8 Stunning Gins Worth Seeking Out This Spring

We’ve selected a sumptuous selection of gins to awaken the senses like a spring day, with some glorious botanicals to gambol over your taste buds like a playful bunch of spring lambs!

Eight Lands Organic Speyside Gin

In the world famous Speyside in the heart of the Scottish Highlands hails the Glenrinnes Distillery, home of the fabulous award winning Eight Lands Gin. Made with pure Scottish spring water and 11 botanicals including their own foraged Sorrel and Cowberry this gin is beautifully smooth, packed with juniper, wonderful sherbet citrus notes and a lasting warmth. It's the perfect gin to welcome in the longer days! Gorgeous as a classic G&T with premium tonic and a swirl of orange peel or in a spring sparkling French 75!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £36.94

Lind and Lime Gin

Packed with a punch of lime and the pizazz of pink peppercorn, this gorgeous gin is as exciting on the inside as the beautiful bottle it finds itself in (hold on to that for some fairy light sparkle in your upcoming summer gardens!) Using organic limes hand peeled in their Leith distillery in Edinburgh amongst their 7 botanicals, and perfect Juniper dryness, you get a superbly refreshing citrus burst, beautifully balanced with the warmth and fruitiness of the peppercorns. Serve your perfect G&T with light Fevertree tonic, lots of ice and a slice of lime. 
Size: 700ml
ABV: 44%
Find here: £36.85

Beefeater Crown Jewel Gin

What better way to celebrate not only the arrival of spring but the coronation of King Charles III.  This iconic gin from the masters of their craft, is the essence of the perfect London Dry gin bursting with juniper but with the gorgeous addition of the brightest grapefruit peel. Not only does this gin look sumptuously regal but it is the perfect size to celebrate with friends, but only if you want to share! Get it while you can because this edition makes appearances as rare as meeting royalty! So smooth, and perfectly balanced it holds its own in a perfect martini with a twist of lemon or as a gorgeous G&T with lots of ice, premium tonic,  juniper berries and a wedge of grapefruit.

Size: 1 L
ABV: 50%
Find here: £55.75

Ginepraio London Dry Gin

This is a wonderfully fragrant organic gin reminiscent of the eruption of floral life in the spring sunshine! All the way from Tuscany, using 7 locally sourced botanicals including dog-rose, helichrysum, orange and lemon, this gin will burst onto your palate. With those sweet florals, the warmth of light spices and such refreshing citrus, your taste buds will be begging for more so why not transport yourself to some Tuscan sunshine? If it’s a refreshing G&T you desire, serve with premium light tonic, loads of ice and a lemon wheel but it’s also absolutely perfect in a Negroni!

Size: 500ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £38.94

Persie Herby and Aromatic Gin

With the herbs in the garden starting to make an appearance, what better way to celebrate than with this glorious award winning savoury offering from the Persie distillery in the stunning area of Perthshire in Scotland.  With wonderfully aromatic rosemary, basil and bay leaves it has an amazingly rich and smooth mouthfeel leaving it lingering on your palate like the long evenings to come! It’s so smooth it’s ideal on its own over ice with some smashed basil leaves or try it with a premium light tonic, lots of ice and some hibiscus flowers.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £26.66

Sky Wave Liberation London Dry Gin

From the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, this Sky Wave edition has locked in some fabulous botanicals including raspberry, mallow, lemon verbena, lemon, lime and vanilla. Sounding like the perfect ice-cream this gin will bring joy to all who taste it! With that essential initial juniper dryness , complemented with warm spices it brightens like a beautiful spring day into that citrus from the lemon, lime and raspberry followed by that gorgeous sweetness from the vanilla. We can see why this gin has secured so many well deserved awards! Serve with a light premium tonic, lots of ice and a slice of red grapefruit. 

Size: 500ml
ABV: 42%
Find here: £34.89

Barra Atlantic Gin

Born in the stunning Scottish island of Barra, this is an outstanding gin distilled at the family run distillery with 17 botanicals including the signature hand foraged Carrageen seaweed directly from the island’s breathtaking shores. It’s a wonderfully rich, deeply sumptuous gin with a spicy, salty, sweetness that will transport you from winter into the freshness of the island’s spring sea air. This gin is simply stunning in an equally stunning bottle! Each one is different and made from 78% recycled glass with a design reminiscent of the waves crashing on Barra’s beautiful shores. To make a great G&T, serve with a light premium tonic, plenty of ice and a wedge of pink grapefruit then sit back, relax and dream of the sea!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £32

Salcombe Start Point Gin

Distilled in Devon and as it states on the label this is an ‘Exceptional London Dry Gin’. We were fortunate enough to have a first bottling of this gin and it’s remained a gin-shelf staple ever since in the ‘third drinker’ household! Inspired by the exotic fruits brought into Devon in the 19th century this gin features fresh lemon, limes, and red grapefruit peel amongst more spicy offerings as well as classic juniper from Macedonia. It has everything you need to bounce you from the cold of winter into spring. Warming spices, piney juniper and that uplift of citrus will definitely bring you into the sunshine! This gin makes a marvellous dry martini, but works equally well with light premium tonic, lots of ice and a slice of red grapefruit.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 44%
Find here: £45

If you’re looking for other spirits to explore then have a read of our best sipping tequilas of 2023 recommendations!

Great Wine and Spirits to Gift this Father's Day

Words by Colin Hampden-White

With so many choices of premium sparkling wine and Champagne on the market, I wanted to highlight two I’ve had recently. One traditional, and one non-alcoholic and from England. Both excellent. I have also found some amazing rum, cocktail pouches, a big, luscious, marvellous Malbec, and a couple of gins, one with sweet pineapple and ginger because dads like sweet things too!

Roger Daltray

I first tasted this on release before the pandemic. It was released for The Who on their 50th anniversary and having tasted it again a few days ago, I am pleased I thought so much of it in 2019, because I am still hugely impressed. Sometimes when a celebrity has a bottle made for them, it can go horribly wrong, and the juice in the bottle isn’t that good, but in this instance it is excellent. The design is also excellent giving the impression of a premium product yet not being overly showy. The design holds onto the brand identity of The Who well. The Champagne itself made by Charles Orban, has finesse and intensity. Made with 45% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier, there is good complexity with lots of citrus notes and hints of vanilla and brioche. A percentage of the price of each bottle goes to Teen Cancer America too so should you find yourself with your hands on a bottle, you can sip knowing you are doing good.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: £95

Wild Idol

A little while ago I tried and very much liked the Wild Idol Rosé, and the white takes off where that left off. There is the same elegance of fruit and balanced acidity giving a satisfying drink, not too acidic like a lot of sparkling wine and not too sweet. Lots of floral aromas and delicate fruit give elegance. This is the second time I’ve tried a non-alcoholic sparkling and thought it benefited from not having any alcohol and the first time was its pink sibling. Bravo Wild Idol!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 0.0%
Find here: £35

 

Santiago de Cuba 11 Years Old Extra Añejo

11 years old is old for a tropically aged rum. So when one comes along from one of the best Cuban brands one expects it to be very good, and this is certainly that. It’s rich with lots of fruity esters and brown sugar flavours which perfectly balance each other, there is huge complexity with pineapple, and spices including cinnamon and cumin. A little banana and caramel and a touch of black cracked pepper on the finish. A decadent rum perfect for decadent dads.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £39.83

Luigi Bosca | Malbec Selección de Vistalba 2020

This is a stonking wine for the price. Wines from Argentina are always good value as they are subsidised for the UK market but this wine punches way above its price mark. It’s a big rich wine with lots of red fruit and floral aromas and dark fruit flavours. There is some spice and liquorice too. It is drinking now but will certainly age for at least 5 years and is a perfect wine to serve up with a big steak or a hearty bean casserole. You might want to pick up two bottles though because once dad gets a taste we’re not sure he’ll want to share!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14%
Find here: £16.99

MYXD Dad Box

A box full of cocktails! What’s not to like? Well, not a lot really. Finally, cocktail pouches are delivering very good cocktails akin to one you would receive from a good bartender, and in a lot of cases even better. I’ve been served some pretty dodgy cocktails in my time, and with these pouches not only do you get a good cocktail, but you also get them consistently. Super for sharing and easy to put together. Literally, chill add soda to some and pour. What could be easier?!

In the box:

Long Island Iced Tea where they have combined Flor de Caña 4 year old white rum with vodka, gin, tequila, triple sec, sugar syrup, organic citric acid, lemon bitters and cola reduction.

Smoked Banana Colada combining coconut rum, single cream, banana syrup, coconut syrup and smoky Scotch whisky.

Pinapple & Jalapeno Mai Tai where Flor de Caña 7 Gran Reserva Rum is the star of the show, accompanied by triple sec, jalapeno syrup, orgeat, organic citric acid and pineapple juice.

Popcorn Old Fashioned mixing Benchmark 8-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon, popcorn syrup and fragrant Angostura bitters.

Penicillin combining Benchmark 8-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon with Smokehead peated single malt whisky, ginger and honey syrups, organic citric acid and lemon bitters.

If you wanted to you could add garnishes like orange for the Old Fashioned or Pineapple leaves for the Colada, they make them look pretty, but if you can’t be bothered, they are still going to taste great.

Size: 100ml - 150ml
ABV: 13.7% - 26.5%
Find here: £28.95

 

Bullards Pineapple, Ginger and Lime Gin

Pineapple is a flavour I would normally associate with rum rather than gin, but in this case, it works beautifully giving tropical sweetness to balance the lime and the ginger that comes through to give a little heat and spice. The gin is very smooth and makes a very good G&T, but where it shines for me is with ginger ale. Again, something I’d normally mix with rum or whisky, but with this gin, it makes a great spicy long drink and remains fresh which is perfect for this time of year.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £40

Lind and Lime Gin

A gin with a very nautical feel. This is the first spirit to come from the Port of Leith distillery in Edinburgh and is inspired by Dr James Lind who came from Edinburgh. He noticed that patients who had scurvy and were eating citrus fruits were showing good signs, which explains the lime in the gin, and how we know how to cure scurvy today. Not that I think there is enough lime in the gin to cure scurvy! But it certainly tastes good. The cap label says there are flavours of lime, pink peppercorn and juniper, and that’s the perfect tasting note for this gin. It literally “does what it says on the tin”, and with 44% abv, those flavours are delivered effortlessly. My gin of the moment, and a perfect dad day present for a gin loving dad.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 44%
Find here: £34.95

If you still don’t feel like you’ve found the perfect present, have a browse through our wine and spirits pages as they’re packed full of delicious drinks to try!

The Best Gin for a G&T

The G&T: a timeless drink that isn’t going out of style anytime soon (if ever)! Though its endless combinations of tonic and garnishes make it brilliant for innovation, a good G&T always comes down to a good gin. Here are some of our favourites:

Sing Gin

As its name suggests, this is a gin guaranteed to make you burst into song when you first get a taste of those distinct florals and tantalising freshness. Distilled in small batches, Sing Gin is crafted to perfection in the Dales village of Kettlesing (which is also where it gets its name from). Spin up a ‘Sing and Tonic’ today with Fever-Tree Mediterranean and a mint or orange garnish!

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find it here: £38.50

Atlas Chai Gin

Created a mere 6 months ago, Atlas already has an award-winning gin under its belt… and we’ve got to say, we’re not surprised at all! Inspired by Masala Chai, this gin has a mix of the ingredients you would expect to find in a traditional recipe including cinnamon, sweet green cardamom and Assam black tea to name a few. The result is a perfectly balanced, warming and spicy gin with a subtle background sweetness. If you are looking to make a standout G&T then this gin is a great one to experiment with - try mixing it with premium Indian tonic and garnishing with an orange slice and slither of ginger to compliment that spicy warmth of the gin. Nom nom!

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £48

Elephant London Dry Gin

Inspired by South Africa and made in Germany, Elephant London Dry features African botanicals alongside traditional botanicals, giving this gin a fresh and unique flavour. Not only does this gin taste A-MA-ZING, it’s also doing something good for the environment! With each bottle sold, 15% of the profits will go towards elephant conservation charities such as Big Life Foundation. So far, Elephant Gin has raised over €500,000 for these charities. Try this gin with tonic and an apple garnish to elevate the apple flavours throughout!

ABV: 45%
Size: UK 500ml // US 750ml
Find it here: UK £31.80 // US $46.79

Penrhos Limited Edition Hibiscus Gin

Penrhos is already a very well established distillery with beautifully crafted gin, but their Limited Edition Hibiscus for Aldi is a real treat. Penrhos Gin is made by two Herefordshire-based fruit farmers who use unwanted fruit to create the gin, meaning each sip you drink is reducing food waste (we’ll cheers to that)! This Hibiscus Gin has wonderful notes of blueberry, so we recommend garnishing this G&T with a nice helping of blueberries!

ABV: 37.5%
Size: 70cl
Find it here: £17.99

Cantium Gin

From first glance, you might not have realised that Cantium was even a gin! If it looks like it’s masquerading as a flask - that’s because it is! Once finished, the bottle can be used as a reusable flask to keep hot or cold liquids in. A plan is underway for customers who return their flasks to be given a discount on their next purchase, and for these empty flasks to be given to local homelessness charities. Cantium is a bold, citrusy gin underpinned by soft spice, juniper and the feeling that you’ve done a little good in the world… We love this gin with an elderflower tonic and garnish of juniper berries!

ABV: 42%
Size: 500ml
Find it here: £39.95

Ealing Gin

If there’s a theme with many of the gins on this list, it’s a gin that not only tastes great but does some good at the same time. It’s not just the beautiful bottle that Ealing Gin gives to the world, but 20% of Ealing Distillery’s profits go to organisations that help to reduce social isolation (something that is more important now than ever). Ealing Gin has a sophisticated flavour, with a zesty edge mixing with warm spices. We love this gin with a light tonic and a grapefruit and rosemary garnish - YUM!

ABV: 42%
Size: 70cl
Find it here: £44.50

Malfy Gin Rosa

If you’ve missed out on a holiday this year (shakes fist angrily at the sky), just one sip of Malfy Gin Rosa is going to take you on a relaxing European journey that’ll leave you wondering why you’re sitting at home and not on the Amalfi Coast. Malfy Gin Rosa has a beautiful aroma of rhubarb and fresh citrus, with the palate giving rich grapefruit and a long juniper finish. This is served best with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic, grapefruit, rosemary and massive sunglasses… 

ABV: 41%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find it here: UK £28.85 // US $27.99

Tanqueray No. Ten Gin

You’ll already know this name, but perhaps not this particular bottle. Tanqueray No. 10 is the brand’s small batch gin, and the only gin to be added to the San Francisco World Spirits Competition Hall of Fame. Keeping the same signature green but perhaps offering a more elegant bottle design, Tanqueray No. 10 is distilled with whole citrus fruits and chamomile flavours to give an extra citrusy but smooth feel to this premium gin. Because of the citrus kicks this gin gives you, we can’t help but add a little wedge of grapefruit to our No. 10 G&T - but feel free to experiment with other citrus fruits!

ABV: 47.3%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find it here: UK £30.60 // US $48.99

Lind and Lime Gin

This is not the first time we’ve told you of our passion for Lind and Lime, and it certainly won’t be the last. If anything, the history of this gin is something to be admired. Lind and Lime is named after James Lind, a Scotsman accredited to performing the world’s first clinical trial when he worked towards the eradication of scurvy in the British Navy. The ‘Lime’ in the name refers to a lime cordial that was created based on his findings which helped nurse the sickly sailors back to health. History aside, this gin both looks and tastes great - with a crisp citrus edge surrounding deep juniper notes. To honour the name and the legacy of Lind, garnish your Lind and Lime G&T with a thick wedge of lime.

ABV: 44%
Size: 70cl
Find it here: £34.95

For more gin-spiration, check out our Best Gins to Try This Year or if you’re in more of a cocktail mood how about having a look at these Negroni Cocktail Recipes?

The Best Scottish Gins To Buy

Though known for its legendary whisky, Scotland has a bustling gin scene sprawling through its stunning landscape. It’s not just small brands made in Scotland, many large and well-known gins are produced in Scotland too - including bartender favourite Tanqueray!

Here’s a list of some of the best Scottish gins:

Glaswegin

We do love a play on words here, especially a portmanteau, and Glaswegin is giving that to us! With its dazzling geometric bottle designed by award-winning Glaswegian designer Paul Gray, this gin immediately catches the eye. Glaswegin includes 8 different botanicals carefully chosen by the team (milk thistle, Italian juniper, Russian coriander, angelica, orange flower, camomile flower, pink peppercorns and bay leaf - phew!). Fun fact, milk thistle is sometimes said to prevent hangovers - but we’re not making any promises! 

Smooth and fresh, this gin is really versatile when it comes to the serving. Why not try a G&T with elderflower tonic, or light tonic and a shot of elderflower liqueur!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41.1%
Find here: £37.20

All out of your Glaswegin? Don’t buy another bottle, check out the brand’s refill packs and reuse your original bottle! Find them here: £29.95

Lind and Lime Gin

Another beautiful bottle, Lind and Lime does not disappoint when it comes to presentation. Lind and Lime won best London Dry in the 2020 Scottish Gin Awards, and when you taste the crisp citrus notes surrounding its juniper core you can understand why. Lind and Lime is named after James Lind, a Scotsman who worked towards the prevention of scurvy in the British Navy. He’s even said to have performed the first clinical trial in history! The ‘Lime’ in the name doesn’t indicate a flavour persay, but refers to a lime cordial created in Leith which helped prevent scurvy.

History aside, celebrate the eradication of scurvy by using Lind and Lime in a French 75 - you won’t regret it!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 44%
Find here: £34.95

Persie Spaniel Gin

Persie has been a fan favourite for a while now and the husband and wife team behind the gin keep going up in the world. In 2019, Spaniel Gin achieved a Silver Medal for contemporary Flavoured Gin at the Scottish Gin Awards, and just last year Scottish Field magazine named it one of the Top 10 Scottish Gins. Spaniel gin is one of Persie’s four Charity Dog Gins, each inspired by and named after a different breed. Dachshund Gin Liqueur, Labrador Gin, Dog Days Gin and Spaniel Gin all donate £1 per bottle to PADS (Perthshire Abandoned Dogs Society).

We’ve chosen Spaniel Gin as we love the mace and cinnamon warmth that this gin has, while still being silky soft (just like a well-groomed Spaniel!). This is a brilliant gift for a Spaniel owner/enthusiast and the spices make it ideal for a warming Negroni.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £30.95

Crofter’s Tears Highland Gin

Despite the name, this gin is not made up of the tears of crofters. The purple heather flowers on the bottle not only make it an elegant addition to your gin bottle collection but also signpost an important element of this gin. The heather tips can only be harvested in July and August and are handpicked to be blended with juniper and a range of other botanicals. 

Highland Gin is made in a London Dry style and has a hint of fresh lime to its flavour. Try this in a classic G&T with Mediterranean tonic water and a twist of lime. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £37.99

The Botanist

This gin is rapidly taking over the shelves of pubs and bars across Britain and you’ve almost certainly seen it featured on one of those extensive gin lists your local decided to create when it ‘rebranded’ and all the decor turned a sage colour. Not that we’re complaining - bring on the gin! The Botanist is exclusively made on the remote Scottish island of Islay. The 22 botanicals are foraged by the Botanist team on Islay, including botanicals such as creeping thistle, apple mint, wood sage and white clover.

The Botanist blend is satin smooth, with sweet and earthy tones combining with delicate florals and herbals. The complexity of the gin is best tasted in a classic G&T - tonic is up to you!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: UK £35.10 // US $47.99

Rock Rose Gin

Created by Dunnet Bay Distillers, this gin was formulated after 55 experiments - meaning it’s seriously good. The meticulously adapted blend of botanicals makes for a full-bodied, well-rounded gin full of fruity berries and juniper. The finish is slightly sharp but smoothed out by sherbet lemon notes. 

This earthy gin needs little interference, however adding a twist of orange in your G&T really brings out the sweetness in the berries. If you’re not looking for the sweet notes, try a sprig of rosemary instead.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41.5%
Find here: £33.39

All out of your Rock Rose? Don’t buy another bottle, check out the brand’s refill packs and reuse your original bottle! Find them here: £30

Classic Edinburgh Gin

Another gin you may have heard of before, Edinburgh Gin’s premixed G&Ts are a big hit all over the country. However, why not make your own cocktails with their bottled London Dry. The 14 botanicals make this gin beautifully aromatic on the tongue, with floral lavender and lemongrass. The bright punch of citrus from the orange peel works alongside the juniper to create a smooth and rounded finish. Edinburgh Gin is always coming out with new flavours and interesting campaigns - they are currently doing a collaboration with award winning actress and writer Phoebe Waller Bridge!

The Classic is still our favourite, however, and deserves to be showcased in a big gin bowl with a tonic and a twist of orange. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find it here: £26.35

Isle of Harris Gin

It seems Scottish gin cannot exist without being inside a beautiful bottle! The swirling bottle of Isle of Harris Gin echoes its birthplace’s whirls of wind that rush off the sea and into the arms of the towns. One does feel a connection to the sea when drinking this gin, with the addition of hand-harvested Sugar Kelp giving it an apt maritime twist. Fruit flavours of grapefruit, orange and mango are balanced by bitter pine and juniper and leave a dry, clean finish.

Harris Distillery recommends you take this gin neat, or over large ice cubes. They also offer a Sugar Kelp Aromatic Water, a drop of which develops the maritime essence of the drink.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 45%
Find it here: UK £40

For more gin-spiration (like what we did there?!), how about having a read through The Best Gins to Try This Year, What are Colour Changing Gins?! or The Best Gins for a Martini?