Whoever invented World Gin Day needs a pat on the back. Our focus groups have had a full month of trying incredible gins from across the world, and we’re ready to share our top ten. Gin has been experimented with of late, it even featured on the Apprentice. While some concoctions are best avoided, we’ve found the perfect pairings to enjoy.

Here’s our pick of the best gins for you to enjoy, either with a simple tonic water or as part of a cocktail.

Ramsay’s Gin

We love it when a celebrity chef releases food or drink. A lot is never to be seen again (Sorry Gino and Iceland) but some stays forever and becomes a luxury staple of the home. We predict Ramsay’s Gin to be one of these. We love that it’s unassuming, it doesn’t have Gordon’s face plastered all over it, it’s sophisticated and sleek. It’s not immediately obvious that it is the brainchild of Gordon himself, however the name is a big giveaway! He’s travelled back to his Scottish roots with this, choosing the best ingredients to make a gin that tastes pure, smooth and delectable. We love it.

Gordon Ramsay wins the Top Product Award of 2022 for his delectable gin

Atlas Chai Gin

This is such a unique taste. It transports you to a Japanese garden with it’s clean, crisp, slightly floral flavour. It’s an interesting twist and one we love. Serve with a sweet mixer to compliment the Chair flavour or enjoy a little tartness and pep with a dry tonic water.

A unique floral taste that’s very refreshing and comforting

Whitley Neill Rhubarb & Ginger Gin

The ginger is a little overpowering in this but that’s great if you love a little spice in your drink. The tang of the rhubarb with the spice means this is best served with a sweet mixer such as lemonade or even cream soda.

Whitley Neill Quince Gin

This is a decadent gin that wows those who appreciate the finer foods of the world. It tastes a little like apples, with savoury notes and a tiny kick. Perfect with tonic

Liverpool Valencian Orange Gin

This Valencia orange gin is ideal with chocolate. It also makes a great mixer for cocktails.

J.J Whitley Elderflower Gin

We loved the sweetness of this elderflower gin, ideal with lemonade for a true summer drink.

Marylebone Gin

This Marylebone gin is practically perfect and what you’d expect from a high quality spirit. You won’t be disappointed.

Bloom Gin

BLOOM Gin is the gin for summer cocktails, inspired by nature with the flowers of chamomile and honeysuckle, and citrus fruit pomelo contributing to the delicate gin drinking experience. A perfect drink on World Gin Day is BLOOM Gin and Tonic with Strawberries:

Recipe:

Quarter two strawberries, place in a balloon glass and add ice. Pour 50ml BLOOM Gin over the ice and top with 200ml high-quality tonic water. Stir gently to ensure that the flavours are well mixed.

The Pennethorne’s Bar in Somerset House, described as one of London’s ‘hidden gems’ will be serving gorgeous BLOOM Gin cocktails, which have been specially created by their Head Mixologist. The three cocktails to help you celebrate World Gin Day are Rose BLOOM, BLOOMING Love and Spring Blossom:

Opihr Gin

The heritage of Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin is firmly rooted in the Ancient Spice Route, what better way to conjure up images of the heat of the Orient during the long summer evenings than drinking an Opihr cocktail.

Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin is a unique style of London Dry Gin created by the Master Gin Distiller, Joanne Moore, using exotic botanicals, herbs and spices. Traditionally merchants would travel thousands of miles along the route, trading exotic spices and botanicals from distant lands. Opihr’s hand-picked botanicals epitomise the exotic intensity of the Orient, with spicy cubeb berries from Indonesia, black pepper romIndia and coriander from Morocco.

A delicious margarita Opihrian style is the Phoenician Rita, which is a great cocktail, where you will discover the botanicals and spice of Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin with a courageous citrus boost. A half salt rim for the adventurous souls!

Recipe:

Add ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour in 50ml Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin, 20ml Cointreau, 20ml lime juice, 10ml sugar syrup and 2 dashes Grapefruit Bitters. Shake and fine strain into a coupe glass.

Thomas Deakin Gin

Thomas Dakin Gin is a classic style London Dry Gin which takes its name from the forefather of English gin, Thomas Dakin, who created the world’s first quality gin in 1761. Distilled in small batches in a baby copper pot still the Master Distiller uses a secret recipe of eleven botanicals, including some traditionally used for making cordials in the 18th century, as well as juniper, orange peel and English coriander with the unique addition of red cole (horseradish) which gives Thomas Dakin its long, lingering finish. A delicious cocktail for World Gin Day is Thomas Dakin The Bee’s Knees:

Recipe:

In a shaker stir 2 tsp of honey with 35ml Thomas Dakin Gin until dissolved. Add ice and 25ml of lemon juice, shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a thin orange wheel float.

If you live near Preston why not visit Thomas Dakin Gin Garden pop-up at 1842 Preston at the Old Corn Exchange, Preston, on World Gin Day. It will be a brilliant location to celebrate the festival this year with a wide selection of Thomas Dakin cocktails.

Curio’s Gin

Curio’s, the creators of the cardamom vodka also have a gin that’s smooth and delicious too. Keep an eye out for it when shopping in good retailers, artisan shops and real liquor stores, it’s delicious.

The Best Gin!

Masons Yorkshire Dry Gin – Lavender

Our no.1 Gin is the Lavender Gin from Masons. We cannot stress enough how gorgeous this is. It smells divine and is ideal for relaxing on a sunlit patio after a hard day’s work. It’s perfect for sharing with friends, and tastes even better with tonic or lemonade. We’ve tried lavender in food before and liked it, but in gin we absolutely love it. This does win our best taste award and we can’t champion it enough. Please do go out and get it, you won’t be disappointed, it’s scrumptious!

PRODUCT DETAILS:
With an RRP of £39.99 for a 70cl bottle, Masons Dry Yorkshire Gin would make an ideal gift for the discerning drinker in your life
Masons Dry Yorkshire Gin is available to purchase online, please visit: www.MasonsYorkshireGin.com

Hendricks Gin

For a go to gin that won’t let you down we recommend Hendricks. Beautifully presented with a crisp clean taste, it’s scrumptious.

Brockmans Gin

Infused with botanicals this is a fresh, light gin that transports you to summer. Clear and succinct it’s easy to tell that it’s premium. We love it with a slice of lime and a sprig of mint or even on its own over rocks (that’s ice!). It’s so good it wins our Top Product Award for 2020!