Top Shelf Gin Picks From The Distiller Community

This gin is the result of Watershed Distillery taking their Four Peels Gin -- made with juniper and seven other botanicals -- and aging the spirit in used bourbon barrels.

Fremont Mischief Gin is made in Seattle, Washington and is made with at least some local botanicals that the distillery describes as "euphoric and aphrodisiac." The distillery also produces a couple of vodkas and several whiskeys at the distillery named for the neighborhood in which they are located.

3 Howls Good Old Fashioned Gin is produced at the 3 Howls Distillery in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Though not a London Dry, juniper is the central botanical. It is bottled at 90 proof.

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.

San Juan Distilleries is located on the orca-surrounded San Juan Island off of Washington state’s far northwest coast. A vast array of gins and smattering of other spirits with a clear Pacific influence are crafted in a small pot-still in micro batches. The parts of the revealed recipe proudly boasts an American-West-style with traditional components such as juniper, lemon peel, and anise joined by less common ingredients native to the island like blackberry, wild rose, and lavender.

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.

Venus Spirits Gin Blend No. 02 is distilled from wheat and flavored with eight botanicals including cardamom, fennel, coriander, and sage. It is rested in American oak barrels for an undisclosed amount of time.

Venus Spirits Gin Blend No. 01 is distilled from wheat and features a botanical blend of 10 different herbs and spices including ginger, tangerine, licorice root, and lavender. It is bottled at 46% ABV.

Hailing from Germany’s Black Forest, Monkey 47 is an exotic gin made with a molasses base. The 47 refers to the number of botanicals used which includes such unlikely fruit ingredients like lingonberries, blackberries, and honey pomelo. These are combined with a host of recognizable gin botanicals such as chamomile, sage, angelica, coriander, and a whole array of others. Another anomaly at Monkey 47 is that the distillate is aged in earthenware containers for three months before being brought to 47% ABV with the forest’s celebrated water.