Whether you’re a first-time drinker or long-time admirer, there is a gin for every occasion and this helpful handbook will guide you towards the right one for your taste palate.
Gin - the popular drink of choice
Gin is a drink that has absolutely soared in popularity over the past few years.
There were reportedly a monumental 73 million bottles of gin purchased by consumers in the UK in 2018.
Affectionately known as the ‘gin-assance’, the spirit has transformed from a drink you might enjoy with your parents every now and again, to the most popular tipple in bars and households across the country.
It has certainly rebranded from it's former nickname of 'mother's ruin'!
What is gin?
Gin is actually very similar to vodka, in that they both begin with a neutral spirit of 96% ABV (alcohol by volume) that has been derived from grain, or another similar agricultural source.
The difference with gin, as opposed to vodka, is that it is compounded with a plethora of different botanicals, or flavours, with the most prominent being the juniper berry.
Fun fact for you – gin is believed to originate from the Dutch spirit ‘genever’, from which the phrase ‘Dutch courage’ was allegedly born.
How many types of gin are there?
There are four distinct types of gin.
As with most things you could spend all day naming hundreds of different categories, but the four most recognised are London Dry, Plymouth, Old Tom and Genever (with ‘International Style’ sometimes acknowledged as an optional fifth).
London Dry gin is the most commonly regarded, and the kind that you will find in most G&T's and martinis. Despite the name, it can be found in bars all over the world. You will find that these are aptly named as dry, but also aromatic, with strong and distinctive juniper flavours coming through.
You can find a Premium Dry Gin in The Luxury Gin Hamper, where it’s been expertly paired with Fentimans tonic and complementary tastes, including delicious handmade fudge and gourmet popcorn.
Plymouth, while a distinct type of gin, can only be produced in one distillery – one of the oldest in the UK at that. Any guesses as to where?
In terms of its flavour, it’s noticeably drier than London gin, with a spicier finish and more citrus-focused taste.
‘Old Tom’ was the street name given for homemade, artificially sweetened gin in the 18th Century, which now represents those richer in flavour than London Dry, with citrusy sweetness and malty tones, used commonly in prohibition-era cocktails, like Tom Collins.
Last but not least comes Genever, the original style of gin, which has an even richer flavour than Old Tom; they are not so strongly flavoured with juniper and botanicals, so you likely won’t taste citrus at all with this style.
What about flavoured gin?
Not only are there different types of gin, and each of these come in a wide array of variations, there are also a ton of different flavoured gins to try.
From pink gins to citrus flavours to those using sweet treat inspiration, the options are endless thanks to gin's versatility.
Learn more about the different gin flavours here >
What to drink with gin?
Now that we have covered the origins, we can move on to more important things – like how to drink it.
There are hundreds of different combinations of gin drinks you can try out, so we’re going to share with you some of our favourites.
Tonics
Let’s start with tonic: the classic, undisputed champion of gin mixers and the perfect accompaniment to a London Dry gin.
The vibrant and aromatic flavour of the gin is perfectly balanced by the bitterness of the quinine in tonic, resulting in a drink of bittersweet, zesty perfection. Included in each gin gift set on our site is a tonic for a mixer, because we know better than to mess with a true classic.
Whilst we don't think you can go wrong with a classic G&T, do explore the wide range of flavours of tonic now available, including elderflower, clementine and cucumber.
Other Mixers
With gin, you can experiment with a whole host of other mixers, such as bitter lemon, fruit juices or ginger ales.
For those that prefer their flavours zesty, citrusy or bitter, lemon or lime juice makes a great accompaniment for a glass of gin, while those that prefer sweeter, tropical flavours will want to try the spirit out with pineapple juice.
If you like bubbles in your beverage, then you have plenty of mixers to choose from outside of tonic and fruit juice. For those that like the taste of lemon but want something a bit sweeter than straight juice, gin and lemonade is a great choice and a particularly delicious one for a warm summer’s day.
One drink that many find tastes great – despite grumbles from the purists – is gin and cola; while its flavours can overpower the botanicals in the liquor, pairing it with an everyday gin, a dash of orange bitter, some lime juice and ice, can make for a surprisingly refreshing drink.
Finally, if you’re the type of person to push the boat out, then this last suggestion will be for you....
While certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, gin and Earl Grey makes for a delicious mixer, with the flavours of the teabag drawing out the botanicals of the spirit. Brew a pot and allow it to cool in the fridge, before adding one part tea and three parts gin. Shaken with ice and poured into your favourite cocktail glass, and you’ll be in gin heaven!
Garnish
The first rule of gin and tonic is that it needs ice. It’s recommended that you let the ice cool the drink down for a short while before taking your first sip.
Not only should you have ice in your gin and tonic, but you should ensure that the mixer is chilled before creating your cocktail.
As for garnish, you can’t go wrong with a wedge of lemon or lime or even some cucumber slices, but for those feeling a bit more adventurous a sprig of mint or some ginger will do just the trick.
You should always try to match flavours when picking which gin to go with which tonic and there is such a surprising array of different flavours that you can create from a simple mix. For example, consider adding some extra fruit, flavour and colours to the drink by opting for a pink gin, which are infused with fresh flavours like strawberries, raspberries and currants.
Gin cocktails
There are also plenty of wonderful gin cocktails that can be created with the versatile spirit.
The classic Martini is actually made with gin, and all you need in addition is some dry vermouth, with olives to garnish.
Another hugely popular gin cocktail is the Negroni; sweeter than a Martini it combines gin with Campari and sweet vermouth, to make a classy drink for all occasions.
Another classic gin cocktail – and a drink made extremely popular during prohibition – is the Tom Collins. Technically, this should only be made using Old Tom gin, which is then mixed with real lemon juice, sweetener and soda water.
Gin in a tin
Finally, the gin drink has become so popular and widespread in the country that it is now even sold in handy little cans. You don't have to do any mixing, shaking or stirring!
These cans come in all sorts of variations, such as the those found in the Gin & Treats Hamper; a delicious raspberry-infused Manchester gin, paired with a Sicilian lemon tonic, all included with hand-baked biscuits, artisan chocolates and tasty sweets to make for the perfect gift (or night in to yourself, we won’t tell!), in our gorgeous gift box.
Gin lovers, unite!
We hope that our handy hampers.com handbook has helped you to learn a bit more about gin.
Now that you know the best way to enjoy it, you can go and impress all your friends and relatives, and enjoy a cold gin and tonic with them, that little bit more.