New World Gin

This category has a few different monikers - New Western Gin and Botanical Gin to name a few. In reality, this style of gin is more of a catchall for juniper based spirits that don’t follow all of the rules of distilled gin but still want to base their origins on the spirit. Often times, it’s a clever marketing ploy of gins to set themselves apart from the heavy weight champions of London Dry Gin that have centuries of production and expeience behind them.

A New World Gin is a gin that is a juniper based spirit with added flavor. Specific legislation doesn’t exist in this category and it can be made anywhere in the world. However, we would argue for creating this as a category should the opportunity arise. Not just for placing boundaries on traditional gins, but also for allowing the consumer to make more informed decisions when purchasing gins for themselves.

Tasting notes in this category are as wade as you can imagine . Just like flavored vodkas, flavored gins exist too! Common flavors include coriander, saffron, butterfly pea, cucumber, rose petal, rhubarb, and peppercorns.

Suggested Products - Hendrick’s, Aviation, & Empress.

Suggested Cocktails - Ramos Gin Fizz, Aviation, & Last Word

Alright, you’ve read throuigh all of the styles of gin. Are you ready to start tasting? Gin is an incredibly dynamic and nuanced spirits. It is also an incredible spirit to taste as you get to immerse yourself in the individual botanicals that give gin its unique flavors and aromas.

Compared to tasting vodka, gin is much easier and more straightforward. The botanicals all but leap out of the glass for you to smell and taste. The best way to taste all of these gins, like all spirits, is to place them side by side to see much they differentiate themselves from one another. You’ll begin to notice the small differences in spices, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and minerals present in each style.

Tasting through the offerings of gin below can be an eye-opening experience. You’ll notice how the production of each offering presents very different flavors and textures as you drink them. Gin will be clean and dry, genever will be malty and sweet, and Old Tom will be think and sweet like molasses. When tasting them, think of these comparisons as you make your own mental notes.

- Dry or Sweet? (How much sugar?)
- Smooth or Rough (Alcohol content!)
- Clean or Dirty (What texture does it have?)
- Is it light and delicate or bold and aggressive?
- Soft or Biting?
- Does it dissipate quickly or linger?
- Is it fruity, earthy, vegetal, malty, or floral?

We recommend placing the following side by side and tasting them to get a full spread of the different styles of gin that are out there. The best way to do this is to get several glasses and pour one ounce samples of each. To taste, take a small sip. Then take a second sip and let it swirl around your mouth and tongue before swallowing. Then, take a third sip and repeat step two. Don’t worry, you don’t have to swallow all of these spirits (you can if you want to!). Many of us professionals will swish the spirit around our mouths and then spit it out into a separate receptacle. We always make sure we’re as responsible as possible when tasting spirits so we don’t get inebriated when trying multiple spirits or drinks. Don’t forget! - take a sip of water between each new sample to cleanse your palate!

1 - Beefeater
2 - Plymouth
3 - Hendrick’s
4 - Ransom Old Tom Gin
5 - Tanqueray
6 - Aviation
7 - Bol’s Genever

Want to get extra crazy? Have a friend place them in front of you without you knowing which are which. This is what we call a “blind” tasting because you won’t know what you’re drinking until the very end! This allows for the most non-judgmental tasting approach to find out which is your favorite!