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The Great British Food team
Gin is undoubtedly Britain’s spirit of choice - and has been for centuries. When the gin craze hit fever pitch a few years back, many industry strategists and forecasters stated that we had hit “peak gin” and kept predicting the next spirit that was due its time in the sun.
The truth is, though, it never actually happened. Discerning drinkers and casual sippers alike continue to remain enamoured by gin, with the industry keeping consumers constantly on the lookout for interesting new variants and flavours. In fact, the UK gin market is projected to grow by 1.68% from 2024 to 2029, reaching a market volume of £1.9 billion by 2029.
It’s not just Brits that adore the stuff either, as UK gin exports have seen a substantial increase, with the total value rising from £730.9 million to £894 million, marking a more than one-third increase year-over-year.
If you’re looking to see what the craic is about gin or planning to seek out premium or craft gins, then look no further: we’ve collated the best gins in the UK in the list below. We’ve painstakingly taste-tested every gin featured in the list, reviewing drinks by the most recognised and best gin brands in the country to lesser-known craft producers. When reviewing the below tipples, we tried them neat, as a gin and tonic, and included in popular cocktails.
Not a fan of gin served neat? That’s fine! It is an acquired taste and not many people drink it on its own or served with ice. The most popular way to enjoy gin is by serving it with tonic water, typically with a slice of lemon, ice and a sprig of rosemary.
As tasty and popular as it is, you don’t need to limit yourself to the humble gin and tonic, though. The beauty of gin is that it works brilliantly in a number of different popular cocktails, including the Martini, Negroni, Tom Collins, Singapore Sling and more.
Named the Gold winner in the Great British Food Awards 2023, gin category judge Adam Handling, chef-owner of Michelin-starred Frog, enjoyed its “well-rounded blend of botanicals that shows through the finishing product”. High praise indeed.
The botanicals Adam cites are found on and around Copas’ turkey farm in Cookham, Berkshire. Other botanicals and ingredients featured in the gin are juniper, coriander, angelica, grapefruit, lemon, liquorice and grains of paradise. As the Copas team mainly specialise in farming turkeys, they collaborated with Griffiths Brothers in Penn to create this delicious gin.
“It would be perfect in a negroni, garnished with rosemary,” suggests Adam.
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For the producers of this gin, East London Liquor Co., this product is all about giving back to the environment which lends the beverage its unique flavours. Created in collaboration with Kew Gardens, the company works with Kew’s Head Botanist, who hand-harvests Douglas fir and lavender for distillation each month, with 10% of all sales going back to supporting Kew and its 260 years of science and 16,000 species of plants.
As well as Douglas fir and lavender, it also features orange peel, liquorice root, angelica root and fennel seed, which culminates in an exquisitely well-balanced drink that works brilliantly with tonic, a big cube of ice and a slice of lemon.
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This London dry gin has a legion of fans and accolades - a Great British Food Awards 2023 Gold winner badge among them - with admirers typically noting its complex, fresh flavours.
“It’s rich and smooth and very well balanced,” said Great British Food Awards judge Adam Handling. “It’s juniper-heavy, so would make a nice, crisp, dry martini or would be perfect in just a classic gin and tonic.”
Our tasting panel not only loved its citrusy notes and earthy yet vanilla-like finish but also its story. Inspired by the Orkney Islands’ local history and folklore, Aatta means “eight” in Old Norse, a language once spoken on the islands. In homage, the gin is distilled eight times with eight different botanicals.
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Designed to reflect the ingredients and environment of the small, remote, Scottish island of Islay, Islay Dry Gin includes 22 hand-foraged local botanicals alongside nine berries, barks, seeds and peels.
The company also sells a nice gift pack, which is perfect as the gin’s versatile, crowd-pleasing character means it can appeal to expert gin drinkers and amateur tasters alike.
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Well-sourced ingredients are a prerequisite for producing any great British gin, however, Dyfi Distillery’s use of locally foraged results in a truly world-class tipple. Using local ingredients found in the UNESCO-recognised, World Biosphere Reserve Dyfi in Wales, the rich mixture of botanicals and flora creates a sensory bouquet of pepperiness, flora and citrusy notes.
The flavour is exceptional. Adam Handling, judge of the Great British Food Awards 2023, stated: “Dyfi Distillery Pollination has a wonderful aroma for a classic and versatile gin. It definitely showcases an incredible combination of botanicals.”
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Don’t let the fact that this gin is filed under the ‘bottle design’ category make you think that it’s all style over substance: its flavour profile is sensational. One big reason behind its taste sensation is that it features sugar kelp, which is a key local ingredient. Sustainably gathered by hand from local sea lochs, the seaweed complements the carefully chosen other ingredients, including juniper, coriander seeds, cubebs, cassia bark, angelica root, bitter orange peel and liquorice root.
Back to the bottle. Its mottled glass effect looks ultra smart, with its wooden top adding to its elegant class. It’s one that you should have in eyeshot on your kitchen shelf or spirits cupboard.
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If you’re a fan of the juniper-forward London Dry method, look no further than this exemplary example of the style. Distilled by Fishers, based on the beach in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, the company’s Distiller forages wild herbs and coastal botanicals to make it.
The use of local ingredients lends it an aromatic and herbaceous flavour, with a creamy and smooth finish. It’s amazing served as a gin and tonic while also suiting a multitude of cocktails: we used it in a martini during our testing and the results were sensational.
Pink gins have sky-rocketed in popularity over the last few years, but if we’re being brutally honest, they can often divide opinion due to lots of poorer quality gins being excessively sweet. This is far from the case with this wonderfully balanced rhubarb gin.
Created from real rhubarb juice - a third of every bottle is filled with the stuff! - it packs a strong burst of authentic flavour. A pinch of black pepper and cardamom flavours perfectly balances out the flavour-forwardness of the rhubarb. Brilliant served with a tonic or even a ginger beer.
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The beauty of gin is that due to the multitude of botanicals that it can feature, every creation has a different flavour profile. Some people like juniper-heavy gin while others crave peppery, earthy flavours. If, however, your crave citrus, then Salcombe Gin’s Start Point is the gin for you.
Distilled to the London dry method, this award-winning gin has a refreshing, citrus-led flavour, with notes of fresh, red grapefruit backed by earthy pine. The gin itself is inspired by the trading routes of the Salcombe Fruit Schooners, featuring the citrus fruits and spices the vessels carried back to England’s ports.
Naturally, it suits being served with a slice of lemon or grapefruit and plenty of ice.
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If you’re looking for a fresh and crisp gin, then Tarquin’s is your go-to option. The cool, ocean-like, blue bottle colour even adds to its refreshing image.
Distilled using 12 different botanicals - many of which are from the Cornish coast where the distillery is based - its crisp, piney notes balance with juniper flavours, a dash of citrus and a great floral finish.
Perfect served with a good quality tonic water, ice, sprig of thyme and even some red grapefruit.
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