'Laughter Is The Best Medicine, Or Gin... Whatever'. Gin is amongst the most favorite spirits of all time so let's talk about its history, production, and cocktails.
It emerged in England in different forms by the early 17th century and now, 9th June is celebrated as the 'World Gin Day'. Being England's national spirit, most of the gin hail from the UK and has evolved from being herbal medicine to an object meant to be mixed in cocktails. Gins are very diverse in flavor, origin, and style and use juniper as its main ingredient. Gin has a very harsh texture which is the reason why it is mixed in cocktails, Martini being the most popular one.
Gin can uplift any mood and occasion, so here's is the list of 20 best gin brands in India which you must check out.
1. Hendrick's
- Produced by William Grant & Sons at the Girvan distillery, Scotland, Hendrick's was launched in 1999 and uses 11 botanicals, each having a different story attached to its use.
- The main flavors are of cucumber and Bulgarian rose and the gin is bottled in a beautiful dark-brown bottle. It was named as 'Best Gin in the World' in 2003 by Wall Street Journal.
- The preparation procedure uses 2 styles of distillation due to which it has a distinctive flavor.
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Alcohol Content of Hendrick's: 44%
Price of Hendrick's: 350 ml – ₹1,400 (approx.)
2. Tanqueray
- Originated in London in 19830, Tanqueray is a dry gin and is now produced in Scotland.
- Marketed worldwide, it has its largest market in the US, followed by southern Europe. The main 3 botanicals it has after juniper are coriander, angelica root, and licorice.
- Tanqueray became the highest selling gin in the world for the first time in 2016, with nearly 3 million nine-liter cases sold.
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Alcohol Content of Tanqueray: 43.1%
Price of Tanqueray: 1 liter – ₹3,000 (approx.)
3. The Botanist
- The Botanist is an Islay gin made by Bruichladdich Distillery, having big notes of citrus, delicate menthol and flowers.
- It is distinctive for its addition to the 9 traditional gin aromatics of a further 22 locally picked wild Islay botanicals.
- It is these botanicals and the 2 local botanists who collect them that give the product its name.
- The manufacturer uses 'Ugly Betty', a Lomond Still for distillation, which is the only one still being used. Introduced in 2010, this gin has gained popularity around the world.
Image Courtesy: Gin Liebhaber
Alcohol Content of The Botanist: 46%
Price of The Botanist: 700 ml – ₹3,200 (approx.)
4. Gin Mare
- Inspired by Mediterranean flavors, Gin Mare has a herbal and aromatic palette.
- It is a Spanish gin and is made with Arbequina olive, rosemary, thyme, basil and mandarin.
- Gin Mare is widely admired by gin fans, selling well in Europe and the US. With a new bottle shape launched in 2012, it has emerged as amongst the best-sellers.
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Alcohol Content of Gin Mare: 42.7%
Price of Gin Mare: 700 ml – ₹3,800 (approx.)
5. Colombo No. 7
- A gin like no other, Colombo No. 7 is a distinctly Sri Lankan take on a London dry gin and is the first Asian made handcrafted gin.
- It uses 7 spices and botanicals, 4 native botanicals being - cinnamon bark, curry leaves, ginger root and coriander seeds.
- The gin is based on a 70-year-old-recipe and is distilled in small batches in traditional copper pot still
Image Courtesy: Gin Foundry
Alcohol Content of Colombo No. 7: 43.1%
Price of Colombo No. 7: 1 liter – ₹3,800 (approx.)
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6. Sipsmith
- Sipsmith London Dry Gin is distilled with 10 botanicals, few being juniper, coriander seeds, angelica roots, licorice, orris and lemon peel which are carefully selected for an even drier balance than a classic London Dry Gin.
- In 2009, Sipsmith was launched by Sam Galsworthy and Fairfax Hall and became the first copper-pot based distillery to start up in London for 189 years.
Image Courtesy: Sipsmith
Alcohol Content of Sipsmith: 41.6%
Price of Sipsmith: 700 ml – ₹2,700 (approx.)
7. Monkey 47
- Monkey 47 Gin comes from Germany's Black Forest. It is a highly complex dry gin whose flavors demands serious attention.
- This gin has been produced since 2008 and is made mainly of cranberries. An absolute high-class spirit, it has a robust flavor.
- The number 47 comes from the number of vegetable ingredients that goes into this gin. This gin makes sure that you keep coming back to it for more and more.
Image Courtesy: Sizzle brothers
Alcohol Content of Monkey 47: 47%
Price of Monkey 47: 500 ml – ₹4,800 (approx.)
8. BullDog
- Bull Dog is a delicious English gin made with 12 botanicals including poppy, dragon eye, lotus leaves, citrus, almond, lavender and various others and is distilled 4 times in copper pot stills.
- The nose on opening the bottle has more complex aromas than other gins and is very different.
- The flavors are also complex than other gins and taste best when mixed with an ice cold Schweppes tonic and a twist of lemon zest.
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Alcohol Content of BullDog: 40%
Price of BullDog: 700 ml – ₹1,800 (approx.)
9. Caorunn
- Handcrafted carefully in the Scottish Highlands, Caorunn expertly infuses 5 locally explored gin botanicals including rowan berry, blush apple and dandelion.
- It is distilled at Balmenach Distillery, which can trace its origins back to 1824, making it one of the oldest distilleries in the region. Artistically made in small batches, when drunk on its own, this gin is crisp, dry and well-balanced.
Image Courtesy: Siobhan Mackenzie
Alcohol Content of Caorunn: 41.8%
Price of Caorunn: 700 ml – ₹2,700 (approx.)
10. Bombay Sapphire
- One of the world's most famous gin, Bombay Sapphire was launched in 1987 and was sold to Bacardi in 1997.
- The gin comes in a beautiful sapphire-colored bottle with Queen Victoria’s photograph on the label and is distilled using a vapor infusion process.
- It is made with 10 botanicals few being cassia bark, licorice and coriander.
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Alcohol Content of Bombay Sapphire: 40%
Price of Bombay Sapphire: 1 liter – ₹2,600 (approx.)
11. Star Of Bombay
- This gin is a 2015 small batch addition to the Bombay’s bestselling gin Bombay Sapphire range.
- Star Of Bombay gin is presented in a modern and beautifully packaged bottle with exquisite detail.
- The botanicals in this gin are similar to that of in Bombay Sapphire, this being more punchier and earthy.
Image Courtesy: Novella Magazine
Alcohol Content of Star Of Bombay: 47.5%
Price of Star Of Bombay: 700 ml – ₹2,400 (approx.)
12. Greater Than
- Greater Than is the only London dry gin that is made in India.
- The botanicals which include juniper, coriander seeds, ginger, lemongrass, fennel, chamomile, orange peels are sourced from India and around the world and makes it quite citrusy.
- It has already become a huge hit and has a perfect balance of zest and zing.
Image Courtesy: Mumbai Live
Alcohol Content of Greater Than: 42.8%
Price of Greater Than: 750 ml – ₹1,450 (approx.)
13. Dutch Courage
- Zuidam's Dutch Courage is a rich dry gin from Holland. The nose has juniper, lemon and a lovely note of exotic coriander with a lovely citrusy undertone and is nicely balanced.
- It is based on grain spirit, which is flavored with the very best botanicals which are distilled separately and then put together, that gives it a distinct classic taste.
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Alcohol Content of Dutch Courage: 44.5%
Price of Dutch Courage: 700 ml – ₹3,500 (approx.)
14. Jodhpur
Jodhpur is a London Dry Gin inspired by India, made in England and features botanicals like coriander, orange, lemon, grapefruit peel and more and has a good balance of bitterness and sweetness.
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Alcohol Content of Jodhpur: 43%
Price of Jodhpur: 500 ml – ₹3,500 (approx.)
15. Gunpowder
- A handcrafted Irish gin, Gunpowder is made with juniper, angelica, orris, caraway, coriander and more as well as vapor infused oriental lemon and lime, fresh grapefruit and gunpowder tea.
- It is distilled at The Shed distillery, Ireland and has bright citrus and green tea notes which are complemented by spices.
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Alcohol Content of Gunpowder: 43%
Price of Gunpowder: 750 ml – ₹2,500 (approx.)
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16. Magellan
- Magellan, a French gin gets its name from Ferdinand de Magellan, the first man who circumnavigated the globe.
- The gin includes cloves, juniper, iris, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and more amongst the 11 total botanicals that go in it.
- The flavor is floral which makes it more of a modern option as opposed to a London one. Because of the Iris infusion, this gin is naturally blue in color.
Image Courtesy: Belle Booze
Alcohol Content of Magellan: 43%
Price of Magellan: 750 ml – ₹2,000 (approx.)
17. No3
- This London Dry Gin is produced by Berry Bros. & Rudd, the oldest spirit and wine merchant in London.
- The name No3 refers to the address of BBR - Number 3, St James's Street.
- It was created to perfect the dry martini and has 3 fruits as well as 3 spices, all of which is distilled using the traditional skills, copper pot ones.
Image Courtesy: Mix Meister
Alcohol Content of No3: 46%
Price of No3: 700 ml – ₹2,600 (approx.)
18. Broker's
- First made in Birmingham in 1998, Broker's was a newer option among many worldwide gin brands. It has a unique flavor as it is distilled 5 times.
- The creators chose a theme of a gentleman wearing a bowler hat for the brand that would be recognized for its Englishness.
- Broker’s stands out as it is still made using traditional pot ones which give this spirit its robust herbal flavor.
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Alcohol Content of Broker's: 40%
Price of Broker's: 700 ml – ₹2,200 (approx.)
19. Fords
- It is a classic London Dry Gin and works well when sipping cocktails. Fords Gin has 9 botanicals - juniper, orange, coriander, grapefruit, lemon, orris, jasmine, cassia and angelica.
- These botanicals are from the 125-year-old English importing business and the gin itself is made in England at Thames Distillers.
Image Courtesy: Free Pix
Alcohol Content of Fords: 45%
Price of Fords: 750 ml – ₹2,200 (approx.)
20. Gordon's
- Gordon’s was first produced in London, England in 1769 and now is incredibly popular in the UK, US and Greece. Since then, the ingredients and the distillation process have remained the same.
- This gin is distilled 3 times with 3 botanicals as well as juniper berries and a secret weapon: an ingredient only 12 individuals in the entire world know.
- Every label and bottle top of Gordon's gin has a depiction of a wild boar.
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
Alcohol Content of Gordon's: 40%
Price of Gordon's: 1 liter – ₹1,900 (approx.)
Gin has something to offer for everyone and is an integral part of every drinking occasion. With more and more international brands coming to our country, and people being more welcoming, it can be rightly said, we love our gin! This was our bucket list and we hope you are now all sorted and ready to grab a glass of it.
FAQs
Q. Which cocktails are low on alcohol?
A.Spritzes, Shandies, Americano, Tom Collins
Q. Which alcoholic drinks are good for health?
A.Beer, Red Wine, Whiskey
Q: Can you name some popular Indian gin brands?
A: Yes, some popular Indian gin brands include Greater Than, Samsara, Hapusa, and Stranger & Sons.
Q: What kind of botanicals are used in Indian gin?
A: Indian gin may use botanicals like cardamom, coriander, fennel, and other indigenous spices for a regional twist.
Q: How is gin typically consumed in India?
A: Gin in India is commonly enjoyed with tonic water, ice, and garnishes like lime or fresh herbs.
Q: Is gin becoming popular in India?
A: Yes, the craft gin scene in India is rapidly growing, with a surge in locally produced gins and an increase in gin enthusiasts.
