Gin: A guide to the world’s greatest gins

Anno Kent Dry Gin

PRODUCER: Anno Distillers

ABV: 43%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Marden, Kent, England

WEBSITE: www.annodistillers.co.uk

BOTANICALS: Juniper, orris root, coriander, angelica, cassia bark, liquorice, cubebs, Kentish hops, Kentish lavender, Kentish rosehips, camomile, Kentish samphire, lemon, bitter orange, kaffir lime leaves

The co-founders of Anno Distillers are bringing a scientific approach to the making of a gin, but they have combined the classroom ethos with a friendship and trust borne of years working together, and combined it with a joint passion for great-tasting spirits.

Research and development chemists Andy Reason and Norman Lewis took early retirement from GlaxoSmithKline in 2011 and set about creating premium gin. With the help of Andy’s daughter Kim, who handles the marketing side of the business, they have created a gin that stays close to a traditional gin model but gives it a Kent twist with a range of locally produced botanicals. The gin is produced

Aviation American Gin

PRODUCER: Davos Brands

ABV: 42%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Portland, USA

WEBSITE: www.aviationgin.com

BOTANICALS: Juniper berries, Eletaria cardamomum, lavender, sarsaparilla, coriander, anise seed, dried sweet orange peel

Aviation Gin is the result of a special partnership between Portland’s House Spirits Distillery and bartender Ryan Magarian, who shared a vision of creating a renegade regional gin brand. The aim was to move away from an overdependence on juniper and to push forward the rich floral and savoury notes of the spices and flowers common in the Pacific Northwest. This, the team argued, would create a decidedly American style of gin. The name Aviation is inspired by a cocktail created at New York’s Hotel Wallick, containing gin, maraschino liqueur, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. It gave Ryan Magarian the inspiration to create exciting cocktails with gin.

Barr Hill Gin

PRODUCER: Caledonia Spirits

ABV: 42%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Vermont, USA

WEBSITE: www.caledoniaspirits.com

BOTANICALS: Juniper berries, honey

There’s a bee in the logo of Caledonia Spirits, producer of Barr Hill Gin and its sister, Tom Cat, which is aged in new oak barrels. And honey is key to the spirits, produced in Caledonia County, Vermont. This gin uses raw honey provided by the region’s bees, and the name refers to the inspiration behind this gin, the view from the top of Barr Hill Nature Reserve. The inspiration for the distillery comes from Todd Hardie, who first bought a beehive aged twelve, and who ran Honey Gardens Apiaries for thirty years, before teaming up with local home-brew store owner Ryan Christiansen, who is now head distiller at Caledonia. The company has been making gin and vodka since 2009 and has struggled to keep up with exceptional demand.

Beefeater 24

PRODUCER: Pernod Ricard

ABV: 45%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: London, England

WEBSITE: www.beefeatergin.com

BOTANICALS: Juniper berries, Japanese sencha tea, Chinese green tea, grapefruit peel, lemon peel, almonds, Seville orange peel, coriander seed, orris root, liquorice root, angelica root, angelica seed

Beefeater is, of course, one of the great gin brands, but this brings an Eastern twist to the basic recipe, and includes both Japanese and Chinese tea in the ingredients. The idea came about when master distiller Desmond Payne was travelling in Japan and decided to mix some Beefeater with green tea. You’d have to ask him why, but the resulting drink – giving a whole new meaning to the name G & T – inspired him to spend the next eighteen months experimenting with different teas and botanicals before settling on this. Beefeater 24 is described as a smooth and citrus-flavoured gin ideal for making modern cocktails.

Berkeley Square

PRODUCER: Greenall’s

ABV: 40%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Warrington, England

WEBSITE: www.berkeleysquaregin.com

BOTANICALS: Juniper, angelica, coriander seeds, cubeb berries, lavender, sage, basil, kaffir lime leaves

Greenall’s is traditionally a highly respected brewer from the northwest of England, but the company took over the fine distillery in Warrington some years back. It now produces its own range of gins including this one, as well as distilling for others. This gin associates itself with the style and glamour of London’s Mayfair and lays claim to being based on 700 years of tradition. It also draws a parallel between the finely crafted product here and the finest single malts. This is a delicate gin, made using pure water from a source that runs from the Welsh borders to the edge of the Pennines. The lavender, sage, and basil are grown locally, and their aromas are extracted through steeping and then gentle distillation.

Black Shuck

PRODUCER: Norfolk Sloe Company

ABV: 43%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Norfolk, England

WEBSITE: thenorfolksloecompany.com

BOTANICALS: Juniper berries, coriander, bitter orange peel with Norfolk lavender and Norfolk sea buckthorn.

You may recognize the name of this gin from the song by Suffolk hard rock band The Darkness. It refers to a legendary black dog with flaming red eyes that is said to have roamed the land and coast of Suffolk and Norfolk for centuries. Some believe that the dog’s legend stems from Norse mythology, others to a boating accident that claimed the lives of a Saxon and a Danish fisherman. This gin, says the distillery, is the antidote if the Black Shuck is sighted and brings you misfortune. The gin is made with local Norfolk botanicals, and is stylish and impressive, having a distinctive, aromatic taste with some irresistible floral notes.

Blackwater No.5 Gin

PRODUCER: Blackwater

ABV: 41.5%

REGION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Waterford, Ireland

WEBSITE: www.blackwaterdistillery.ie

BOTANICALS: Juniper, bitter orange, lemon, lemongrass, coriander, liquorice root, angelica root, cinnamon, quills, myrtle pepper, bitter almond, green cardamom, orris root

Ireland’s first craft gin distillery sits on the banks of the Blackwater River in west Waterford, a county once known for being the largest importer of spice in the country. Today the distillery wishes to keep the essence of Waterford’s colourful history while maintaining the quality and skill to perfect the best gin they can. The man behind this distillery is spirits writer and television producer Peter Mulryan. He’s a no-nonsense sort of guy who doesn’t like gimmicks, so the distillery is deliberately old-school, and everything is done by hand. Pushing and pulling the many levers, taps, handles, and dials takes the distillers longer but they believe that this way they can truly capture their unique style in a bottle.

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