9 Sipworthy Flavoured Gins from the British Isles

In celebration of our rich tapestry of local botanicals and offerings, let’s discover more about the flavoured gin phenomenon, from some of the most popular gin flavours at the moment to other equally sipworthy gins being made all across the Isles.

Any gin lover wishing to liven up a G&T and bring exciting new sensations to the palate needn’t just change tonic or mixers to achieve exciting ‘liquid to lips’ moments. By selecting a new flavoured gin that tickles your taste buds you can deepen your appreciation in brand new ways. Let’s tour the gin isles and get sipping new flavours...

What is the MOST POPULAR ‘FLAVOUR’ OF GIN?

According to Google Trends, Pink Gin has been the undisputed top search term alongside ‘gin and tonic’ since 2018. Many distillers have introduced pink gins because of this popularity - and what wonderful choices we have.

So, what botanicals are used to make pink gin? Well, basically it’s anything that turns a gin-clear liquid pink! Predominant flavour profiles include strawberry, raspberry, rhubarb, cherry, pink grapefruit, rose and other florals. 

Mermaid Pink Gin - Isle of Wight Distillery 

A vibrant variation of Mermaid Gin, this delightful gin boasts a flavour profile that’s naturally sweet. It gets its rosy hue from an infusion of locally-picked IOW strawberries. There’s an intriguing juxtaposition with the botanicals already in the mix, with coastal hints of savoury rock samphire, herbaceous hops and Sicilian lemon. It pairs swimmingly well with a light tonic. Garnish with a strawberry and sprig of fresh garden mint!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find here: £32.95

The Only Way Is Gin - Raspberry Pink Gin 

A lip-smacking infusion of raspberries grown in Essex are championed in this vibrant gin which beautifully balances with drying hints of juniper, citrus peels and a slow build of earthy, toasty spices. Less sweet than most raspberry gins, this multi-award-winning signature gin tastes of both distinct juniper and the fruit it is made from. Enjoy neat over ice, as a G&T or with lemonade.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find here: £37.50

Aber Falls Rhubarb & Ginger Gin 

From the Aber Falls distillery comes the comforting, homely taste of a rhubarb and ginger crumble in the form of gin! Uniquely sourced and distilled in Wales, this gin brings fond memories of home-cooked Sunday dinners of yesteryear. Tastes amazing with ginger ale or a light premium tonic.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41.3%
Find here: £26.00

WHAT ARE THE BEST LOCALLY-SOURCED FLAVOURed Gins from THE BRITISH ISLES?

Assay Rosehip & Crab Apple Gin 

This quintessentially English tasting gin from Sheffield Distillery gives a generous helping of rosehips and locally-grown crab apples, blended to give a taste reminiscent of locally foraged autumn hedgerows all year round. Pairs nicely with Franklin & Sons Cloudy Apple and Rhubarb Soda or a sparkling apple juice.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £37.90

Isle of Bute Heather Gin

Bring the taste of Scotland to your palate with this classic gin that uses wild heather flowers hand-picked on the Isle of Bute. This delicious small batch gin brings a fine balance of citrus and floral, bringing the brightness of pink grapefruit to complement the heather and other classic gin botanicals. Serve with a slice of pink grapefruit, tonic and ice. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £32.20

An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin

Now for something completely different as we sail across the Irish Sea away from fruity and floral influences to soft, salty sea notes to be savoured in this coastal-flavoured gin from Ireland. It’s a vibrant spirit from Sliabh Liag Distillery that captures the magic of the seas using five locally harvested varieties of seaweed, as well as six other botanicals giving it a buttery oyster smoothness. Pairs well with premium tonic or bitter lemon. 

Size: 500ml
ABV: 43.2%
Find here: £29.89

Atlantic Distillery Organic Earl Grey Gin

In celebration of Britain’s other favourite drink, from Cornwall comes this exquisite and organic Earl Grey Gin for the tea lovers. Distilled with real earl grey tea leaves, it brings gentle earthy characteristic notes of lemon citrus, bergamot and anise.  

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43.0%
Find here: £35.07

Esker Gold Premium Gin 

This Aberdeenshire gin, according to the distillers, is a unique addition to the Scottish gin market, taking sap from the silver birch trees on the Kincardine estate on Royal Deeside. What is added to turn this sap into gold? A blend of spices and honey to provide subtle sweetness. This gin makes a delicious neat spirit over ice or mixed with ginger ale. Pure alchemy and a gold medal winning formula!

Size: 500ml
ABV: 40.0%
Find here: £29.95

Pitwheel Original Spiced Gin 

This final gin from County Durham’s Pitwheel Distillery is a warming alternative for gin lovers looking for something special and different with a subtly spiced flavour. Developed to give a twist on a traditional recipe, its botanicals include pink peppercorn and green cardamom. It was a deserving winner in the Spiced Gin category at The Gin Guide Awards in 2023.  

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40.0%
Find here: £41.25

So there you have it, many wonderful flavours from every corner of the British Isles. Remember to support your local gin distillery and buy local or pick out the flavours that most pique your interest. For more gin collection building advice, go here! There’s definitely something for every gin lover right here in the United Gindom - wherever you are in the world. Happy sipping!

By Robbie Jerram

Gin Lovers: How Inclusive Is Your Gin Collection?

Every gin collector today is awash with choices when trying to decide which bottles to add to their collection next. The question is, how to choose? Do you follow gin trends, find brands personal to you or just close your eyes and pick at random?

The key is to find balance. First, who’s drinking? Are you planning a quiet night in with gin and tonic? Or cocktails with friends ahead of a night out? Are there any sweet-toothed gin drinkers coming who don’t like tonic? When picking out gins you’ve got to consider budget, style, versatility and flavour, as well mixers and garnishes for a diverse and balanced collection.

Practicality aside, always make room for romantic picks and select gins you fall in love with - that’s what drinks collections are all about after all! Attractive bottle design, colour, brand values and credentials matter. Perhaps you’re inspired to try gins from a specific country of the British Isles or you’ve heard stories of local botanicals being foraged or spring water bored from source, or maybe a gin’s on your wishlist ‘just because’.

A great way to start building your collection is to establish a balance between classic and contemporary gins, so let’s take a look at a few different options that will bring reliable flavours your guests and you will enjoy.

Three Classic British Gins you need to try

These iconic English gins are known for their traditional recipes, reliable quality and heritage, and will be a versatile addition to every collection.

Tanqueray Nº Ten Gin 

A citrus-rich, multi-award-winning premium gin with an aromatic nose and long, zesty finish. This gin makes a superb classic G&T paired with Mediterranean or Mallorcan Tonic, a sprig of rosemary and lime garnish. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 47.3%
Find here: £34.21

Beefeater London Dry Gin

One of the world’s most awarded and popular gins on the market. It’s a benchmark, juniper-forward gin. Distilled in London since 1863, it’s traditional, classic, and often the bartender’s choice for iconic cocktails like the Martini and Negroni.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £18.25

Plymouth English Gin

Plymouth gin is often recognised as the favourite tipple of gin enthusiasts and bartenders around the globe. The Plymouth Distillery is powered by 100% renewable hydroelectricity and the bottles are created using elements of recycled glass. It has peppery and floral notes with hints of soft fruits and a long spicy finish. Perfect for a silky-textured Martini that starts mellow and ends strong. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 47.3%
Find here: £20

Three Contemporary British Gins you need to try

From classic to contemporary, with a noticeable switch-up in taste. Although juniper must be present for the liquid to be gin, the predominant flavour emphasis is on other botanicals over juniper here. Brands innovate and experiment with flavour and process a lot more, leading to some very good results, such as the below:

Downpour Scottish Dry Gin

From North Uist Distillery Co, this gin packs a punch with citrus, spice and wild Hebridean heather, drenching you in big bold flavours. The Downpour brand has distinctive bottle designs inspired by rain, and their range of flavoured gins comes in different coloured glass bottles of the same design, including Sloe & Bramble Gin, Pink Grapefruit Gin and Coast and Croft Gin for a G&T drenched in island flavour.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £42.00

Sipsmith Lemon Drizzle Gin

Built from award-winning Sipsmith’s London Dry Gin, but distilled with sun-dried lemon peel and lemon verbena to create a sweet, zesty citrus gin that really does taste of lemon cake. As well as enjoying this in a flute glass topped with prosecco and a lemon twist, why not try it in a lemon gin drizzle cake recipe? Yum.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40.4%
Find here: £25

Aber Falls Orange Marmalade Welsh Gin

A zippy orange-filled gin from North Wales, bottled with pure Snowdonia mountain rock filtered water. It’s well-balanced with layers of sweet and bitter orange on top of a spicy juniper core. A premium offering without the hefty price tag from a distillery that sits at the foot of the famous Aber Falls waterfall. It’s well worth a visit. This gin makes a zingy G&T - pair it with a premium tonic and garnish with a twist of orange.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41.3%
Find here: £24.99

The Best fruity Gin to pair with lemonade/ginger ale

A fruity gin is just the ticket for the more sweet-toothed drinkers out there, especially paired with mixers such as ginger ale instead of tonic.

Whitley Neill Rhubarb & Ginger Gin

Rhubarb and Ginger has become one of the country’s most beloved flavours of gin thanks to this creation from Whitley Neill. Bringing together the hearty spice of ginger with the complex fruitiness of rhubarb, it pairs beautifully with Franklin & Sons Original Ginger Ale and plenty of ice.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £29

Floral gins are an amazing addition to your collection and pairing perfectly with mixers such as rose lemonade, they are a great choice for those drinkers who don’t like the bitterness of quinine in tonic.

The Best floral Gin to pair with rose lemonade

Glendalough Wild Rose Irish Gin

From five friends founded Glendalough Distillery with a vision to revive craft distilling in Ireland, this gin won the Country Gold Award in the World Gin Awards in 2021 for the flavoured gins category. Three types of wild rose from the Wicklow mountains are foraged to create this fragrant gin. It pairs really well with lemonade or rose lemonade.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find here: £31.62 (usually more!)

Inclusivity in a gin collection is important. Try to balance the needs of both yourself and guests. Your collection of classic and contemporary gins should feel good to open up, you should love every bottle in there and know that all five senses are stimulated. By embracing the richness of gin diversity across the British Isles and beyond we can support the gin distillers, our ecosystem, and stimulate the economy in UK. Long may the success of gin continue!

By Robbie Jerram