Click our categories below: Good Housekeeping, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. Tom Collins. The winners of our biggest ever gin taste test From dry gin to flavoured gin liqueurs, we tasted over 100 different varieties to find the best. Distiller Desmond Payne was inspired by the Chelsea Physic Garden, just round the corner from the original Beefeater distillery, and has created a lovely herbaceous concoction with hints of lemon verbena and thyme. What's more, 10% of the profit from each bottle will go towards reforestation of the Amazon as well as preserving the culture and heritage of the indigenous people. Expect to find citrus, cardamom and lashings of all-important juniper. It's marmite tagline worthy, but those who love it really love it. Searching for the perfect gin to give as a present? Drinks by the Dram specialise in tasting packs with a variety of different gins. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. Simply serve neat with a slice of lemon. According to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, it marked the start of a a 38 per cent year-on-year increase. The question is, how do you like yours? This was to ensure that the flavour was not impaired by any mixer. Each sample was tested neat, and then again, diluted with a small amount of water. A classic London Dry style, it’s juniper-driven, with coriander seed and licorice notes. For someone who is teetotal or simply having a break from booze, Seedlip is the perfect go-to drink. Whittling our taste test down to 118 different bottles, we tested across sloe gin, pink gin, quirky flavoured gin, flavoured gin liqueurs, classic gin and supermarket own-brand gin. The O.G. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. This gin has a lovely subtle but sweet flavour with notes of orange sorbet. This gin has some unusual botanicals, including sage and lavender, but none are overpowering: what you get is a really drinkable, mellow gin with just a touch of sweetness from the lime leaves. Why try one gin when you can sample a flight of them? Our overall winner, scoring the highest out of ALL the categories was Gin Mare (88/100), a savoury gin that stood out above the rest for its original and innovative flavours. When it comes to flavour, chefs know more than most. Lidl's Hortus gin range is extensive but their Pomegranate & Rose Gin Liqueur (75/100) that took the top spot. Seedlip Garden 108 is a gin-like, alcohol-free distilled spirit that pairs brilliantly with tonic. The gin's native botanicals include acai berries, uve de palma (red fruit harvested from a palm tree), copoazu (a unique fruit similar to sweet pears and pineapples) and merey fruit (aka cashews), all of which are harvested in ways that limit environmental impact. Produced by Hayman Distillers of Witham, England, it is based on a family recipe from the 1870s. Try it on its own over ice with a sprig of rosemary. It’s a punchy gin and is big on juniper, coriander and bergamot, bringing added intensity to your G&T. BUY NOW from £14.95, Mother's Ruin (79/100). What’s your favourite gin? Read our community guidelines in full, The latest offers and discount codes from popular brands on Telegraph Voucher Codes, Mixing it up: there's a huge selection of gins on the market at the moment, all with distinctive botanicals and flavourings, Nigella's latest recipe: how to butter toast, Finally, it's here! Particularly Blood Orange and Parma Violet. Sake, cherry blossom and yuzu - the aromatic Japanese citrus fruit - help create a sweet gin with a creamy mouthfeel. Hepple gin (45% ABV) Best traditional English gin. The result is world class: a gin with delicate floral touches that creates a rich mouthfeel. We ensured everything was included, from supermarket options to household names and craft-gin distillers. One of the first gins to be distilled in Kent since the 1800s, Anno was launched at the end of 2013 by three scientists. The World Gin Awards select the very best gins in the internationally recognised gin styles and promote the world’s best gins to consumers and trade across the globe. T he gin boom, or ginaissance, is still going strong, with the British public buying more of the juniper-based tipple than ever before.. Death’s Door uses just three botanicals: juniper, coriander and fennel. Made in small batches in West Kirby, it’s perfect when mixed with lemonade and should be served cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Best Old Tom Gin Hernö Old Tom Hernö Old Tom Gin. Maker Stephen Marsh recommends serving it with tonic and mint. For more, visit our reviews section and find over 400 practical buyer’s guides, including taste tests of whisky, vodka, rum, brandy and more. An Aussie gin built on the four pillars of a copper still, water from the Yarra Valley, local botanicals and a whole lotta love! Subscription offer: save 44% and receive a brand-new cookbook. Gin, a descendant of the Dutch spirit genever, has been around for centuries. There are more than 350 distilleries in the UK alone, so working your way through to find a  favourite could prove to be an expensive (and liver-panicking) affair. It never goes wrong as a decent bottle to give on special occasions, and is widely available in supermarkets if you need something last-minute. Drury 173 Craft Gin was praised for having a wonderful sherbet, grapefruit and lemon zest aroma with fresh lemon, grapefruit and herb flavours followed by a light smooth texture. Gin can be distilled from almost anything, including grain, fruit, potatoes, or grapes. Want to see the full list? Find some great savings on drinks this month with our expert pick of the best Black Friday alcohol deals throughout November, including gin, rum, whiskey and tequila. It’s spicy yet delicate, with blossoming elderflower notes. The result is an earthy gin sure to impress for its outstanding balance. One of the new wave of gins to hit shelves in the past few years, this is ‘compounded’ by adding the botanicals to a neutral spirit and steeping until the flavour develops. Joel and Neil from World's Best Spirits have rounded up their favourite craft, flavoured and independent gins. In a world where most craft gins seem to stuff tons of botanicals into their recipes, this wonderful brand from America stands out for its simplicity. This particular bottle is classed as a ‘fruit cup’, or a gin-based drink flavoured with herbs, spices and fruits – the gin version of Pimm’s, essentially. Bombay Sapphire isn't for everyone, but this iteration of the spirit is worth a try. Outstanding, simple and a crowd-pleaser. From classic London Dry Gins to on-trend pink and flavoured gins, the market is overwhelmed with options. Created by renowned French Distiller Alexandre Gabriel, this premium French gin is produced, even down to the growing of the juniper berries, on the grounds of  Gabriel's family home of Châteaux de Bonbonnet in Cognac, where the family has been creating spirits for 10 generations. Wrapping up a bottle of this will definitely earn you brownie points. Moonshot Gin from That Boutique-y Gin Company is made solely with botanicals that have been sent to space. Ingredients including juniper, coriander, cubeb pepper, fresh lemon peel and camomile flowers were sent via balloon into the stratosphere at an approximate altitude of 24km where they were exposed to extremely low pressures. When you first sip, there's a strong blast of juniper, but a whole host of other locally-harvested botanicals soon come out to play, from buckthorn to blaeberries. Several bars, including The Dorchester, have it exclusively made for their drinks, but there are several good recreations for general sale, including this one from Hayman's. A delicious mix of chamomile, lavender and honey flavours, it’s made on the Albury Estate in the Surrey Hills, so it’s a real product of its location. It really comes to life when garnished with grapefruit. The result? And, here at Good Housekeeping, we have always been a big fan of the juniper-based spirit. The result is a crisp, citrus-packed mouthful with a gorgeous, herbaceous base. 1. The Amazon rainforest isn't the most obvious place to source gin ingredients, but Canaima proves it's one of the best. The Taste categories are based upon the commonly held gin groupings which define the style and process of gin production. Rich and smooth, this Spanish gin has a distinct savoury backbone. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. Limehouse Pink Gin and Asda Extra Special Pink Gin ticked our boxes for great flavour and good balance. is great in a G&T, with a slice of orange instead of lemon or lime, but Whitley Neill's flavoured gins are also some of the most diverse and delicious on the market. Uncorking it is like stepping into a fragrant English garden on a summer’s day – all soft chamomile and honeysuckle. Perfect for a small gift or someone still discovering which gins they prefer. Distilled in Spain, botanicals include rosemary, thyme, olive, and basil, while the flavour was complex and the gin profile balanced. The nineteen botanicals including pepper, anise, nutmeg and cinnamon, make for a pleasing spice that lingers on the nose as the flavour develops. We’re here to help with our expert taste test of the most special, beautifully bottled gin. When it comes to flavour, chefs know more than most. What's inside the bottle is just as good. With its ornate glass bottle, Bloom will make a pretty addition to any home bar. Few is an independent outfit from Chicago where the distillers make their own spirits from scratch (a fairly rare occurrence). Hepple is distilled in the North East and is the brainchild of well-known chef and forager, Valentine Warner, and it shows. Serve with fresh oysters, which are in abundance in the area surrounding the distillery. We also have reviews of gin glasses plus expert gin taste tests, including round-ups of the best pink, sloe, citrus and rhubarb gin, plus gift guides like the best letterbox gifts to order online. Nothing beats a classic, and Beefeater is arguably the grandfather of gins. So what are the best out there? The mint gives it a refreshing coolness that stays on the tongue. This gin is distilled in a copper pot still named "Marjorie." We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. But which gins are best? The perfect little tipple for a quirky martini. In what is our biggest gin test to date, our expert panel put the spirit to the test across six key gin categories. The venerable Tom Collins, one of the easiest, most crowd pleasing gin drinks you can make. If you enjoy it with an olive rather than citrus zest, Gin Mare is the one for you. For anyone who is building a decent collection of different gins, try giving them a bottle of Martini’s latest. This is only available in-store from Beefeater’s visitor centre in London - if you happen to be passing by, it’s worth popping in for. Sales in the UK hit a record high in 2018, when shops and indepedents managed to shift more than 70 million bottles, racking up over £2 billion. It's chock-full of unusual Kentish botanicals, from lavender to samphire to hops, but nothing dominates the palate. The best rumThe best bourbonThe best artisan ginsThe best traditional gins10 spirits to buy to stay on-trend. Beer 52 exclusive offer: Get a free case of craft beer worth £24. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Read on to discover our top picks for Christmas, birthdays and beyond. Vermouth is to gin what McCartney was to Lennon: together they make a great pair, but as individuals, they’re also star performers. Choosing the best gin is not an easy thing. When there’s a whole world of gin to choose from, how do you know which will make the most special presents? Hayman's Old Tom Gin is one of the best examples of this old world style, though it was only recently launched in 2007. Find out more, The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. It's essentially a supercharged, punchier version of the original, with a lot more heat, and a lingering finish. Do pay a visit to the distillery if you get the chance – its glasshouse is a thing of unadulterated beauty. A great gin with bold botanical flavours of juniper, rosemary, thyme, olives, basil and a zingy citrus burst. If you're after a pink gin that has great fruit and berry flavours, then our joint winners have got you covered. Hepple is distilled in the North East and is the brainchild of well-known chef and forager, Valentine Warner, and it shows. WE EARN A COMMISSION FOR PRODUCTS PURCHASED THROUGH SOME LINKS IN THIS ARTICLE. Crafted in central London, the distilling process still utilises copper pot stills to this day and, from the distillery’s home in Kennington, you can see directly into the Oval cricket ground. Our panel awarded this gin the winner because of its complex flavours, and warming and smooth aftertaste. No.3 subscribes to the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality, and is all the better for it. Taste winners. Best served in a simple cocktail where it can really shine. From dry gin to flavoured gin liqueurs, we tasted over 100 different varieties to find the best. This is a gin made with passion and flavour at the very heart of it, and can be enjoyed simply over ice. Last year, stats showed that more than 66 million bottles of gin were sold in the UK. But what defines this ever-popular spirit is the predominant use of juniper, which must be included in the mix of botanicals that flavor this important cocktail component. With its white ceramic bottle and art nouveau-inspired label, this Scottish gin from Dunnet Bay Distillery certainly stands out from the crowd. On the nose, we got elderflower and lemon verbena, too, while the pomegranate and rose makes a nice flavour combination. It's wonderfully subtle and smooth. Light and packed with flavour. Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla ticked all our boxes. Magazine subscription – save 44% and get a cookbook of your choice. Partnered with a sweet and light aroma to counter the savoury taste and a texture of great length. It doesn't: the fruitiness is subtle, and those distinctively "ginny" juniper notes are in the background, making it a good one to try on people who claim to not like gin). Some gin drinkers prefer a flavoured variation that adds a certain sweetness to the overall drink. Created by a young bartender named Dee Davies, this is an unusual fusion of East And West: a British gin inspired by the flavours of Japan. You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Everyone's taste buds are different and thanks to the sheer amount of gin brands available right now (we seriously aren't complaining here), the choice can be overwhelming. This gin was a winner thanks to its sweet and floral aroma. A perfect balance of flavour without ruining the juniper notes. Try it in a Martinez, a predecessor of the martini, by stirring 30ml Old Tom, 60ml Italian vermouth, 2 dashes of bitters and 2 dashes of maraschino liqueur with ice before straining into a martini glass. A gin that looks as great as it tastes – the aqua blue of the Silent Pool bottle is mesmerising. To make life easier, we've chosen 14 gins guaranteed to make a G&T or martini to remember – or not, depending on how many you drink. There’s growing interest among cocktail enthusiasts in Old Tom Gin – a slightly sweetened spirit which is closer to the kind of gin which would have been drunk in 19th century, when many of our classic cocktails were born. Tasting them completely blind, our testing panel included award-winning spirits tutors from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. This is a gin made with passion and flavour at the very heart of it, and can be enjoyed simply over ice. A ray of sunshine from the southern hemisphere to chilly UK climates. And we're not just buying the bottles. With juniper at its heart and balanced with botanicals, Beefeater is best when simply mixed with tonic and ice. First launched in July 2013, this raspberry-steeped gin is so prettily pink you almost expect it to taste like candy floss. Thanks to a bigger interest in cocktails, a desire for lower-calorie drink options and the increase in innovative and exciting gins on the market, gin has become the tipple of choice in the UK.