Over the last several years, Gin seems to have had something of a resurgence. From being, “Mothers Ruin” it’s back to being hip and trendy. Consequently, there has been a proliferation of new boutique distilleries. Many of these are very good and many of the best ones, in my humble opinion, are in Scotland.

We in the Wannabe household see this as a good thing. We like gin. I never used to be that fond of it when the choice seemed to be Gordon’s or Gordon’s. But now we are very much spoiled for choice, we have a growing collection of interesting and delicious gins gracing chez Wannabe.

Today, I want to share some of our favorites with you. 10 or so gins that I recommend every home should have.

But first a bit of a potted history of the beverage known as Gin.

The History of Gin

Gin gets its name from the Dutch word for Juniper, which is Genever. It was pretty big in the Middle Ages, particularly; surprise surprise, with the Dutch. It was big business and there used to be hundreds of distilleries in Amsterdam alone.

Originally, it was used as a medicine. I can understand that. Take enough and it certainly deadens pain. At least until the next morning. The English got wind of it during the 30 years war when English soldiers would drink it in large quantities before a battle. Ever wonder where the expression Dutch Courage came from? Ahhha, you see. Educational or what.

I always thought Gin was a particularly British thing, or at least an English thing. And having got a taste for it, it was soon well established accross the Channel, particularly in London. By 1720, Gin was so popular in London that era in the city’s history was known as ‘The Gin Craze’. Just about every household that could, was making it’s own gin. Parliament was forced to pass 5 major legislative acts to try to tame the populations excessive and enthusiastic consumption.

As the British empire expanded, gin went with the colonials. Maleria was a big problem in many of the parts of the world where they stuck their flag. So quinine was prescribed as an anti-material. Gin was used to help mask the bitter and rather unpleasant taste of the quinine and so was born the G&T we know and love today. Tadaaahhh.

Ok, there is another few hundred years of history after that, but in a nutshell, that’s the important bits. And so onto the next part of the story. What actually is Gin?

What is Gin and How is it Made?

Gin is a clear distilled or redistilled liquor that gets the majority of its flavor from juniper berries and other botanicals.

Various methods for distilling gin exist, giving rise to different styles. Most people know London Dry. But there are around 5 recognized styles. Unless you are from N America, where they will tell you there are only 3. But what do they know. Generally speaking there is London Dry, Plymouth, Dutch, Old Tom and American.

Then there are a huge variety of botanicals employed to create different flavors and characteristics in these gins. Whatever is used, Juniper flavors have to be there . Otherwise it’s vodka more than gin.

And that’s enough of that. Now onto the interesting part. Tasting them.

The Gins

Purely in the interest of science and for your benefit, dear reader, we have selflessly sampled lots and lots of gins. It was a dirty job, but someone had to do it. And so, I would like to present our favorites. Our top 10 that should grace any household.

It is a bit subjective, but think of the fun you can have trying them out. And so, in no particular order.

Gordon’s London Dry Gin

Still one of Wifeys favorites. She enjoys it with good old fashioned Schweppes Tonic and a slice of lemon. How classic can you get. Personally I prefer it with a slice of lime. Refreshing and with citrusy notes, it’s still one of the most popular gins around. Originally an English gin, it’s now distilled in Scotland, but is truly international.

Hendricks Gin

Now your talking. This one is my favorite. Distilled in Grangeston, South Ayrshire, Hendricks comes in a distinctive black bottle and has interesting cucumber and Rose notes. I like it with either Regular or Mediterranean Fever-Tree Tonic, garnished with a slice of cucumber. It really is a very pleasant drink.

Bombay Sapphire Gin

Don’t laugh, but it was one of the biggest disappointments of my life when I discovered Bombay gin wasn’t actually blue. I think it’s an oversight and they should color it. However, it’s still a very pleasant drink. It’s quite a light, floral gin and goes well with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic. Garnish with a piece of orange peel, or if you are feeling really out there try burning the orange peel a little, for a super rich taste.

Harris Gin

A truly Scottish Gin, Harris comes in a wonderful bottle from the Isle of Harris. This is another very pleasant gin. As well as a bunch of the usual suspect botanicals, it is infused with Sugar Kelp. It has a citrusy finish and I have convinced myself there is a salty sea like tang to it which is rather pleasant, if different. Wifey thinks I am just very suggestible. Drink with the tonic of your choice and garnished with a slice of pink grapefruit. Give it a go.

Gordon’s Pink Gin

It really is pink. I am not keen, but Wifey likes it. Quite sweet and with a berry finish, it’s actually quite nice with Prosecco as opposed to tonic, so long as you don’t have an early start next day. If you want to stick to tonic, try Fever Tree Aromatic and garnish with strawberries. A summer afternoon drink and worth a try.

Brockmans Gin

This is a serious contender for favorite gin. Distilled in Englandshire, you shouldn’t hold that against it. A wonderfully balanced gin, it goes well with regular Fever Tree Tonic. Wifey likes it garnished with blue berries. Brockmans recommend 2 blueberries with a piece of grapefruit peel. Whatever, I like it unadulterated. A very nice gin.

Caorunn Gin

Presented in a distinctive bottle, Caorunn is Distilled in Speyside. In fact it’s distiled in the heart of the Cairngorm’s at the Balmenach distillery. It’s a very ‘clean’ Gin with a hint of spice. We like it with regular Fever Tree Tonic. Garnished with sliced red apple.

Edinburgh Gin

The name kind of gives it away. Distilled in Edinburgh, they also produce a lot of flavored gins. We prefer the regular, classic London Dry gin. Another ‘clean’ smooth gin, it’s got a lot of citrus notes. Garnish with an orange twist with your favorite tonic to enjoy.

elGin

Our local gin distilled down the road in Elgin. elGin from Elgin. See what they did there. Like the Edinburgh Gin co, they do a lot of very nice flavored gins. But we like their regular gin. Which isn’t that regular thinking about it. They use Scottish oats as well as local fruits in the distillation process making a fruity almost creamy gin. Try it with Regular Fever Tree, garnished with raspberry and Apple.

Rock Rose Gin

Last but very definitely not least. Rock Rose. Distilled in Caithness at the only gin distillery I have actually visited. Rock Rose is very, very good. They do a whole range of gins, one for each season, plus a regular variety and a Navy Strength variant. We like them all. At one, memorable Christmas gathering, some of the younger ladies got through nearly all of the seasons. I was impressed. Considering the regular Rock Rose, wifey recommends Fever Tree Tonic with a sprig of Rosemary and a slice of orange peel. This one you have to try.

A Word About Tonics

Once upon a time, there was Schweppes. The ubiquitous yellow can ruled the world. Then came along Fever Tree. Not only a choice, but a very good choice. In different flavors no less.

Nowadays, there are nearly as many choices of tonics as there are gins. The tonic, together with the garnish can have a huge impact on the quality of the finished drink. We have tried a few different tonics. Schweppes is still a default for wifey, although I still prefer regular Fever Tree. But here are a few others we have tried and which we found quite good.

The Tonics

Fever Tree.

Available in Regular, Mediterranean, Aromatic, Lemon and Eldeflower flavors. Not overly keen on the Aromatic and find the lemon a bit overpowering. The others are all keepers and go with the majority of gins.

Schweppes

What can I say. A bit boring in my opinion. Or possibly a timeless classic. Available everywhere and goes with everything.

Walter Gregor

A Scottish Tonic from the NE of Scotland. It comes in a variety of flavors. We tried the regular tonic. It was quite good. Different to Fever Tree, but pleasant. I would happily have it again, but not that easy to find at the moment.

1724 Tonic

Not so much a tonic as a travelogue. Made with ingredients sourced from the Andes on the Inca trail. It has a very distinctive taste. It’s quite expensive and a bit marmite. I think you’ll either love it or hate it.

Fentimans Tonic

Claims to be the worlds first botanically brewed tonic. The regular is ok, the Connoisseur’s tonic is better. Personally I prefer Fever Tree, but this is a good alternative.

And there you have it. Who’d have thought a simple gin and tonic could be that complicated. So many gin/tonic/garnish combinations to choose from. If you are really interested, there’s a good selection of gin books out there now. Or more simply, try downloading the Fever Tree Pairing wheel by clicking. Here

I suggest, once you finish this, go grab a bottle, pick up some tonic, get a variety of garnishes and go wild. That’s what I am going to do.

Cheers.