Latest news with #craftgin
The Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
The best gins for G&Ts, martinis and negronis, from our taste test of 50
Gin and tonic has been a mainstay of British drinking culture since the 17th century, when its initial medicinal use soon turned recreational. It has seen several notable explosions in popularity over the years. The effects of the 18th-century 'gin craze' were famously immortalised in Hogarth's satirical artwork Gin Lane – though some might say worse crimes have been committed in the name of gin more recently. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. A centuries-old ban on small-scale distilling was finally lifted in the UK in 2009, fuelling a huge boom in 'craft gin' and record sales between 2015 and 2019. It also led to an incredible variety of bottles, flavours and colours, which were sometimes more weird than wonderful: Vegemite or Jaffa Cake gin, anyone? So, what is gin? Unlike scotch whisky, there are few legal requirements for a spirit to be sold as gin. Essentially, it needs to be made from a neutral spirit (usually derived from grain); it must have a predominant juniper flavour and must be bottled at 37.5% ABV minimum. These loose criteria give distillers plenty of room to play around with ingredients, infusions and distillation methods – creating a huge range of gin styles. And there are myriad ways to enjoy them: whether your go-to is the classic G&T, a martini, negroni or another cocktail, gin's versatility means it's no surprise it has endured. As a long-term member of the mother's ruin fanclub – and having written about drinks for almost a decade – I have collected and tried hundreds of different gins. For this test, I revisited my home-bar favourites as well as trying many new-to-me gins to bring you this selection of delicious and interesting gins for your drinking delectation. I considered 50 gins from 40 brands, testing each one for aroma, before sipping it straight and drinking it in a gin and tonic with ice and lemon. If the brand suggested a specific serve, I tried that too. Making my way through a refreshing gin flight in my garden (during a heatwave), I was once again struck by gratitude that this is classed as actual work – but work it is, and I hope my thorough testing results in more gin enjoyment all round. These gins are mostly British, which wasn't intentional; there are fantastic Scandinavian, Japanese and Italian gins, and both Papa Salt and Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz from Australia almost made the list. Ultimately, though, classic British ingredients and techniques still hold their own. So ice at the ready: here are the 10 best gins to enjoy a summer of beautifully botanical serves. Bullards Coastal gin, 70cl £45 at Jarrolds From Norwich comes this clean, citrussy gin filled with the saline seaside flavours of the Norfolk coast. Infused with hand-foraged sea purslane, marsh samphire and Douglas fir, this is a bracing, salty joy to drink in a gin and tonic. Bullards suggests serving with blackberries and a twist of fresh lime, but a sprig of samphire is even better, in my opinion. This gin edged ahead thanks to its innovative eco-pouch format: buy a bottle for life and top up with more affordable pouches of gin, made from sugarcane, to reduce its carbon footprint – why don't more brands do this? The brand's Strawberry & Black Pepper gin is also wonderful with only a touch of sweetness, a sensible 40% ABV and a hefty thwack of warming black pepper. That Boutique-y Gin Company Proper Pink gin, 50cl £26.95 at Master of Malt£35.89 at Amazon The definition of pink gin has become a little muddled in recent years. Traditionally, it refers to a navy-strength gin with added Angostura bitters (which gives the pink hue), but it's evolved to include any pink-coloured gin – whether that's due to colouring, berry or rhubarb flavours, or spangly mermaids. Not in my book – or That Boutique-y Gin Company's. Its Proper Pink gin is a throwback to the 18th century: a 46% concoction of gin, lemon and vacuum-distilled Angostura, finished with even more Angostura. This is sophisticated stuff, best enjoyed in a martini with a twist. Hernö Old Tom gin, 50cl £34.50 at Master of Malt£35.99 at Drink Supermarket Sweden's award-winning gin distillery Hernö was named gin producer of the year in 2024 at the prestigious International Spirits Challenge. Hernö's Juniper Cask gin (the first gin to be matured in juniper wood) and Six Rivers gin (with an aroma of verdant Icelandic moss) are both standout – but the brand's Old Tom gin is a shining example of this category. Old Tom gins are named after the black cat symbol that signalled an 18th-century illegal distillery, and are sweeter than London dry, with sugar traditionally added to offset the harsher base spirit used in bootleg gin. The style proved popular, and Hernö's naturally sweet botanicals – including vanilla, honey, lingonberries and generous amounts of almondy meadowsweet – give it a fresh update. It's sweet and smooth enough for sipping, or perfectly at home in a Tom Collins. Renais Grand Cru Cask-Aged gin, 70cl £75 at the Spirit Co Actor Emma Watson's family have been winemaking in Burgundy for more than 30 years, and Renais – a grape-based gin – is the creation of Emma and her brother, intended to show off the estate's viticultural heritage. Pressed grape skins from winemaking are repurposed to create the Renais base spirit and limit waste (Renais is carbon-neutral and B Corp-certified), before infusing with botanicals showcasing the terroir: linden flowers, grains of paradise (aromatic citrussy, peppery seeds) and acacia honey mingle with juniper. This Grand Cru Cask-Aged gin is then rested for a year in French oak Chablis casks, giving it a divinely silky finish and layer upon layer of vanilla-spiced complexity. It felt sacrilegious to mix this into supermarket tonic, so I'd suggest trying the Renais Old Fashioned. Only 720 bottles were produced for the UK market, so be quick. Gordon's London Dry gin, 1l £25.50 at Waitrose Cellar£20.50 at Amazon When you want a classic gin and tonic with no surprises or messing around, it's hard to beat the refreshing taste of Gordon's and tonic. It's deservedly the category leader in gin, and the one many top bartenders reach for when mixing a G&T (they also invariably recommend Schweppes tonic – and never slimline). Made since 1769, its juniper-forward recipe is crisp, citrussy and the quintessential example of a London dry gin, winning it a swathe of spirit industry medals and a Great Taste award too. Sign up to The Filter Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. after newsletter promotion Edinburgh Gin Seaside, 70cl £35 at John Lewis£30.95 at Master of Malt I'm a sucker for a coastal gin – they have a more obvious sense of provenance than some others. This coastal dry gin from Edinburgh Gin (now the UK's seventh-biggest gin brand) is abundant with bladderwrack seaweed and Scottish marine plants, and well balanced with spiciness from coriander seed and cardamom. Subtle breezy seaside flavours emerge in a gin and tonic, but the natural saline tang of this gin makes an epic dirty martini. Honourable mentions to the entire Salcombe Gin range, Fishers Original Gin and Skagerrak Nordic Dry, who also deserve a place on your bar cart. Cotswold Dry Gin Essence, 100ml £17.50 at Master of Malt£18.50 at Cotswolds Distillery I love the standard higher-alcohol Cotswold Dry gin – a worthy Great Taste award winner with its natural woodiness, zingy grapefruit, lime and fresh floral flavours of Cotswold lavender – but I love the Cotswold Gin Essence version even more. Housed in a cute 100ml apothecary-style bottle with pipette, just five drops of this concentrated botanical essence in 200ml of tonic makes for a lighter but equally satisfying serve, with just 14 calories, 0.23 units of alcohol and all the natural flavour intact. If you like this approach, Hayman's Small gin is also delicious – and comes with an adorable thimble for measuring out your gin. Bathtub Gin Grapefruit & Rosemary, 70cl £34.95 at Master of Malt£34.45 at Amazon Flavoured gin has a well-deserved bad reputation. From bizarre juniper-jarring flavours to synthetic ingredients, there are plenty of bad examples to fall foul of. But not Bathtub's Grapefruit & Rosemary: here, the natural botanical components of Bathtub Gin – which already has a punchy herbaceous citrus profile – are amplified by the extra infusion, so the bold grapefruit is extra zesty and the rosemary greener and more woodsy. This gin is creamy, vibrant and perfect for a G&T, with a sprig of rosemary and a dried grapefruit slice. (Agnes Arber's Pineapple gin and Sipsmith's Chilli & Lime Gin were close runners-up in this category.) Still GIN, 70cl £31.25 at the Whisky Exchange£34.99 at Master of Malt You're allowed to be sceptical about Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre making a gin – but brilliantly, it's decent. Designed to be smooth enough to drink straight up (though surely they'd approve of some juice), this is a very gentle, harmonious gin, with a soft balance of orange citrus fruit, jasmine flower and angelica root, dialling down on the juniper. It's copper pot-stilled, which distils more slowly and evenly – accounting for the extra smoothness. I genuinely enjoyed sipping it straight with plenty of ice (go for bigger ice cubes to avoid dilution) and a garnish of orange peel. Hendrick's gin, 70cl £33 at Waitrose Cellar£25.98 at Amazon Is Hendrick's unusual? Not so much these days, now craft gins are doing all sorts of things – but it was one of the first to do things a bit differently. The brand still occupies this space, and it does it well. Hendrick's is made in an unusual way too: two base spirits are created in different stills – one rich, one delicate – before both are infused with classic gin botanicals, along with less classic ingredients such as chamomile, elderflower and cubeb berries (like allspice). The spirits are then blended and steeped in rose and cucumber, which provide the prominent top notes of the finished product. The original serve – with tonic and sliced cucumber – continues to hold up, and is still the most refreshing G&T for summer. Joanne Gould is a food, drink and lifestyle writer with a decade of experience. As well as enthusiastically eating her way through London's best bars and restaurants, she's also a keen home cook and can often be found trying a new recipe or kitchen gadget, while taste-testing anything from South African wines to speciality coffee or scotch. Luckily, she also enjoys walking, running and keeping fit and healthy in her spare time – for balance
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Annual drinks festival ceases trading days before Swindon event
The company behind a popular drinks festival suddenly ceased trading days before the event was due to come back to Swindon. For years, The Gin To My Tonic has been held at various venues around the town to celebrate craft gin and spirits. It usually featured hundreds of craft spirits, distiller meet-and-greets, live music, and food. The 2025 event was due to be held at the Town Gardens Bowl on Saturday, July 6 – but on June 30, the business' management team announced that it can no longer continue and that all upcoming events will be cancelled. The difficult economic circumstances of the last few years and recent government policies made it impossible for the team to keep it financially viable. Be the first to know with the Swindon Advertiser! 📱 💡 Our flash sale brings the latest local happenings directly to you. Save over 50% on an annual subscription now. 🔗 #SpecialOffer — Swindon Advertiser (@swindonadver) July 4, 2025 A spokesperson said: 'It's with deepest regret that The Gin To My Tonic is to close with immediate effect. 'Since our launch in 2017 we've worked tirelessly to bring you the very best events, completing seven nationwide tours. 'The Gin To My Tonic is more than just a business, it's a passion, a community full of honorary family and friends, and one we've poured our hearts and souls into creating… 'However, since March 2020 we've had to navigate challenge after challenge, and through some of the toughest times in modern business history. 'We know we are not alone in this, it's something that's effecting all businesses, but for us personally (with so many variable event costs) navigating COVID, Brexit, rapid inflation, cost of living and tax increases has gradually chipped away at what we've built to the point we no longer recognise it. 'The change in government, continued alcohol duty increases and tax rises, has been the final nail this year. 'We know that many of you will be affected by this news we are deeply sorry. 'Our aim has always been to celebrate craft distillers and create a fun experience for all, but it's come to the point that continuing to operate will only cause more damage than good. 'We've done everything - and we mean everything - to avoid this outcome and have now exhausted all avenues. 'Please know, we are beyond devastated by this, we are real everyday people who genuinely care, and we are so sorry to have to end things on this note. 'Your support has been invaluable and we wish we could have offered a different ending to our story. 'We kindly ask all customers to claim through their bank/card providers.'
Reuters
19-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Diageo India buys maker of 'Greater Than','Hapusa' gins
June 19 (Reuters) - India's United Spirits ( opens new tab said on Thursday it is buying the maker of popular craft gins 'Greater Than' and 'Hapusa' in a deal valued at 1.3 billion rupees ($15.2 million), including debt, in a bid to boost its premium portfolio. The Indian arm of spirits maker Diageo (DGE.L), opens new tab added that the company, NAO Spirits, has been part of the portfolio of its investment arm, Ventures. NAO was launched in 2017. Its brand 'Greater Than' was India's first craft gin, said United Spirits. The deal comes at a time when rising disposable income among the upper middle class and richer Indians has led to higher demand for more expensive liquor, in tandem with more openness towards casual drinking and experimental offerings. Local and authentic craft-oriented brands are well placed to cater to these trends, said United Spirits. Hapusa, for example, can be priced at more than 3,000 rupees and according to United Spirits, is one of the few craft gins in the world made with foraged Himalayan juniper and other botanicals. Demand for premium liquor helped boost United Spirits' standalone profit in the fourth quarter by 17% to 4.51 billion rupees ($52.72 million). Net sales value in the segment rose faster than overall sales growth.
South China Morning Post
28-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
The Japanese craft gin distillers fuelling spirit's ‘unstoppable' rise in Tokyo and beyond
Yudai Matsuzaki's idea to produce craft gin in Japan, a nation where whisky and shochu are the most popular spirits, came from a simple desire to make use of a forest where he played as a child. It did not hurt that Matsuzaki, owner of a distillery near Tokyo, also loves gin. Matsuzaki, 37, is one of a growing number of small-scale distillers in Japan using home-grown ingredients, some of which incorporate local specialities, to produce craft gins, fuelling a domestic gin boom. According to the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association, domestic shipments of the spirit were under 1.2 million litres (317,000 gallons) per year until 2019. They then began to increase gradually, topping 5.5 million litres in 2024. Togedama craft gin, made by Matsuzaki Co. in Kawagoe, Saitama prefecture. Photo: Instagram/theweekendph Gin is a distilled spirit made from grains such as barley. Once flavoured with juniper berries, producers can add other ingredients, enjoying more flexibility to experiment compared with other liquors.
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Forbes
The World's Largest Hotel Gin Collection? It's Not Where You Think
Ali Bullock at the Gin Library at Solar Branco Eco Estate in the Azores Adam Morganstern Lots of travelers bring home a bottle of local gin from their vacation, but one hotel in the Azores has people packing a bottle when they leave for their trip instead. 'The rules are if they bring one I already have — I get to keep it,' laughs Ali Bullock, proprietor of the Solar Branco Eco Estate on the island of São Miguel. 'But if it's a new one they get to swap it for one of my gins. It's amazing. We're getting incredible gins that you will never see anywhere else in the world all in one place.' With this organic approach, and a slew of international guests bringing small-batch craft gins from their hometowns, Bullock has recently announced the addition of his 2,000th bottle and claims the largest gin collection of any hotel in the world. 'We started with my own personal stash of 300 and now we have bottles from 72 countries and every continent except Antarctica,' says Bullock. 'We'll have someone visit from a small town in Tasmania and say 'You don't have my local gin' and I'll say 'Here it is.'' The Gin Library at Solar Branco Estate Rui Soares The collection is on display at the hotel's 'Gin Library,' a former farmer's cottage on the property, which was built in the 1800s. All guests are invited for a complimentary gin and tonic every evening, and there are gin flights and gin masterclasses available as well. And for those who want to taste through the rarities among the 2,000 bottles — the Library has a very democratic approach. 'It's €14 to have a drink with any of them.' says Bullock, 'All the same price.' But was there ever one he liked so much that he took it out of the library to keep all for himself? 'Yes, a Jettywave from California,' he admits. 'But then I brought it back because I thought everyone should enjoy it.' Unsurprisingly, Bullock met his wife (and co-proprietor of Solar Branco) Caroline Bullock over a gin and tonic. 'I was helping out at a friend's bar and saw her across the room and handed her a drink and said 'this is for you,'' laughs Bullock. The English couple married and both took jobs that moved them to Hong Kong. After 15 years there they were ready for a change and they decided to open a hotel on the Azores which they had visited on their honeymoon. Bullock had stringent requirements for the kind of place he wanted to run. 'I've been to a hundred countries. I've fallen in love on holidays, I've been dumped on holidays. I've fallen in love and been dumped on the same holiday. I've been mugged and I've been in the middle of a military coup. But the one thing I've always hated most is every single minibar. My minibar will be free!' Solar Branco Eco Estate Courtesy of Solar Branco Eco Estate Along with the complimentary minibar Solar Branco Eco Estate holds comfort and sustainability as equally important goals. There are eight luxury suites and cottages, four of which are located in the 'solar' (the original country mansion). The hotel uses solar power for up to 80% of its energy use, grows produce on site (and buys the majority of the rest from local farmers), has 50 cage-free chickens foraging on the property and bans single-use plastics. 'And we have the most comfortable beds in Portugal,' boasts Bullock. The hotel also supports the Ocean Azores Foundation, another of Bullock's projects, that has made the surrounding waters of the islands (an autonomous region of Portugal) a whale sanctuary. Bullock has also combined his love of the ocean and whales with his favorite spirit, and distills his own line of gins called 'Ghosts of the Ocean.' The lineup of ten gins includes 'Baleia' which is made with local seaweed in the base, 'Azorean Yuzu' made with Japanese citrus that is grown on the island, as well as a 'London Dry' and a 'Medusa Pink Gin.' But one of the closest to Bullock's heart is his 'September 10 1987 Limited Edition' — named for the day after the last whale was killed in the Azores and the ban on the practice went into effect. 'I didn't want to celebrate the last day one died, I wanted to celebrate the day they became protected.' Sushi dinner at Senhor Raposa's Secret Drinking Den Rui Soares The Gin Library is open to all visitors, not just hotel guests, and those wanting an even more special experience can arrange a sushi dinner at 'Senhor Raposa's Secret Drinking Den,' a speakeasy hidden behind one of the gin-covered bookshelves. Chef Joana, a native of São Miguel, offers an omakase-style dinner featuring local fish paired with the extensive gin collection (vegetarian and vegan options are also available). 'Senhor Raposa was the gentleman who built this estate in the 1800s,' says Bullock. 'Legend has it he left the island at age 15 in search of an adventure and came back a very wealthy man. But when he returned it was decades later and no one knew who he was. So they nicknamed him 'Senhor Raposa' which means 'Mr. Fox.'' Along with the Jettywave from California, some of Bullock's favorite gins from the collection include Tarquin's Cornish Gin from the U.K., ClemonGold gin from South Africa, Hapusa Himalayan Dry Gin from India, 44°N Gin from France and Arapuru Gin from Brazil. The collection includes rarities from places most people have never had a gin from, including Bolivia, Botswana, Uganda, Bulgaria and Guatemala. 'That's the great thing about having guests from around the world coming together over drinks,' says Bullock. 'Everyone can put their political or cultural differences aside. The one thing that unites everyone is gin.' And though he's hit his marker for claiming the world's largest hotel gin collection, Bullock doesn't seem to want to rest on his laurels. 'I told my wife I'd stop at 1,000 — then I told her I'd stop at 1,500,' says Bullock. 'And now we're at 2,000, but there's got to be at least 15,000 more in the world. So will I stop at 4,000? I think as long as people bring us more gin, why would we stop? I'll just keep building more shelves.'
