The Highest Rated Gins From January 2017

This gin is produced using a four-times distilled Irish whey spirit for the base. The organic botanicals (juniper, coriander, angelica root, heather, and savory) are added to the still along with the neutral spirit and steeped for 24 hours. It is then distilled for the fifth and final time. Knockeen is a small village in Co. Waterford, Ireland but the final distillation occurs in London at the Thames Distillery, and independent distiller and bottler. It is bottled at 47.3% ABV.

Knockeen Hills produces triple and quadruple distilled Poteen in Ireland. The base of this spirit is Irish whey produced from the milk of Irish cows. Their 4-times distilled Poteen is the base for this gin. Botanicals, which include elderflower, are steeped in the base before distilling one more time. This last distillation takes place at the Thames Distillery in London, an independent distiller and bottler. It is bottled at 43% ABV.

Chase Seville Marmalade Gin uses potatoes which are grown on the distillery's own farm as the base ingredient. The gin is made with 8 botanicals including juniper, licorice root, elderflower, and bitter almond. This gin is then re-distilled with Seville orange peels to make this product. Bottled at 40% ABV. Note: Formerly called Williams Seville Orange Gin.

This London Dry Gin is distilled in London proper at the Thames Distillery. It is produced using neutral grain spirit and uses classic botanicals such as juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, and orris. Mayfair Brands also produces a vodka (Mayfair Vodka) and a gold rum (Providencia Rum).

Tottering-by-Gently is a beloved comic strip drawn by Annie Tempest. Created in 1993, the strip has been featured in Country Life magazine and features Lord (Dicky) and Lady (Daffy) Tottering, who along with their grandchildren live in Tottering Hall. Lady Tottering has a fondness for gin, hence the label. The gin itself is made in a concentrate, or multi-shot, which is to say that neutral grain spirit and water are added post-distillation. This London Dry Gin recipe was created by Foxdenton and is distilled in London at the Thames Distillery.

Launched in 2013, Pinkster Gin gets its lovely pale pink color from macerating raspberries into a finished gin. These and two additional botanicals are added post-distillation to a gin which is made to their standard with five botanicals at G & J Distillers. Note: This is not currently available in the U.S.

Cedar Ridge is the first licensed distillery in Iowa since Prohibition. Today they make a great variety of distillates. This is made in the Genever-style, using a malt-wine base. During distillation they only allow the vapors to come in contact with the botanicals which include juniper, coriander, orris root, orange zest, and cucumber. This is bottled at 45% ABV.

Backwards Distilling makes this gin with regionally sourced botanicals including elderflower, sage, basil, and grains of paradise among others. The gin is made only in small batches out of their distillery in Wyoming which also produces a vodka and rum.

Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753) was a botanist whose personal plant collection helped lead to the formation of the British Museum. This plant collection included many of the exotic botanicals frequently used to produce gin. Sloane's Dry Gin honors the legacy of Sloane's contribution to gin. Produced in The Netherlands, this gin is produced from a base of neutral-grain spirit and nine botanicals. These botanicals are individually distilled, rested for two to three months and then blended together before resting yet again. The botanicals include the requisite juniper berries along with cardamom pods, vanilla beans, licorice root, and hand-cut, whole sweet oranges and lemons.

San Francisco-based No. 209 Distillery produces vodka and gins, with the latter distilled 5 times from Midwestern corn. Their gin uses 8 to 11 botanicals including juniper, bergamot orange, lemon peel, cardamom pods, cassia bark, angelica root, and coriander seeds. Their Sauvignon Blanc Barrel-Reserve Gin is the distillery's flagship original gin aged for three months in French oak barrels. These barrels previously were used to age said wine made at their sister winery, the Rudd Oakville Estate in Napa Valley. It is bottled at 46% ABV.