I have tried several different kinds of gin in the past and liked none of them. Some of them were highly regarded and popular but I just did not like them. However my family got us a tour at a local craft distillery that does gin. I was not expecting to like it at all, but it was actually good. So I went in with negative expectations and enjoyed it. It was good stuff. So I know a very small amount about what a local craft distillery does, but I know nothing about the big brands. What does a craft distillery or small scale or local or something do different than the big popular name brands that I can look for in a gin?
Try what you can.
Alcohol, Tea and Coffee (can’t speak for coffee) are essentially to your taste.
Some might like a tea I totatally can’t stand (e.g. Lapsang Souchong). As long as you think it tastes well and is reasonable on price and your budget, i’d get it.You can’t really compare the alcohols between distilleries except for some specific cases.
Bombay East is my preferred gin. Ultimately it’s about your personal palette but I like the zing in this one.
I can only handle gin in a G&T with lots of lemon and lime juice
All that matters about YOUR booze is that you like it…
So what should you look for in a gin is the one you like.
How should you drink it? Exactly how you like it and no other way, unless you want to try a new way to see if you like that better.
I like Bombay Sapphire mixed with Tonic garnished with lime on ice. I even have a particular tonic that I like. that is my preferred summer time drink.
Agreed. I’m trying to understand what I liked and didn’t like about it because every typical gin I’ve had is gross.
You can also experiment with different mixers and sweetners.
I’m the same way. Was never a fan of gin until I toured a local spot and tried some actual quality gin. I usually go for Leopold’s, Roku, or St George
Tonic
Gin is basically alcohol flavored with various botanicals. Juniper berries are most prominent in the traditional gin flavor profile, so that may be what you don’t like. Some craft distilleries now make gin with other flavorings. For example, there’s one around here (Vikre) that makes a spruce gin which I quite like.
Check with the craft distillery, and find out what botanicals they use, then look for gins flavored similarly.
A lot of gins can be categorized based on their flavor profile. Some common ones are juniper-forward, herbal, or citrus. A lot of the bigger names are more juniper-forward gins, and a lot of craft gins are citrus or herbal. The best way to figure out what gins you will like is to go to a good bar with a gin selection, and ask the bartender for recommendations that are similar to the one you liked. Also, learn to identify different flavors that you like or dislike. Often, you can find descriptions of different gins (and other spirits) either on labels or online.
Finally, don’t be afraid to revisit something you didn’t like in a few years. Your palate and preferences can and will change, and you might really like something you didn’t enjoy before.
I wonder if I can find a place that does a flight or something. Hmm.
The worm. If you find one, it’s not gin.
Holy Crap
Gin gets its name from juniper, an evergreen tree. We make turpentine from evergreen resin. So it’s no wonder most people have trouble finding their foothold in gin - you’re trying to find good tasting alcohol and people are giving you a drinkable paint thinner.
I hated gin, too, until I did a tasting. The first thing I noticed - varying degrees of pine resin flavor. That was a big revelation.
But then you study gin and realize that gin is made with a bunch of botanicals, and the flavors come from whatever they steep in it.
Some botanicals are so strong that the producer basically has to label it “X Gin”. So like lavender gin is really distinctive and most people when using a gin will not expect it to be a lavender gin.
But then you have other botanicals that clearly shape the flavor but don’t rise to the level of something like lavendar. Cucumber is one of those. Henricks is famous for using cucumber and their gin is generally one of the first gins that people find they like.
Other than that, it’s a lot of subtlety. I prefer Plymouth. Some people prefer Beefeater. I also like Aviation.
The other thing to note is that some companies don’t do traditional botanicals anymore but create a sort of syrup or additive mixture in a chemical factory. It makes the alcohol uniform and consistent, but it can also just be gross and harsh.
Drinkable paint thinner, lol.
Speaking of cucumber, they had that. I don’t like cucumber but tried it anyway. It wasn’t bad. It had vegetal notes but none of the flavors I dislike.
Sounds like you like the gins made by that distillery.
Buy their guns that you like, or look for gins that are described with the same attributes as those gins.
I’d bet you dislike traditional “piney” gins, and prefer the now popular citrusy ones.
A citrusy gin like Leopold Brothers used in a drink like a St. Leo really shows how well a gin can work. The drink can be made with vodka, but really loses some complexity.
St. Leo
1.5 oz Leopold’s (Small Batch or Summer)
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz orange juice or orange liqueur
3/4 oz simple
1/4 tsp St. Germain
Shake, serve neat in a chilled coupé glass
buy their guns
Uh, not sure they sell those. (assuming that’s an autocorrect typo lol)
Piney VS citrusy. I’ll keep that in mind thanks.
Haha, I’m gonna leave it in for entertainment value
I’m an old school gin drinker, from the Time Before all these small batch gins. I like the pine note (from the juniper berry used in gin). Tanquery has a very strong juniper note, you probably won’t like it.
That pine note is what people tend to dislike about gin.
I really like all these other gins with different botanicals, especially the citrus ones. It’s a whole new gin game now.
Juice
There are some pretty good alcohol-free gins.
