5 Of The Best British Gins

Gin has been causing something of a stir recently, thanks to the birth of pioneering craft distilleries dedicated to producing high-quality, refined spirits (far from the bathtub gins of the 18th Century).

Their secret to success is using traditional, artisan methods, lovingly distilling in small batches with copper stills. The copper reacts with the alcohol and removes any impurities, producing clean, perfectly pure liquids that are silky-smooth on the tongue and are less likely to result in an almighty hangover.

Gin is a complex drink, made by combining a neutral, flavourless spirit with an array of botanicals (predominantly juniper), which release their aromatics during the distillation process, creating signature scents and flavour variations. Selecting well-balanced botanicals is the work of careful artistry, which takes time to master.

With so many great gins now on offer, our advice is to broaden your horizons and taste something new. Graphic Bar – an urban-chic hotspot in Soho, London – is an ideal place to do so. It’s a bar that makes the gin capital of the world proud, offering a spoiling range of over 180 different gin brands. While gin’s popularity owes much to the success of the G&T and the Martini, there’s a long list of other innovative gin-based cocktails to indulge in.

The following brands, we believe, are five of the best gins on the market, all produced in Britain. Four out of the five are small-scale, boutique distilleries, determined to rival the big boys of the industry by investing all their love, care and attention into every drop. Together, they’ve brought gin back into the British limelight, with a newfound reputation for quality and sophistication.

Founded in 1830, Tanqueray is one of the oldest and most respected brands of gin in the world, now produced by Diageo. While standard Tanqueray Super Dry has been a long-standing favourite (indeed, it was Frank Sinatra’s drink of choice), in 2000, they launched Tanqueray No. Ten, an overall step-up in class.

It’s a London Dry gin made from a neutral wheat spirit, handpicked fresh fruit and various botanicals. It’s distilled in small batches in two copper-pot stills – ‘Tiny Ten’ (from which it gets its name) and ‘Old Tom’ – using a quadruple distillation process and a traditional ‘one shot’ method to produce an exceptionally refined liquid. It’s the only gin made with whole citrus fruits rather than dried peel, creating a crisp, dry gin with a fresh, fruity and citric flavour, ideal for a sophisticated and elegant Martini.

Check prices at tanquerary.com

After working their socks off for two years to get the necessary licence, in 2009, Sipsmith reintroduced the copper-pot still to London – the first in almost 200 years. Their beloved still, affectionately named ‘Prudence’, distills in small batches using the traditional ‘one shot’ method, combining a neutral barley spirit with 10 botanicals and water sourced from a Thames spring.

Sipsmith is a traditional London Dry gin that’s clean, dry and crisp, with subtle hints of citrus and spice working hand-in-hand with the strong juniper notes. It’s everything a gin should be, and an absolute pleasure to drink – rich enough for a G&T and smooth enough for a perfect Martini. Overall, it’s full of character, much like the gents behind this quintessentially British brand that has taken London by storm.

Check prices at sipsmith.com

Hendricks prides itself on being the world’s most unusual gin, but it strikes a good balance between traditional and curious. It’s a blend of two spirits from two stills – the Bennet still (a copper-pot still) and the Carter-Head still – and after the distillation process, the liquid is infused with rose petal and cucumber (to compliment the more traditional botanicals), creating its unique flavour.

Unlike most gins, the flavour of juniper is mild, with rose and cucumber as the high notes. Hendricks is clean, fresh and floral, which makes for a refreshing G&T, perfect for a summer sundowner. The alcohol-soaked treat at the end is an added bonus, but also plays an important role in bringing the cucumber essence to the fore.

Check prices at henricksgin.com

After the success of Tyrrells crisps, William Chase turned his attention to producing spirits, starting with vodka before launching Chase Gin in 2010 – the first single-estate English gin created in over 200 years. It’s unique in that the base spirit is made with organic cider apples rather than a neutral grain spirit. This is combined with eleven botanicals (many of which are sourced from the family farm in Herefordshire) in a copper-pot still called ‘Ginny’.

The underlying hint of apple blends well with the warm cinnamon notes, and its strong juniper and citrus tang creates a fruity, floral flavour. It’s an incredibly versatile gin and an all-round crowd pleaser. It’s often recommended that when drinking it as a G&T, it should be served with a slice of apple to bring out the sweetness.

Check prices at chasedistillery.co.uk

Launched in 2010, the Botanist is a limited-edition gin that can be tricky to track down. It’s incredibly complex, made with a phenomenal 31 botanicals: nine classics and 22 native to the Isle of Islay, offering a fresh taste of Scotland in every glass.

It’s made in a Lomond still called ‘Ugly Betty’ (one of the last in existence), distilled at a low pressure for 17 hours, allowing the aromatics to be fully released. There’s a depth and power to the liquid but it’s not overpowering, and the different flavours work brilliantly together, creating a lovely dry and floral spirit. To fully appreciate the different dimensions, sip it neat or enjoy it as a truly mind-blowing G&T.

Check prices at bruichladdich.com

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