Gin is a beautiful thing, not least because you can use it to make one of the best-known cocktails around: the martini.
The spirit is front and centre in this iconic serve, whose fans include Sir Winston Churchill, Humphrey Bogart, and the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Film buffs will also know that it’s a signature drink for one 007, who issues his famous instruction when ordering: “shaken, not stirred.” In fact, James Bond author Ian Fleming loved them so much that he immortalised a version of the cocktail, the Vesper, in Casino Royale.
The drink is so adored, that there’s even a national day dedicated to it - June 19.
What types of martini are there?
If you’ve never mixed a martini before, a traditional one is simple and straightforward.
Mix one part vermouth with three parts gin, pour into a chilled martini glass and add a squeeze of lemon oil from the peel, using it as a garnish. Then - brace for lift-off.
This is a straight version, but you can make a classic, also known as a wet martini by mixing equal parts of vermouth and gin.
Meanwhile, a dirty or filthy martini mixes the booze with olive brine to give it delicious salty flavour. An odd number of olives (typically one or three) are added as a garnish, threaded through a toothpick across the rim of the glass.
One of the most popular ways to have it these days is by ordering an espresso martini. Made like a traditional martini, it swaps the vermouth for coffee and sometimes features chocolate shavings or roasted beans on top. There are many other variations, from lychee and blueberry to chocolate and apples, all showing the adaptability of the martini.
Vodka martinis are also a thing, but for the sake of the purists, and in light of this roundup - the less said about them, the better.
If you’re looking for the perfect gin to make a martini that’ll blow the cobwebs off, we’ve put together a list of the best bottles to introduce to your drinks trolley. From classic London Dry to fruit-laden options to put a juicy twist on your martini, see the best below.
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Beefeater Crown Jewel
Originally launched for the duty-free market, Beefeater has endured and emerged as one of the finest London Dry gins of its kind.
Fit for royalty comes this fabulous ruby red Crown Jewel bottle with an ABV of 50 per cent (so easy does it) and at a more-generous-than-usual full litre. Bring out the added grapefruit notes with a matching garnish on a classic G&T or mix into a martini for a drink fit for royalty.
Buy now £55.94, Master of Malt
Sipsmith London Dry Gin, 70cl
Best reserved for dry martini making, Sipsmith’s London Dry is a sure-fire winner. The London distiller’s use of botanicals and small batch process means every expression slips down the throat beautifully. Pair with vermouth and a lemon twirl to make a classic gin martini.
Buy now £23.50, Amazon
Tanqueray London Dry Gin 70cl
An excellent producer of a classic London Dry gin, plenty of martini aficionados swear by Tanqueray for their favourite tipple. While the OG bottle is superb in a traditional recipe, the brand also offers varieties flavoured with oranges, lime and blackberry so you can shake things up (literally) when you fancy a change.
Buy now £19.50, Sainsbury's
Hendrick’s Gin
Presenting itself as whimsically peculiar, Hendrick’s is your go-to for a spirit with a playful side. As well as the original Scottish iteration, infused with cucumber and rose, the ‘cabinet of curiosities’ includes a Midsummer Solstice gin (juniper with orange blossom), Orbium (quinine, wormwood and lotus blossom), Neptunia (coastal botanicals with a smooth citrus kick), and a mysterious Lunar version (mellow and spicy) to try.
Buy now £25.00, Amazon
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
Clean and fresh, The Botanist is crafted on the island of Islay in Scotland using 22 wild botanicals and nine gin spices. The dry gin is a bartender’s favourite: its complex, multi-layered flavour makes it wonderfully versatile for all kinds of martini and cocktails, as well as a straight-up G&T.
Buy now £32.99, Amazon
Bombay Sapphire Citron Pressé Lemon Flavoured Gin
Love the sweet zing of lemon in your martini? Upgrade a traditional recipe by using Bombay Sapphire’s Citron Presse as the base for your serve. Packed with lip-smacking Mediterranean lemon notes dancing on a classic London Dry base, the juicy gin comes alive when mixed into a martini to savour on warm summer evenings.
Buy now £20.00, Amazon
Gordon's Gin
A fixture behind any bar or pub in the country, Gordon’s is one of the most instantly recognisible bottles thanks to the bright green glass that the spirit is poured into. The OG is a London Dry gin, best used to mix a dry martini.
Buy now £22.50, Morrisons
MONKEY 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin
Hailing from Germany's Black Forest, Monkey 47 is a premium gin mixed with - you guessed it - 47 botanicals to create a superior spirit. No surprise then, that it tastes on the herby, botanical side, those green notes jostling up against Indian spices and all mixed with super soft spring water.
The handcrafted gin is then poured into apothecary-style bottles and shut with a cork stopper.
Buy now £37.99, Amazon
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, also £35.
Buy now £35.00, John Lewis
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
Martini Extra Dry Vermouth
A classic vermouth for any drinks cabinet or trolley, this option is the main ingredient for a great martini cocktail (no surprises there, given the name). The drink, over 100 years old, is iconic and aromatic in its tasting notes.
First launched in the 1900s, the dry white wine has hints of raspberry, lemon and iris roots, which are sundried for three years. Add it to gin, and garnish with lemon peel to enjoy a winning martini.
Buy now £10.50, Waitrose
