Gin and tonic is the sheer representation of simplicity and efficiency. Made with only two ingredients, both of which constitute the name of the drink, gin and tonic are among the most popular and sought-after drinks.
You can have it at any bar, but you can also enjoy it at home, as both of the ingredients are easy to find and are very affordable.
As a spirit derived from juniper berries, gin is very receptive to the berry flavor, so often, your gin and tonic glass may contain small berries that enrich the flavor.
The tonic part of the gin and tonic drink is very easy to find and fit, as most tonics taste similar. Bubbly, bitter, refreshing, with a slightly sweet note, whichever tonic you choose will definitely do well in your drink.
On the other hand, selecting the proper gin for gin and tonic is a more important and more complex decision. It’s not like you are dicing the next 50 years of your life but are condemning your night to failure if you don’t choose wisely.
Gin, by nature, is a harsh and bitter drink. Since it derives from juniper berries, it does have that fruity and refreshing note that makes it appealing to gin-lovers, but gin I rarely a drink you drink neat, though you can absolutely do so.
Considering that gin and tonic is a drink made with two bitter and edgy drinks, you need to balance things out by selecting a mellower type of gin.
Gin is a more dry than sweet drink, meaning that it doesn’t contain that much sugar, so even the mellow gins still have a sharp dimension.
Considering that there is no legal requirement for gin to age a certain amount of time, gin is ready for bottling a few months after just finishing in a barrel.
More: 15 Best Gins for Negroni
Therefore, it isn’t as smooth as whiskey, for example. If you haven’t had gin, the closest texture comparison would be with tequila blanco, i.e., the tequila that rests for one to three months before bottling.
Therefore, when ordering gin and tonic, don’t expect a smooth ride. It takes a few sips to get the hang of it and find its beauty because it does have plenty of it.
Top 20 Gin for Gin and Tonic Cocktails
In this article, I will give you a list of 20 gin bottles that are perfect for gin and tonic.
1. Hendricks
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Hendrick’s gin is known for its floral and fresh tasting notes, which makes it perfect for gin and tonic. On the nose, it exhibits cream and citrus tones, as well as strong juniper notes. You can also notice rose petal aromas as well as crisp cucumber tones.
Mid-palate, it is expressively fresh with noticeable cucumber notes mixed with juniper, oak, and just a whiff of citrus and vanilla.
The finish is long and floral, leaving you with a fresh mouth and lingering aftertaste. It is overall bitter, a tad sweet, and a pinch savory.
When mixed with tonic, the harsher aspects of the gin mellow down thanks to the bubbles that make the sting less harsh.
The sweetness of the tonic, no matter how discrete it is, becomes more visible and more noticeable, creating a well-balanced collection of flavors.
2. Gordon’s
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Gordon’s gin is probably the sweetest one on this list, though you shouldn’t expect a candy-like sweetness. It has expressive juniper aromas and flavors all over, starting from the nose and ending with the aftertaste.
If you want your gin and tonic combo to be floral and fresh, it is a good idea to make it with this gin. Its aroma is very inviting, with lemon zest hints, a tad of sweetness, and a soft herbal dimension.
Mid-palate, it is very elegant and pure, tasting like dry juniper mixed with lemon zest and other citrus tones. The finish is quite simple, without any fuss, but with a very pleasant lemony and juniper-flavored notes.
Your gin and tonic made with this gin will taste even better with some citrus wedges in your glass or small berry fruits to further enrich and deepen the flavor.
3. Nolet’s Silver
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Very fruity and herbal, this is a very gentle gin, although it falls under the dry gin category. Its aroma encompasses berries, herbs, slight vanilla notes, and understated but potent citrus tones.
Mid-palate, it exhibits fruit, floral, peach, and raspberry notes that make this gin one of the most vibrant ones.
Mixed with tonic, it becomes even more effective and far more open-flavored. A gin and tonic made with this gin is very lively, colorful, and refreshing.
You will feel a well-balanced flavor encompassing sweet tones, sour and savory notes, slight bitterness, and a lot of fruitiness.
4. Tanqueray
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Natural and herbal, tasting expressively like juniper and small berry fruits, this gin is an excellent gin for gin and tonic.
The slight sweetness of the tonic brings out the fruitiness of the gin creating a vibrant and playful drink.
The Tanqueray gin tastes explicitly like piney juniper and slight lemon zest. In addition to juniper, its flavor profile includes herbs such as coriander, angelica, and licorice which do an excellent job balancing the remaining tasting notes.
This gin makes a very distinct gin and tonic tasting like herbs with natural notes and fruity tones. You can make your drink even more exciting by adding some fresh fruit into the glass, and so it releases additional flavor.
5. Beefeater
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This is an exceptionally clean gin, and when you taste it, it would be probably the best description you will come up with. With clean and clear notes of juniper and citrus, this gin is remarkably bold and flavorful.
On the nose, it exhibits strong notes of juniper and slight floral tones. You can easily recognize all the tasting notes included in the sip, making this gin the “professor” in the gin department, as it is clear and to the point.
In a gin and tonic, this gin makes a very good partner to the tonic part creating an overall exciting drink with clear flavors which are excellently balanced.
Flavorful yet not overwhelming, a gin and tonic made with this gin is a genuine refreshment and a very elegant drink.
6. Sipsmith VJOP
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This is a very colorful and very flavorful drink exhibiting a number of tasting notes, each more noticeable than the other.
With a classic juniper bold aroma, it captures the nose, alluring you to continue onto the palate.
What makes this gin original is its slight piquancy with understated but influential peppery notes. As the palate expands, it also shows notes of bitter orange oil as well as slight but noticeable vanilla tones.
The tonic bubbles will definitely tone down this gin’s intensity while accentuating its fruity side. A gin and tonic with this gin is definitely a delight for adventure-seekers and those who enjoy the edgier things in life.
7. Barr Hill
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This high-viscosity gin is one of the more complex ones on this list. With aromas of pine and grass, the nose continues to unravel toward citrus and cream, hinting from the beginning that this is not a simple-flavored drink. It is an overall robust and a very flavorful drink.
The pine and grass notes continue onto the palate, where it further develops with wildflower honey flavor and green leafiness. Some would say that it is a herb-dominated drink until the juniper flavor explodes mid-palate, where things become even more interesting.
It also creates a rich and warm sensation onto the palate and tongue with an expressively sweet, almost chocolaty flavor, making this gin truly unique.
In a gin and tonic, this gin further expands, becoming the dominant feature in the drink, whereby the tonic has a secondary and supporting role.
8. Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin
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Botanical indeed, this gin is very natural-tasting with expressive herbal tones. This gin has an exceptionally vibrant nose with notes of fresh-cut cucumber, sweet pickles, and a very distinct citrus tone.
The palate is very rich and versatile, tasting like tangerine, lemon, and juniper. It is high in viscosity producing a long-lasting flavor. The finish is long and vibrant, making this gin an ideal choice for a gin and tonic.
9. Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish
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Containing several flavors, this gin is most recognizable for its dominating citrus notes. In addition to citrus, it also has powerful juniper tones, as well as a slight and mellow vanilla whiff that isn’t as noticeable as it serves to underpin the rest of the flavors.
The finish is floral and fruity, warm, and very pleasant. In a gin and tonic, this gin releases gentle fruity notes, which are intensified by the bitterness of the tonic and the tickling bubbles.
10. The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
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Minty, herbal, and very refreshing, this gin’s leading tasting note is mint. It naturally includes juniper, pine, and citrus, mostly lemon zest. In the middle, it expands with sweet spices and floral tones.
It also encompasses chamomile and herbs de provence, accentuating further the cool and fresh minty flavor. The finish is warm with hints of juniper, discrete vanilla cream notes, licorice, and birch bark.
Mixed with tonic, this gin produces a very herbal drink that you can further expand with mint leaves and lemon wedges, so you get a simplified mojito.
11. Bombay Sapphire
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Bombay Sapphire is a classic gin, assertive, sharp, but complex nevertheless. The nose exhibits distinct herbal tones and an intense citrus freshness.
Even on the nose, it is sharp and assertive, creating an excellent introduction to what follows later.
This gin is very popular for gin and tonic, so it is deservingly on this list. Mid-palate, it has notes of lemon, juniper, and slightly sweet and floral underlying tones.
The bubbles from the tonic do an excellent job mellowing its slightly aggressive sharpness and creating an overall strong but delicious drink.
12. Roku Japanese Gin
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Roku Gin is an expressively herbal and natural-tasting gin. It exhibits subtle flavors, which together create a complex flavor profile of the drink.
Its most expressive notes are citrus, juniper, pepper, and spice, and they are all present at the same time.
Making gin and tonic with this gin means creating one of the most refined drinks, bursting with flavor, vibrant yet understated, and not at all overwhelming.
The finish is slightly tangy and herbal. However, this gin has been made in such a way that not only does flavor dominates the drink, but they are all very discrete and collaborate together excellently.
13. Caorunn Highland Strength Scottish Gin
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This gin creates a supple and luxurious sensation and is definitely one of the more elegant on this list. With an unmistakable minty aroma, the juniper notes are well-balanced with highly aromatic and natural herbal notes.
Mid-palate, it is peppery and fruity, with a slightly understated sweetness and tanginess as it approaches the finish. The finish is long and soft, with a lingering aftertaste and a soft sensation on the throat.
A gin and tonic made with this gin is a gentle drink and very refined one. You can also add berries to your glass and have each sip feel luxurious and upscale.
14. Fords Gin
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This is an expressively floral but assertive gin, nevertheless. It starts with juniper and sweet spice on the nose, followed by floral hints. The sip starts with gentle fresh hints of lavender and cream, while the mid-palate is more juniper-dominated.
This is an overall rich gin with a thick consistency and high viscosity. It exhibits notes of angelica, orris root, rose, and lavender.
The finish is lingering and citrus-flavored with a zesty peel note. A gin and tonic containing this gin is floral, refreshing, and very rich.
15. Gin Mare Mediterranean
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Well-named, this gin most certainly is Mediterranean-flavored. It captures the nose with a grassy aroma as well as juniper and thyme notes, as well as an underlying and seductive note of olive.
The mid-palate it has an unmistakable juniper flavor, with tones of basil and rosemary, thyme, and coriander. The finish is long with a pleasant lingering aftertaste hinting of herbs and citrus. It is very natural-tasting and abundant in freshness and herbal notes.
In a gin and tonic, this gin has the leading role in determining the drink’s flavor, creating an overall vibrant, somewhat soft, and very seductive mix.
16. Greenhook Ginsmiths American Dry Gin
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This is an expressively herbaceous gin with an exhilarating herbal flavor. It exhibits whiffs of elderflower, chamomile, juniper, cinnamon, coriander, and citrus peels on the nose, starting with a complex tone right away.
Mid-palate, it is gentle tasting like elderflower and chamomile, as well as notes of juniper. It is overall full-bodied with a long and smooth finish.
17. Junipero Gin
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Although herbal, natural, and pine-flavored, this gin is harsher than it seems. It is a very assertive drink and proof that there is such a thing as “too herbal.”
With intense notes of pine and juniper, it is definitely a strong drink, flavor-wise, which is why it is such a good choice for gin and tonic.
The bubbly tonic does an excellent job taming down the harsh aspects of the gin creating a better balanced but still an assertive drink.
18. Nikka Coffey Gin
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This gin is citrus and menthol-dominated, but the juniper notes aren’t absent either. On the nose, you can feel menthol, but also pine notes, while in the mid-palate, the pine phases out, and the menthol persists.
The finish is long, warm, and pleasant, with hints of juniper and spices. A gin and tonic with this gin are very herbal and somewhat floral, with slightly sweet notes.
19. St. George Spirits Terroir Gin
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This is a very consistent gin exhibiting the same notes on the nose as on the palate. By simply smelling it, you know what you are getting into. It has expressive tones of pine and pine cones delightfully mashed with notes of juniper.
The palate exhibits more of the same, with a stronger intensity and an ingenuous balance. The finish is soft and warm, which makes this gin a great choice for gin and tonic if you like well-moderated flavors.
20. Stray Dog Wild Gin
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Very herbal, this gin is the right one for your gin and tonic if you like natural and soft flavors. The notes of sage, rosemary, fennel seed, bay leaf, mastiha, orange, and lemon will enchant your nose and pull you closer to experiencing the same on the palate.
As the palate expands, you get to feel each flavor individually without being overwhelmed.
FAQ’s
Is Bombay Or Tanqueray Gin Better?
Depending on your personal preference, both Bombay and Tanqueray can do a good job. Bombay gin is a classical gin with noticeable sharpness and bitterness.
Tanqueray gin is a mellower with more expressive juniper notes. If you want a sharper drink, whether you have your gin neat or mixed with another ingredient, you should go with the Bombay, and if you want a mellower and fruitier drink, go with the Tanqueray.
Is Bombay Gin Good For Gin And Tonic?
Bombay is an excellent gin for gin and tonic. However, it is more on the harsher and bitter side, so you may want to consider that when ordering it.
Your Bombay gin and tonic will be bitter, vibrant, edgy, and slightly sour. This is the perfect option for you if you like more intense flavors.
What Gin Do Bartenders Use?
The Tanqueray London dry gin is famous among bartenders as the gin they prefer to use. Nevertheless, it isn’t uncommon for bartenders to use other brands they consider appropriate for the type of bar and customers that frequent it.
Resources:
- https://shopsk.com/blogs/blog/the-5-different-types-of-gin
- https://www.masterofmalt.com/gin/hendricks-gin/
- https://www.masterofmalt.com/gin/english-gin/london-dry-gin/gordons/gordons-gin/
- https://naturalwine.com/greenhook-ginsmiths-american-dry-gin/
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