The ultimate guide to the best gins

Welcome to our guide to the best gins – your go-to list of standout bottles and how best to enjoy them.

Food Editor

What types of gin are there?

From London dry gin with its crisp, clean flavour, to slightly sweeter Old Tom gin and boldly flavoured gins that add something a little different to your G&T, there are so many types of gin to choose from. Whether you want a twist on a favourite cocktail (hello, spiced negroni) or you want to perfect your gin and tonic, our experts have worked with the country's best producers to bring you the best bottles around. Let the good times be-gin...

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The best London dry gin

Despite its name, London dry gin doesn’t have to be made in London. Its name refers instead to the way it’s made. The base spirit is distilled with juniper and other botanicals, but unlike other gins, it’s not sweetened after distillation. The result is a dry, crisp, clean taste that’s loved for its versatility. Our London Dry Gin balances seven botanicals (angelica, cassia, coriander seeds, grapefruit oil, juniper berries, dried liquorice, orris root) with the finest British grain spirit. With notes of juniper and citrus, this refreshing spirit is your go-to for a gin and tonic, a negroni or this berry gin fizz.

The best London dry gin Make this berry gin fizz

The best Old Tom gin

Old Tom Gin is a slightly sweeter style of gin that was popular in 18th- and 19th-century England. With similar botanical notes to London dry gin, it has a touch of added sweetness, either from sugar or sweeter botanicals added after the distillation process. We're proud of our Collection Old Tom Gin, crafted by Warner’s Distillery at their family-owned farm in the village of Harrington, Northamptonshire. The distillery hand-selects the gin’s 11 botanicals, including farm-grown lavender, which is then distilled in small batches for ultimate quality. A bold, warm and smooth spirit with a hint of citrus zest, it’s the best Old Tom gin out there.

Try Old Tom gin Make an Old Tom Collins cocktail

The best pink gin

Originally made popular in the mid-19th century by mixing Plymouth gin and Angostura bitters for a pinkish hue, these days the best pink gins can be made with a range of fruits and flavourings. Our exclusive 16 Acres Berry Gin is distilled in small batches with real British raspberry, blackcurrant and blackberry juices and eight different botanicals. With juicy, fruity flavours, this is a great gin for a bright berry and basil G&T – a twist on a favourite.

Berry and bright G&T recipe

The best flavoured gins

While all gins are flavoured with juniper berries and a blend of botanicals, flavoured gins bring one bold flavour to the fore. Take our citrussy Seville Orange Gin, with its distinct orange-grove flavour or our herbaceous 16 Acres citrus and rosemary gin (great in our peach and rosemary gin fizz) or our Curious Heart Zesty Gin, bright with lemon. These flavoured gins are a fantastic way to change up your G&T or to add something new to a cocktail. Add our lip-smacking Pink Grapefruit Gin to this grapefruit and blood orange spritz.

Grapefruit and blood orange spritz

The best pre-mixed gin cocktails

For a perfectly balanced cocktail that's pre-batched and ready to go, our range of gin cocktails are not to be missed. The Marksologist Blood Orange Negroni is an expert blend of London dry gin, red vermouth, Italian bitter liqueur and blood orange for a zesty twist on a classic. For a summery shake up, our Marksologist Limoncello Gin Sour combines London dry gin with punchy limoncello and bitters – shake with ice, then strain over coupe glasses and serve with a twist of lemon peel.

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What is gin and how is it made?

Gin is a distilled spirit that's made by infusing a neutral base alcohol (usually made from grain) with botanicals, like coriander seeds, angelica root and, most importantly, juniper berries. The juniper berry gives gin its signature piney, herbal flavour – gin can't be called gin without it.

A form of gin can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when infusing distilled alcohol with juniper was consumed as a medicinal tonic. It later became popular in Holland, when malt wine was distilled with juniper and other herbs to create a medicinal, warming drink, known as jenever. Later, during the Thirty Years' War, English soldiers encountered the drink and brought it back to England. By the early 18th century, gin (as it then became known) exploded in popularity.

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How to drink gin

To enjoy the full breadth of botanicals and flavours in high-quality gins, like our Collection Small Batch Old Tom Gin, sip it straight-up. The most common way to drink gin is in a refreshing gin and tonic, also known as a G&T, or popular cocktails, like a French 75, Tom Collins, Gimlet or Negroni.

How to serve gin: what glasses do I use?

This totally depends on your own taste and what type of drink you're serving. For a gin and tonic, you could use either a hi ball glass, which allows for plenty of tonic and ice, or the stemmed, wide-rimmed copa (balloon) gin glass. Shaking gin into a Negroni? Use a tumbler. For Champagne gin cocktails, like a French 75, champagne glasses or coupe glasses are the way to go.

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Top gin cocktail recipes to try

Whether you're looking for an elegant cocktail with a twist, like this gin and blood orange marmalade fizz, a fun frosé cocktail, a big batch of this English garden punch or a Seville orange G and 'Tea', we've got plenty of cocktail recipes to get you celebrating this classic spirit a little bit more.

Cocktail recipes, this way

Published 8.4.2025