We used to have one or two - most likely whatever was on special offer at the supermarket but with the incredible choice available these days many people have at least 5 or 6.
is that you? And if so what are your favourites? And with several gins now topping £40 what do you think is a reasonable amount to pay for a bottle?
Currently 4 including a bottle of Norwegian gin (nice but slightly medicinal!) and a cheapo from making sloe gin last autumn. I have recently joined the Gin Club. So far 2 fab bottles with some interesting accompaniments. Enjoying the variety on offer. I also enjoy Tanqueray
I have my grandfather’s old drinks trolley which holds 32 bottles, I operate a “1 in 1 out” policy to keep it fully stocked. I’m not a fan of the fruity flavoured gins but do enjoy trying news ones that experiment with interesting botanicals, particularly those with a savoury edge. I’m fast approaching trying 1000 different gins!
Thank you, I have tried that, in fact had a bottle last year. One I keep coming back to is Durham, sub £30 & utterly delicious, celery seed is one of the botanicals. Also really enjoying Cygnet at the moment.
Ooh about 20 or so, and would rarely go above £40. During Covid I holidayed around the UK a lot and would generally buy gins wherever I went...Welsh Wind from Cardigan (not the best name), Silver Circle from outside Abergavenny...New favourite though is Hepple Gin from Northumberland, smoky and Juniper forward, great in a Martini.
Almost mentioned Salcombe as was there at Easter and picked up a bottle. The Salcombe Harbour Hotel has a decanter of the stuff in its rooms and runs an ice and slice service!
I used to be a rum person but over the past few years have really got into gins. Love the different flavours, strawberry and lime and Seville orange probably my favourites. Tranqueray or BrewDog are my usual brands at around £20-£25 which are great for a heathen like me but may be not be up to scratch for those on the site with a more discerning palate.
we have quite a few but not all of them are open. Botanist is a favourite, quite like chase dry, have an old tom (Haymans i think) and Plymouth gin for cocktail purposes but haven't been drinking as much. Far less than whisky which is >50 bottles currently
I can definitely relate to that! I don't like gin much, but keep ~40 whiskies open. About 1/3 Irish, 1/3 Scotch and 1/3 other, with a blend to single malt ratio of about 1:4. Choice can take a while, but seldom reach for the North Korean bottle I was given. The colour of wet cardboard, with similar taste, but always good for a laugh with adventurous guests.
Where do i start?! Mostly a scotch man, partiularly islay (bruichladdich fanboy) but basically anything peated red wine cask. Will always have a soft spot for talisker 10 and recently been getting some excellebt speysides from smws and an unusal bourbon cask highland park. American wise i enjoy rye whiskey, not as sweet as bourbon and particularly like sazerac, more to explore though.
Irish whiskey i'm early on my journey but tried some good stuff at belfast whiskey social last year and off to dublin whiskey live on sat!
Big Islay whisky fan too but don’t have your in depth knowledge. Visited Holyrood and Deanston earlier this year which both had some really innovative spirits. Dublin whisky live sounds dangerous!
I currently have one in my fridge (Tanqueray Rangpur Lime), but in an ideal world I would have four: a classic one, (we are a Sipsmith household as a rule), a super-citrusy one for standard G&Ts, Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla for marmalade G&Ts and Hanky Pankies, and an Old Tom gin for old school cocktails.
I have a dozen or so. Gordon's for plain G&T - I think Gordon's, especially the 47% export one, is THE benchmark gin); various small producer examples from travels around the country, which TBH are never as nice as they are when tasted at source; a French one called Cote d'Azur* and Mermaid from the IoW, both of which which go very well with Mediterranean tonic; Plymouth or Bristol (55%) for martinis and Negronis. And (seasonally) supermarket gin to make damson gin with; we make about six litres every year to give away to friends and family. We get given flavoured gins but they generally sit at the back of the cupboard except for Beefeater Blood Orange which is actually very nice.
*I add a dash of Suze gentian liqueur to a Cote d'Azur G&T. It's fantastic.
Well....I may be a bit biased towards French grape alcohol based gins such as Saint Amans 😊 .. on choice of gins , I like to stick with one or two I like best, good to consolidate not dissipate! Pricing - some producers put a "big bottle" ie 70cl price tag on smaller 50cl bottles so read carefully.Negroni cocktails made with our own craft bitters are going down well as we use same water & spirit base for both. Nice match.Ok enough gin geek stuff from me!
Cucumber tonic is great in the warmer weather and a lot cheaper than the famous cucumber gin; aromatic for a pink gin with a good kick; clementine as a winter drink; elderflower in a good botanical gin - mediterranean too as it adds a level of softness. The latest is watermelon which gives gin the taste of a summer punch and frequently enjoyed by friends to claim not to like gin!
Garden Swift ((Cirencester) is by far the best gin I have tried. Amazing small batch stuff, Barney is a true master! He sourced Sicilian blood oranges for the back note and as it comes in a 50cl bottle, this is one to keep hidden away..
Got about 10 different bottles, depends on the cocktail I’m making. Premium gin for the best Martini (plus a top vodka 50/50 in the mix and Lillet). Marylebone was an interesting find.
Millers makes a good G+T, Nordes even better!
Have to say Plymouth is the go to for most blended cocktails and a good base to my take on a Negroni with Laquesta Special edition vermouth, Lillet blanc and a slice of orange on ice. (I skip the Campari).
As for flavoured gins, not a fan. Better to use a good gin base and add your own flavouring.
Mirafiore is a new Vermouth that really stood out, really classy and lovely presentation. White was standout, red very nice too and I like to blend these two together - a Guestoni!
I got bored with the gin boom a decade ago, and moved on to more varied cocktails and high-end tequilas that you can only source from a couple of specialist retailers in the UK. Apart from Portobello gin for Negronis (with Antica Formular vermouth and Campari), I haven't bought gin in the last five years. Before that my favourites were Gin Mare and Warner Edwards.
Currently, it's 3-4 compared to 7-10. With the recent availability of flavoured high quality tonics, it's easier to have one or two 'standard' gins that can adapt to whatever you feel like whether it be cucumber or clementine as opposed to lots of additional gins.
London Dry Gin No 3 by Berry Brothers is under-rated. A citrus orange profile with a central cardamom note. Like a variation on Bombay rather than a boutique gin with OTT flavour profiles.
Jun 8, 2022·edited Jun 8, 2022Liked by Fiona Beckett
We have about 50! We use a gin club but also get lots as presents. Ironically we don’t actually drink much, maybe once a week, I love the citrus based ones though we have some lovely small batch ones too. I think £25-35 is reasonable for a good quality gin.
Currently 4 including a bottle of Norwegian gin (nice but slightly medicinal!) and a cheapo from making sloe gin last autumn. I have recently joined the Gin Club. So far 2 fab bottles with some interesting accompaniments. Enjoying the variety on offer. I also enjoy Tanqueray
Oh, will have to investigate that!
Tranqueray #10 for Martinis and Gordons...for a lighter Martini.
Not a big martini drinker but gather it's regarded as one of the go-to's
I have my grandfather’s old drinks trolley which holds 32 bottles, I operate a “1 in 1 out” policy to keep it fully stocked. I’m not a fan of the fruity flavoured gins but do enjoy trying news ones that experiment with interesting botanicals, particularly those with a savoury edge. I’m fast approaching trying 1000 different gins!
Wow that's really impressive! You might like the new Martin Miller's gin which is flavoured with rosemary and arctic thyme
Thank you, I have tried that, in fact had a bottle last year. One I keep coming back to is Durham, sub £30 & utterly delicious, celery seed is one of the botanicals. Also really enjoying Cygnet at the moment.
Ooh about 20 or so, and would rarely go above £40. During Covid I holidayed around the UK a lot and would generally buy gins wherever I went...Welsh Wind from Cardigan (not the best name), Silver Circle from outside Abergavenny...New favourite though is Hepple Gin from Northumberland, smoky and Juniper forward, great in a Martini.
Hepple is definitely one of my favourites. Also like the Salcombe Start Point gin
Almost mentioned Salcombe as was there at Easter and picked up a bottle. The Salcombe Harbour Hotel has a decanter of the stuff in its rooms and runs an ice and slice service!
I think we all need one of those!
Just back from Lakes and neglected to buy Lake distillery souvenir..
I like their pink grapefruit gin
Hi all
I used to be a rum person but over the past few years have really got into gins. Love the different flavours, strawberry and lime and Seville orange probably my favourites. Tranqueray or BrewDog are my usual brands at around £20-£25 which are great for a heathen like me but may be not be up to scratch for those on the site with a more discerning palate.
All the best
£20-25 strikes me as a reasonable amount to pay for a gin. You can often pick up the big brands for this sort of price on special offer
we have quite a few but not all of them are open. Botanist is a favourite, quite like chase dry, have an old tom (Haymans i think) and Plymouth gin for cocktail purposes but haven't been drinking as much. Far less than whisky which is >50 bottles currently
I can definitely relate to that! I don't like gin much, but keep ~40 whiskies open. About 1/3 Irish, 1/3 Scotch and 1/3 other, with a blend to single malt ratio of about 1:4. Choice can take a while, but seldom reach for the North Korean bottle I was given. The colour of wet cardboard, with similar taste, but always good for a laugh with adventurous guests.
Ooo, what whiskies do you like, Steve?
Where do i start?! Mostly a scotch man, partiularly islay (bruichladdich fanboy) but basically anything peated red wine cask. Will always have a soft spot for talisker 10 and recently been getting some excellebt speysides from smws and an unusal bourbon cask highland park. American wise i enjoy rye whiskey, not as sweet as bourbon and particularly like sazerac, more to explore though.
Irish whiskey i'm early on my journey but tried some good stuff at belfast whiskey social last year and off to dublin whiskey live on sat!
What about you?
Big Islay whisky fan too but don’t have your in depth knowledge. Visited Holyrood and Deanston earlier this year which both had some really innovative spirits. Dublin whisky live sounds dangerous!
oooh and forgot boatyard old tom px finished, a good sipping gin!
1, tanquery bought at duty free. Lidl do one sometimes, (I'm in France) Hortus, which I like, sometimes Tanquery Sevilla for cocktails.
Own label gins can be great value. Aldi does a good basic one too.
I currently have one in my fridge (Tanqueray Rangpur Lime), but in an ideal world I would have four: a classic one, (we are a Sipsmith household as a rule), a super-citrusy one for standard G&Ts, Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla for marmalade G&Ts and Hanky Pankies, and an Old Tom gin for old school cocktails.
Forgot Sipsmith. That's a regular favourite. Their alcohol-free version Freeglider is good too
I have a dozen or so. Gordon's for plain G&T - I think Gordon's, especially the 47% export one, is THE benchmark gin); various small producer examples from travels around the country, which TBH are never as nice as they are when tasted at source; a French one called Cote d'Azur* and Mermaid from the IoW, both of which which go very well with Mediterranean tonic; Plymouth or Bristol (55%) for martinis and Negronis. And (seasonally) supermarket gin to make damson gin with; we make about six litres every year to give away to friends and family. We get given flavoured gins but they generally sit at the back of the cupboard except for Beefeater Blood Orange which is actually very nice.
*I add a dash of Suze gentian liqueur to a Cote d'Azur G&T. It's fantastic.
Love a bit of gentiane
You’re definitely a real aficionado! Must say I love damson gin. Have you ever tried it with Stilton?
Oh yes. Although our damson gin is mouth-puckeringly tart. Sauternes or Monbazillac is preferred with Stilton!
Well....I may be a bit biased towards French grape alcohol based gins such as Saint Amans 😊 .. on choice of gins , I like to stick with one or two I like best, good to consolidate not dissipate! Pricing - some producers put a "big bottle" ie 70cl price tag on smaller 50cl bottles so read carefully.Negroni cocktails made with our own craft bitters are going down well as we use same water & spirit base for both. Nice match.Ok enough gin geek stuff from me!
Thought you might pipe up, Anne! 😉 For the benefit of the rest of you Anne makes a very good gin I gave her a platform to write about during lockdown https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/news/shops/5-reasons-to-buy-saint-amans-gin/. Good point about 50cl bottles too. You need to watch out for those!
Cucumber tonic is great in the warmer weather and a lot cheaper than the famous cucumber gin; aromatic for a pink gin with a good kick; clementine as a winter drink; elderflower in a good botanical gin - mediterranean too as it adds a level of softness. The latest is watermelon which gives gin the taste of a summer punch and frequently enjoyed by friends to claim not to like gin!
Had a big Clementine gin phase a couple of years ago and LOVE anything with cucumber. Will look out for the watermelon - thankyou!
Just had a quick look at the tonic: it's Double Dutch and Cucumber & Watermelon bought at Waitrose.
Hi Fiona
Garden Swift ((Cirencester) is by far the best gin I have tried. Amazing small batch stuff, Barney is a true master! He sourced Sicilian blood oranges for the back note and as it comes in a 50cl bottle, this is one to keep hidden away..
Got about 10 different bottles, depends on the cocktail I’m making. Premium gin for the best Martini (plus a top vodka 50/50 in the mix and Lillet). Marylebone was an interesting find.
Millers makes a good G+T, Nordes even better!
Have to say Plymouth is the go to for most blended cocktails and a good base to my take on a Negroni with Laquesta Special edition vermouth, Lillet blanc and a slice of orange on ice. (I skip the Campari).
As for flavoured gins, not a fan. Better to use a good gin base and add your own flavouring.
🍸🍹
I was based in Cirencester for 10+ years which is how I came upon Garden Swift. I 100% agree - the best gin I've tasted.
Def need to taste it then!
💯with you there and thanks for the tips!
Mirafiore is a new Vermouth that really stood out, really classy and lovely presentation. White was standout, red very nice too and I like to blend these two together - a Guestoni!
Nice!
I got bored with the gin boom a decade ago, and moved on to more varied cocktails and high-end tequilas that you can only source from a couple of specialist retailers in the UK. Apart from Portobello gin for Negronis (with Antica Formular vermouth and Campari), I haven't bought gin in the last five years. Before that my favourites were Gin Mare and Warner Edwards.
Big fan of gin mare. Have you tried Hepple? That’s another of my favourites
Gin Mare is my favourite winter gin. I like it garnished with rosemary!
One of mine too though more than happy to drink it in the summer!
No, but I must try it now.
Currently, it's 3-4 compared to 7-10. With the recent availability of flavoured high quality tonics, it's easier to have one or two 'standard' gins that can adapt to whatever you feel like whether it be cucumber or clementine as opposed to lots of additional gins.
Good point! What’s your favourite combination?
London Dry Gin No 3 by Berry Brothers is under-rated. A citrus orange profile with a central cardamom note. Like a variation on Bombay rather than a boutique gin with OTT flavour profiles.
That sounds good, will try it.
I really like that too
We have about 50! We use a gin club but also get lots as presents. Ironically we don’t actually drink much, maybe once a week, I love the citrus based ones though we have some lovely small batch ones too. I think £25-35 is reasonable for a good quality gin.
Wow! Impressive!
It looks impressive but we don’t really drink enough to justify it 😂
Fords, Boodles, Hendricks, The Botanist. $27-$35 USD. Big fan of Fords, which we can buy for $21 USD on sale. Good mixing gin.
Don’t know that one - will look out for it!