The Ultimate Guide to Gin: From Classic Martinis to Global Innovations
The Ultimate Guide to Gin: From Classic Martinis to Global Innovations
Everyone is entitled to their taste and preference when it comes to spirits, but consider the difference between a vodka martini and a gin martini. The vodka martini is more of a blank slate, that’s best very cold. Nothing wrong with that. It gets the job done. A gin martini, however, is more a gustatory experience, a martini that is worth pondering over. Gin is by definition full of flavour—juniper is the conductor leading a symphony of botanicals which play together harmoniously and complementary. An ice cold, expertly proportioned gin martini can reach sublime heights. This is a classic, evocative, and deceptively simple cocktail that changes character based on which gin you choose to showcase, which is why it’s so damn good.
The Global Spirit: A World of Gin
Gin isn’t just from England and the U.S. Distilleries all over the world produce versions that try to capture the character of where they’re made. There are three main categories. Distilled gin is produced from a mash of grains in the same way that whiskey might be. Redistilled gin is a neutral grain spirit that has been distilled a second time. And compound gin is a neutral grain spirit that’s been infused with flavours (this is the least common style). While you can use nearly any botanical you can think of to flavour gin, juniper is the key ingredient. There are two ways to infuse the botanical flavours into gin—either by macerating them in the spirit, or suspending them in what is essentially a large tea bag above the spirit and infusing the gin with vapors.
Classic Gin Styles Explained
London Dry Gin
The old guard brands mostly distill London Dry-style gin in the UK, although it does not actually have a geographical indicator. The main rules of this designation are that juniper must be the dominant flavour (as it is for all gin) and botanicals must flavour the gin during distillation, with no flavour or color added afterwards. Brands like Beefeater and Tanqueray are classics for a reason, but the world of gin has expanded enormously over the past 20 years as new distilleries tinker with the formula.
Plymouth Gin
This type of gin comes from just one distillery: Black Friar’s, where Plymouth Gin is produced in the city of the same name. It’s a bit more citrus forward than London Dry, and is a wonderful alternative to use in classic cocktails.
Old Tom Gin
There are no set guidelines for this style of gin, but it is sometimes sweetened with a bit of sugar or other botanicals, licorice is occasionally added, and it can be barrel aged (which is another style of gin in and of itself). Current examples of Old Tom gin come from Barr Hill in Vermont, Ransom in Oregon, and Hibrimi in Iceland.
The New Wave of Gin
New Western Gin
This is really a catch-all term for newer gins that don’t fit into the previous categories. But the through line is that these gins, while still using juniper as a key ingredient, are flavoured with a wide range of botanicals, and often use ones that are grown locally to showcase the flavours of where they are made.
Gin is now definitely a global spirit, with excellent examples being made everywhere from the U.S. to Mexico to Southeast Asia, and even the UK has seen an infusion of new gin distilleries. The best thing about this is that each spirit is an attempt to capture some essence of its geography, often using locally sourced botanicals to flavour what otherwise would essentially be, well, vodka.
Best Gins to Try Now
The Old School Champions
Bombay Sapphire is a ubiquitous and easy-drinking gin. The distillery vapor infuses botanicals like juniper, licorice, and almond into the alcohol. Two other expressions have been around for a while: Bombay Sapphire East, made with Asian botanicals, and Bombay Dry Gin, made with just eight botanicals. And the latest to join the family is Premier Cru Murcian Lemon, which highlights the lemon-forward profile of regular Bombay with the addition of Fino lemon peels from Spain into the botanical mix, along with mandarin and naval oranges.
Tanqueray is one of the best-selling gins in the world, and a superb (and affordable) example of the London Dry category. The flagship expression combines bright flavours of juniper and citrus in equal proportions, making this a go-to bottle for cocktails. There’s also Rangpur, which highlights the flavours of the Indian lime of the same name, and No. TEN, which was designed as a more modern gin with pronounced notes of white grapefruit, lime and orange.
Experience Gin at Saros Bar & Dining
Want to stay updated with our latest gin selections and special offers? Join our monthly newsletter for exclusive updates and promotions.
