tom gin actually is. It typically describes a gin that has added sugar or sweeteners and can spend time aging in wood. For their version, Freeland…
Forever there has been only one expression of The Botanist gin. The bottle has changed, but the recipe hasn’t, and the line extensions that other brands have undertaken haven’t ever come to the Islay operation (which is part of the Bruichladdich family). Hell, Botanist doesn’t even have a navy strength version. That changes today, as…
Holistic Spirits soft-sells its celebrity backing, which boasts wellness entrepreneur Amy Holmwood and actor Woody Harrelson as its faces behind the stills. The company is (thank God) not making whiskey or tequila but rather flavored white spirits, including vodka and gin. The launch products include one of each — though if you didn’t read the…
Aurora Spirit Distillery in Norway sits above the Arctic Circle and lays claim to being the northermost distillery in the world. The company makes a range of spirits including whiskey, gin, and vodka, but when you’re this close to Santa, what you want to drink is aquavit, the iconic tipple of Scandinavia. Bivrost Cask Aquavit…
First, I love that a company in the 2020s named itself “Liquor Co.” Forget “Distilling” or “Spirits,” Sausalito Liquor Co. is kicking it old school. The California operation launched last year with three spirits, a gin, a bourbon, and a rye. Designed with northern California’s distinct flora in mind, “these spirits are meant to be…
You’ll need to travel across the pond to find this special edition Tanqueray, called Tanqueray Blackcurrant Royale Distilled Gin, as it’s not sold in the U.S. The recipe is simple: Take the classic four ingredients of Tanqueray — juniper, coriander, angelica, and licorice — and add in French blackcurrants and vanilla. Boom: You’ve got yourself…
Hendrick’s Gin and its Cabinet of Curiosities line of special editions continues with this fifth release, Grand Cabaret, the first wandering of master distiller Lesley Gracie into the world of stone fruits as botanical ingredients. Lesley Gracie has long been tantalized by the notion of experimenting with unusual combinations of botanicals, though as the fifth…
Astoria, Oregon’s Pilot House Distilling makes a huge range of spirits, but we’ve never reviewed any of them until now, with a look at Painted Lady Gin, a New American style gin that’s crafted with botanicals that include juniper, lavender, rose hips, chamomile, orris root, coriander, lemon zest, peppercorns, and cucumber. That botanical bill may…