GIN is officially the nation’s favourite spirit, with sales breaking the £1billion barrier last year – and many will be celebrating the Bank Holiday weekend with a glass or two.
But with so many varieties on offer, it can be hard to choose the right one.
11
So to help you get into the spirit, comedians and drinks experts Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, aka The Thinking Drinkers, have picked out ten to try responsibly.
- The Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz comedy show, featuring FIVE free drinks for every audience member, is touring nationally until May 2022. For dates and tickets visit thinkingdrinkers.com.
Warner’s London Dry
11
BEST FOR A GIN AND TONIC: A beautifully balanced, eco-friendly British gin handmade from real ingredients grown on the Warners’ family farm.
Joyously bold juniper notes, zesty and fresh.
Aviation
11
THE brand, which is co-owned by Hollywood hunk – and Wrexham football club chairman – Ryan Reynolds, brings you an awesome American gin with a lighter juniper note.
Boatyard Double Gin
11
BEST GIN FOR A MARTINI: Sweet gale – a type of aromatic shrub – features in this double-distilled gin, blending botanicals foraged from its family farm in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
Jaffa Cake Gin
11
DISTILLED with oranges, fresh orange peel, cocoa powder and actual Jaffa Cakes, this gin tastes like, er, Jaffa Cakes. Shouldn’t work but it does.
Hepple Gin
11
BEST INNOVATIVE GIN: The fantastically crisp gin owes its intense aromas to a pioneering distillation process and the exclusive use of fresh green juniper. A sweet juiciness is maintained throughout.
Canaima Gin
11
KINDEST GIN TO THE PLANET: This gorgeous Venezuelan tipple is all about the environment. Ten per cent of profits go on Amazon reforestation and preserving the indigenous culture.
Tanqueray No. Ten
11
BEST CLASSIC GIN: A classy, quadruple-distilled classic bursting with botanical brilliance and a whole lot of history – Charles Tanqueray invented the London Dry gin style in 1830.
Ableforth’s Bathtub Gin
11
In the 18th century, illegal bathtub gin was cut with urine and sulphuric acid. Thankfully, this impressive gin uses more appetising ingredients such as orange peel.
No 3 London Dry Gin
11
MANUFACTURED by England’s oldest wine merchant, this is a time-honoured London Dry gin for the purists, which proudly places juniper firmly front and centre. This is classic in style and crisp in taste.
Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz
11
THIS dark-red drop from Down Under is made using Four Pillars’ original Rare Dry Gin steeped with Shiraz grapes. The perfect balance of sweet fruit and gin goodness.
Ryan Reynolds shares Vasectomy cocktail in hilarious Aviation Gin commercial
