There can be no doubt that sweet and floral gins are dominant at the moment, but with gin’s popularity showing no signs of slowing, it’s savoury gin that distillers seem to be increasingly focusing on.
This far-reaching style swaps out the sweet citrus and berries for, well, savoury botanicals instead. Think saline, vegetal, herbal, and spicy notes! They make a refreshing difference from your usual fruity gins and are often some of the most unique tasting liquids out there, perfect for adding a new dimension to cocktails, or for savoury G&Ts! Without further ado, let’s dive into the best of them…
Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin
Opihr is the place where King Solomon bought his gold, silver, and spices from, and although no one knows where it was, it is linked to the ancient spice routes between East and West - it is this route that Opihir’s gins are inspired by. Scooping the top Master award at the 2018 Travel Retail Masters, this is a London Dry style gin with spicy twists. Moroccan coriander and Indian cardamom are pungent at the fore, but layers of punchy complexity are detectable with cumin (Turkey), angelica root (Germany), bitter orange (Spain) and peppery cubeb berries (Malaysia). Intense, spicy and with a loveable warm earthiness. You might find a sweet and citrusy mixer provides the perfect balance in a serving so try lemonade.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £27.74
An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin
Seaweed is a botanical we’re seeing more and more, and particularly in savoury gins of course. Irish Maritime makes use of not just one or two varieties, but five locally harvested seaweed species! Supporting these are a line-up of more familiar botanicals fronted by vegetal juniper for a touch of heat and lemon for some subtle sweetness. A true coastal delight that’s put together seriously well, try it with an elderflower tonic for a stonking savoury G&T.
Size: 500ml
ABV: 43.2%
Find here: £30.94
Seven Hills VII Italian Gin
A Gold medal award winner at the Gin Masters in two different categories, Seven Hills is super light and delicate gin, that isn’t as juniper heavy as some but carries self-assured herbaceous freshness. Blood orange and pomegranate impart some tang, chamomile and rose hip the florality, and from the celery and artichoke botanicals, some vegetal notes. Like the best savoury gins, it’s super unique and we’d recommend trying this one in a Negroni... it only makes sense!
Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £34
Audemus Umami Gin
Based in Cognac, we just had to visit French producer Audemus during The Three Drinkers in Cognac because we’re such a fan of what Miko is doing (and we needed help with our own gin-making in the series!). Setting up shop in his front room, Audemus is all about experimentation and bold new flavours. Many distillations fail (e.g., trout eggs) but some turn out amazing, becoming part of flagship gins. The stunning (and actually lightly savoury in itself) Pink Pepper is their most famous creation, but their oak-finished Umami is the savoury headliner. Sicilian caper distillate, parmesan and juniper front a blend that rests in ex-Cognac casks for a fabulously rounded profile. Umami is one of our five basic tastes, so to have it stimulated by a gin with such distinct flavours really is a must-try experience.
Size: 500ml
ABV: 42%
Find here: £34.99
Portobello Road Savoury Gin
One of the most beautifully designed gins on the market, Portobello Road’s Savoury Gin is a Corsica-inspired dream. Pleasantly complex, it’s herbaceous with rosemary and basil, bergamot brings citrus tang, and green olives and sea salt bring punchy salinity. In a world of sweet and floral gins dominating, this style is actually more reminiscent of traditional juniper-led gin and as such, has an incredibly refreshing and moreish taste. It's screaming out for a Dirty Martini.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 42%
Find here: £36.24
Pollination Gin
This is a really interesting, award-winning London Dry style gin that features a diverse blend of 29 botanicals, each from the UNESCO Dyfi Biosphere, the area surrounding the Dyfi Distillery. Encompassing Snowdonia’s foothills, the Dyfi Forest and the estuary marshes, Pollination Gin punches with a bold herbaceous and floral profile, particularly the latter. Vivid images of summer meadows and pine forests come to mind with botanicals like wildflowers, aromatic leaves, dried fruits, almonds, conifer tips and beyond. If any gin will transport you into nature, it’s this.
Size: 500ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £36.94
Black Tomato Gin
Roll up, roll up Bloody Mary fans. Tomato and vodka might be a more familiar combination, but how about tomato and gin? Produced in the Netherlands, homegrown organic black tomatoes are used with a few drops of sea water to create a completely distinct gin. There is satisfying richness to the fruit, sweet, sour and salinity are balanced perfectly, and the texture has a moreish viscosity and weight to it. Serve with Mediterranean tonic and some basil and prepare to surprise yourself.
Size: 500ml
ABV: 42.3%
Find here: £37.94
Gin Mare
One of the better-known savoury gins, Gin Mare is in that position for good reason. Reminiscent of a Mediterranean summer, this heady herbaceous Spanish expression features rosemary, thyme, basil in an aromatic palate, heaps of citrus zest and tart juniper. Delicately poised salinity, citrus, herbs, and warming spice intertwine for a stunningly crisp gin that leaves you with a clean feeling aftertaste. So classy and elegant, just serve with a lightly flavoured premium tonic because each botanical is distinct and waiting to be explored with this gin. Super food-friendly too by the way!
Size: 700ml
ABV: 42.7%
Find here: £39.99
Plenty of the Indian gins have a savoury feel to them, so if you like some earthy spice in your gin then check out The Best of Indian Gin & Spirits!
