One could argue that every season is gin season.
But when it comes to the lighter, warmer months, there’s nothing like sipping on a flavoured variety of the spirit once known as Mother’s Ruin.
Gin has long been the darling of the drinks world, not least thanks to its versatility. Distilleries and small batch producers everywhere have been busy launching flavoursome boozy inventions that Willy Wonka would marvel at: think seaweed, blood orange, cardamom, raspberry and plenty more, all in the hopes of quenching the nation’s thirst for the juniper-spiked classic.
These flavours are perfect for those who fancy a step change from the usual juniper notes, and can be elevated even further with fancy garnishes to really make the notes within sing.
Then there is the new wave of celebrity-backed gins brought to market by red-carpet regulars. It’s not all clever marketing; some of these distillations are really rather good. You’ll get the measure of the nicest flavoured ones below.
Finding your favourite is, of course, all a matter of taste, but with so many options on shelves out there, narrowing it down can be a task. That’s where we come in.
In the noble name of journalism, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to sort the best from the lot, from old favourites to fresh, new iterations that’ll shake up your drinks cabinet. Each one is ideal for enjoying in a classic G&T and worthy for mixing in a gin cocktail.
Breathe new life into your booze trolley, and shop our favourites now
Sipsmith Strawberry Smash Gin
Summer is here and that means Wimbledon and all the hot action on the courts isn’t far off.
If you prefer drinking your strawbs to eating them (much more fun; but won’t count as one of your five-a-day), call on Sipsmith, who is serving up this bouquet of fruity ginny loveliness for your delectation. The handcrafted distillation sees a base of London Dry livened up with the flavour of fresh strawberries plucked from a Kent farm.
Try it on its own with tonic and plenty of ice, or whip up a gin spritz for a summery take on a classic. Champion.
Buy now £29.95, Master of Malt
Bombay Sapphire Citron Pressé Lemon Flavoured Gin
If you've been within sniffing distance of a bar at some point in your life, you've heard of Bombay Sapphire. The mothership of gins, a light blue bottle of the spirit can be found in every decent watering hole around the world.
While the original drink was made in 1987, it proved so popular that the brand has since rolled out a party of spirit siblings: you can now get your mitts on flavoured gins like Bramble, Bramble with Blackberry & Raspberry, English Estate (flavoured with mint, rosehip and hazelnuts), and Sunset, which tastes of white cardamom, turmeric and mandarin.
While the OG gin is a perfect all-rounder, for warmer weather, try the Citron Pressé full of lip-smacking Mediterranean lemon notes on a classic London Dry base. The juicy gin is refreshing enough when paired with tonic but comes alive when mixed into a summery cocktail.
And now you can get it in pre-mixed Collins cocktail in swiggable can format too.
Chin chin!
Buy now £24.00, Amazon
Ukiyo Japanese Blossom Gin
Blended from carefully sourced sakura blossom and native botanicals, Ukiyo is a floral and flavoursome gin distilled with a traditional Japanese rice spirit. It is full of gentle, elegant flavour and as a bonus the bottle looks pretty amazing on shelves and drinks trolleys too. Stir into a tonic or soda with ice and a slice.
There is also a yuzu, juniper and coriander version available.
Buy now £31.00, Amazon
Bloom Gin Jasmine and Rose
Offering an altogether more opulent quaffing experience, Bloom not only pours its gin into beautifully embossed glass bottles but adds elevated ingredients like rose and vanilla blossom in there too.
This addition reinvents the classic G&T or gin cocktail, like a gimlet, Singapore sling or martini, giving it greater depths of delicate flavour.
Our money’s on Jasmine and Rose, a light floral gin that’s a refreshing, sugar-free twist on its classic pink sister.
Buy now £24.89, Amazon
Cambridge Distillery Truffle Gin
That’s right, truffle-flavoured gin. For the gin-obsessive who thinks they’ve seen it all, this Cambridge Distillery’s smart-looking square bottle wins the prize for most original. As you would expect, it’s full of punchy flavour with an immediate hit of truffle on the nose, followed by white truffle and juniper on the tongue. As unique as they come.
Buy now £78.00, Master of Malt
Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb & Ginger Gin
Crafted in the heart of Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh Gin has plenty of flavoured varieties to discover under its boozy belt. It counts this sweet and spicy small batch gin as a fan favourite with the natural flavours of tangy rhubarb and warming ginger added to its classic London Dry, along with lemongrass and lavender for balance. If you’re one for gin with a slight kick, also see the brand’s half strength gin liqueur (20 per cent ABV) in the Strawberry & Pink Pepper offering.
Buy now £22.49, Master of Malt
The Lakes Classic English Gin, 70cl
Offering a deliciously Regency aesthetic, this stunning bottle of gin made in the Lake District is the definition of elegance. The classic gin is 46 per cent ABV and features notes of juniper, cracked black pepper and orange peel - try a citrus garnish to set this off beautifully.
Sweet-favouring palates might enjoy the blush-coloured Grapefruit version instead.
Buy now £36.50, John Lewis
Jaffa Cake Gin
Uniting the universally-loved flavours of the teatime favourite, Jaffa Cake Gin has been made with notes of oranges, fresh orange peel, cocoa powder and the piece de resistance: real Jaffa Cakes. Packaged in a tall glass 70cl bottle with a bold label, it’s lip-smackingly delicious neat or as the star ingredient in a weekend Negroni.
Buy now £29.95, Master of Malt
Kakuzo Yuzu Gin Liqueur
There's nothing wrong with shaking up your usual G&T every now and again. For those occasions, reach for Kakuzo's bottle of Yuzu Gin Liqueur, infused with citrussy notes of yuzu and mandarin for a tastier, thirst-quenching serve.
Buy now £31.25, The Whisky Exchange
Slingsby Gooseberry Gin
Made using Harrogate spring water and sharp Yorkshire gooseberries, Slingsby Gooseberry gin is fruity, refreshing, and perfect for the summer days.
Combining locally sourced botanicals, it hits with an initial fresh citrus burst, followed by a fruit-induced sweetness for a well tempered finish. This is wonderful served simple with a tonic, or for a more decadent take on this classic London dry gin, mix with prosecco.
Buy now £31.49, Master of Malt
Kopparberg Gin Strawberry and Lime Gin
The Swedish drinks brand best known for its line of fruity ciders shook up the game when it entered the gin world in 2019 with its bestselling Strawberry & Lime flavour, and has been adding to its spirits shelf ever since. If the mood takes you, you can now buy Passionfruit & Orange and Mixed Fruit gins to liven up your tonic too. For us, the first is still the best, with notes of sweet strawberry sharpened by spiky notes of lime.
Buy now £17.25, Tesco
Jawbox Pineapple & Ginger Gin Liqueur
This gin feels more tropical, which we're putting down to the involvement of pineapple and ginger in the ingredients list. While Jawbox's fruity creation will serve perfectly well as way to revive your regular G&T, try it in long cocktails like a mojito (swap for the rum) or a Tom Collins. Now that’s good summer sippin’.
Buy now £24.49, Master of Malt
Lonewolf Peach and Passionfruit Gin
If you’ve got a particularly thirsty sweet tooth, point your mouse to Brewdog’s website where alongside beer, you can now get your paws on a bottle of the brand’s Lonewolf Gin, available flavours like Peach and Passionfruit, Cloudy Lemon, Cactus and Lime and the dangerous-sounding Gunpowder.
Buy now £29.95, Brewdog
Isle of Wight Distillery Mermaid Pink Gin
Mermaid Pink Gin is the Isle of Wight Distillery’s first foray into Flavoured Gin territory and it’s a real showstopper, with swathes of island-grown strawberries bubbling up out of the glass.
The strawberries arrive first on the tongue, sweet, ripe and reminiscent of hazy summer days. A hit of coastal samphire adds a medicinal touch, mixing with the fruit to bring in a soothing, cough-syrup feel. The gin within shines bright, lavishing the palate with bright green coriander.
It’s a superb take on the Pink Gin trend and is best served with lashings of ice, lemon and slightly bashed strawberries.
While this is a pink gin, it would be remiss of us not to mention the distillery’s standout Original and Zest flavours. The latter in particular is made with botanicals harvested from the Isle of Wight.
Buy now £35.99, Master of Malt
Monkey 47 Kiosk Gin Gift Set
One of the finest gins that money can buy, if your recipient has never tried Monkey 47, this set of miniatures offers a fabulous introduction. As well as the original, there are 5cl bottles of the sloe version as well as the barrel cut, each ripe for sipping with tonic or as part of a cocktail.
Buy now £27.00, Amazon
Sipsmith Orange & Cacao Gin
This flavour was initially part of the distillery’s subscription service, but proved so popular amongst tasters that graduated to a permanent listing.
On the nose, soft orange and a slightly musty cacao ring out, along with a slightly dusty, spice-cupboard smell. A burst of juicy orange fills the cheeks upon sipping, while the chocolate supplies a sweet, moreish note that helps the spirit glide down the throat like silk. Once the initial flavours fade, all that’s left is a stripe of juniper and a warm, citrussy coriander note. Heaven in a glass.
Buy now £18.99, Amazon
Manly Coastal Citrus Gin
This Aussie Gin is more than just a pretty face – though we’ll excuse distractions from the bottle’s beauty. The team have delivered hard on the promise of citrus flavours, with lemon, orange, lemongrass and lemon myrtle in the mix. The citrus blend conspires to form a heady blaze of sherbet sunshine, whilst a dash of sea parsley rings in the salty taste of the coast. A perfect gin for beach picnics.
Buy now £39.95, The Whisky Exchange
Boë Violet Gin
Boë Violet Gin has a botanical line-up plucked from the history books, with just the right amount of sugar, spice and all things nice to make it as close to classic as they come.
A post-distillation infusion of vibrant violet petals, though, not only adds a bold purple colour but a sweet-shop Parma Violet taste. Once the sweetness subsides, the violet transforms, bringing a rocket-like herbal note that beautifully complements the core gin.
Try it with a basic Indian Tonic, but if you’re feeling fancy, pairing with Fentimans Rose Lemonade is a winner.
Buy now £24.00, Tesco
Caorunn Scottish Raspberry Gin
Think of this gin as raspberry ripple in booze form. It’s much less sweet than other pink gins, although the raspberry flavour is so ripe and round you can almost feel the berries on your tongue.
There’s a real thwack of Scotland, too, with a hefty dose of heather adding a great, warm kick to the back of the tongue. Serve with Indian Tonic and a chunky slice of pink grapefruit for a killer G&T, or go for complete overindulgence by adding in a touch of cream soda.
Buy now £31.50, The Whisky Exchange
Manchester Raspberry Infused Gin 50cl
Infused with notes of juicy raspberry, this gin is as delightful as the vessel it comes in. If you’re adept with a glass cutter, slice off the top to make cool glasses or hurricane lanterns to show off on social media.
Buy now £32.99, Amazon
Keepr’s Honey Gin
Made by the British Honey company using nectar pulled from hives have dotted all over the Cotswolds, Keepr’s Honey Gin is a delectably sweet, soft spirit that soothes the throat and warms the soul. Hugely malty, with a strong, genever like base, this has swathes of juniper throughout and a fierce spice kick. While the honey delivers a delicate taste to the fore, the sweetness really kicks in towards the end of the sip, with a burnt caramel rounding out the profile. It definitely deserves to be shaken up into a Bee’s Knees, although for a simple serve you could just try coaxing out the pollen with the addition of Merchant’s Heart Floral Aromatics Tonic.
Buy now £36.80, Amathus Drinks
Sacred Cardamom Gin
It should go without saying that if you aren’t a fan of cardamom, this gin is very possibly going to make you foam at the mouth.
If, however, the beautiful green beads conjure nothing but warm perfume notes and memories of sweet, spiced desserts, you’re going to fall head over heels.
The spice is present in every sip of Sacred Cardamom Gin; it dominates the nose and paints the tongue with an intoxicating heat and a flavour so deep you feel like you could swim in it. Serve it up with whatever tonic you fancy and a wedge of sweet orange and you’re onto a winner.
Buy now £37.95, The Whisky Exchange
Mason’s Yorkshire Tea Gin
Oh, what a thing of beauty Mason’s Yorkshire Tea Gin is! Two British drink icons – tea and gin – unite to deliver a sharp, dry and delicate flavour that’s comfortingly familiar yet brilliantly unique.
The tea really works to highlight the gin’s citrus notes and adds a huge depth to the otherwise dusky spices. Herbal and refreshing, this is a gin you’ll find yourself reaching for again and again.
Try it with a classic tonic and a lemon peel twist to supercharge the flavour.
Buy now £23.00, Amazon
Aber Falls Orange Marmalade Gin
More noted for their whiskies, Aber Falls are also a dab hand with gin. This Orange Marmalade expression is brimming with citrus flavours, jostling for attention alongside pine and juniper, coming together for a warming finish that is sure to banish any flu.
This gin goes perfectly with Jeffrey’s Not So Plain Tonic, based out of Cheshire this independent producer creates boutique tonics as well as tonic syrups, their Not So Plain bottle offers Sicilian lemon notes that provide the ideal foil for the marmalade gin.
Buy now £24.50, Master of Malt
Hensol Castle Welsh Dry Gin
From across the border in beautiful Wales, this British-made gin is a small-batch variety, distilled in the cellar of a 17th century Glamorgan castle. The London Dry has a slew of medals under its best, most notably 'Best in Wales' for the classic category. As such, it's perfect with a tonic mixer but does well in cocktails too.
If it's extra flavour you're after, choose from the Orange Zest and Strawberry & Hibiscus.
Buy now £29.84, Amazon
