Opihr Spices of the Orient London Dry Gin

Great taste and botanical. By far the best gin in this price range.

If there’s one good thing to be said about the gin renaissance (ginaissance?) that’s going on these days it’s that all of the old rules about what gin “has” to taste like are out the window. Legally, juniper has to be present among the botanicals, but presence is no longer the same as dominance. Take this lovely offering, for example - while there’s just enough piney juniper in the background to remind you that this is gin, the predominant flavor profile is warm and spicy - cumin comes to the forefront, along with black pepper, clove, and a South Asian market’s worth of other spices. It’s a bit much to drink neat, but the cocktail possibilities are endless. My current go-to is a spin on the Sazerac - wash a glass with raki (just to give it a hint of aniseed flavor), muddle some cardamom bitters, a little sugar, and a dash of water, then add Opihr, 3-4 ice cubes, and a lightly bruised sprig of spearmint. It’s Istanbul in a glass.