The Best Gins We Tried in February 2017

New England Sweetwater Farm & Distillery had their grand opening in Spring 2016. To make their gin they redistill their premium vodka (made from apples and potatoes) with their farm-grown junipers and other classic botanicals which are introduced via vapor-infusion.

The Big Springs Distillery is a result of native central Pennsylvanians who took their education from Penn State to create a distillery in the neighboring town of Bellefonte. The Nittany Lions picked the location for its esteemed water source and proximity to the region’s celebrated grains. For this barrel-aged gin a mash bill of 100% corn was selected and a fairly robust ABV of 47.2% alcohol chosen.

Donner-Peltier Distillers in Louisiana distills both their Oryza Vodka and Gin from rice. Their gin includes 11 botanicals - juniper, satsuma, lavender, orris root, cantaloupe, coriander, pink peppercorn, angelica root, paradise seed, orange peel, and lemon peel - and is bottled at 48% ABV. Update: Donner-Peltier Distillers, the Thibodaux-based distillery, announced that it will cease operations after Monday, August 27, 2018.

Added to their spirits lineup in 2010, this is the first gin released by the Weymss family, who are primarily known for their Scotch whiskies. This gin honors the legacy of Lord Darnley, who lived at Weymss Castle near Edinburgh, Scotland in the 16th century. The base is made from British-grown grain and six botanicals are used of which lemon and elderflower are the featured elements. In fact, the elderflower is foraged locally in the summer months and dehydrated for later use. No artificial flavors or additives have been added. All botanicals not sourced locally are sustainably sourced from trusted farmers.

Jeff Steichan and his wife Daleen opened Batch 206 Distillery in 2012 in Seattle, Washington. Using their vodka spirit as a base, they infuse eight botanicals (Juniper, Cucumber, Tarragon, Verbena Leaves, Lavender, Orange Peel, Meyer Lemon Peel, Orris Root) into it for 36 hours. Afterwards it is re-distilled to further integrate the botanical oils into the spirit.

The Appalachian Gap Distillery was started by casual home brewers who became obsessed with distilling after taking a class one weekend. When customers show how much they like their products they take great pride in saying, “I made that.” Mythic Gin is distilled from a mash comprised of barley and corn. Among the eleven botanicals used in the distillation process, balsam fur, sorrel, and rose hips are the stand out ingredients.

Lock Keeper Gin is distilled by County Seat Spirits, a grain-to-class distillery in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The gin is flavored with organic juniper and other botanicals such as coriander, elderflower, and grains of paradise. The name for the gin alludes to the lock keepers on the Lehigh Canal.

Hailing from the town of Bend in central Oregon, Oregon Spirit Distillers distills classic styled libations while taking advantage of the region’s winter wheat. The dry gin joins the ranks of Absinthe, Genever, and other yesteryear bar staples and includes this classic London-style botanical build with lots of juniper and coriander bottles at a healthy 92 proof.

This gin has one eye keenly on British tradition and another looking toward modern agricultural innovation. The spirit is based on a distillate of biodynamic rye passed through classic, artisanal, copper pot-stills. The botanical blend is a puritan blend of classic London Dry components including sustainable juniper, organic coriander seed, angelica root, and summer savory. The folks at Altitude Spirits in Colorado specialize in sourcing organic spirits from the world’s traditional crafters of iconic distillates. The adherence to a natural product doesn’t stop at the ingredients, as no colorization, sugar addition, or other modification post distillation. Note: This is bottled at 43% ABV in the US, but a 37.5% ABV version is sold in the EU.

This strikingly ultramarine-colored gin is a homage to the native inhabitants of the United States' Pacific Northwest who perhaps were the first North Americans to infuse various herbs and botanicals into a spirituous concoction. The arresting azure color comes from a maceration of the Blue Centaurea flower native to Europe, but now grown in the northern U.S. and Canada. It is often used for its beautiful color in bouquets and often served on salad or other dishes. Besides the fluorescent-colored flower, the gin’s mash bill is fairly standard London-Dry-style and is distilled from 100% pure grain.