Top Shelf Gin Picks From The Distiller Community

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.

The first gin released by Suntory, the name "Roku" is Japanese for "Six" which refers to the six Japanese botanicals used. Sakura flower (cherry blossoms), sakura leaf (cherry leaf), sencha tea (green tea), Gyokuro tea (refined green tea), sanshō pepper, and yuzu are utilized along with eight other traditional gin botanicals. The gin is distilled using a selection of different pot stills. The label is printed with Japanese washi paper. Roku Gin was released in Japan in July 2017, and is available in the UK, Germany, and Australia. As of October 2018, Roku is available in the US.

Gin de Mahón is a style of gin limited to the Spanish island of Menorca. Xoriguer, pronounced "sho-ri-gar" means "windmill" which the founder named for his family's windmill. Production of the gin includes a direct-fire copper pot still and juniper which "age" for 2 years near the harbour. The base of the gin is made from wine using parellada and xarel-lo grapes from the Penedès region known for its cava. Other production details and ingredients remain a closely guarded family secret. Xoriguer Gin de Mahón matures in American oak barrels before bottling. (41% ABV in the States, 38% elsewhere).

Plymouth Gin is unique in that it is both a gin brand and gin style. A Plymouth-style gin can only be produced in Plymouth, England. The Plymouth Gin brand was first distilled in 1793 at the historic Black Friars Distillery and is (currently) the only gin brand produced in the city. It is made with grain spirit and seven botanicals: juniper berries, coriander seed, orange and lemon peel, green cardamom, angelica root and orris root. After distillation, the gin is then bottled at 41.2% ABV.

Beefeater is a London Dry Gin that is actually produced in London; the distillery is located in Kennington just south of the River Thames. It is made from a neutral grain spirit base to which nine botanicals are added and steeped for 24 hours. These botanicals include, in addition to the juniper, coriander seeds, licorice root, citrus peel, and bitter almond. This is then redistilled and reduced to strength with softened water. This 47% ABV is their export strength version. The Beefeater name was chosen as to be something quintessentially London; the Beefeaters, as the Yeomen Warders are called, have been guarding the Tower of London since 1485 and adorn the bottles.

Gordon's Gin was first established in the Southwark area of London in 1769 by Alexander Gordon. Over the years, the site of distillation has moved and is now primarily produced in Scotland. It is, however, distilled in other countries throughout the world and at different strengths. In the U.S., we get a Canadian product at 40% ABV. The recipe is the same, however. It is a neutral grain base with disclosed botanicals of juniper, coriander, angelica root, licorice, orris root, and orange & lemon peel.

Bombay Sapphire was first introduced in 1987. The bottle's utterly recognizable blue bottle is now an icon and adorned with an image of Queen Victoria. The gin itself is comprised of 10 botanicals which include cubeb berries, almonds, licorice root, and grains of paradise. The botanicals are introduced into the neutral spirit by way of vapor distillation. The botanicals are placed in perforated copper baskets with the vapor of the distillate passing over them. Only water is added to bring down to proof, which for this bottling is 47% 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.