Gin is an alcoholic spirit which is generally made from the distillation of grain mash with an extract of juniper berries and various herbs. Commonly mixed with tonic water, it's also a popular ingredient in cocktails like Negronis, gin fizzes, Gimlets, and Martinis. Anyone who wants to expand their cocktail making capabilities, or who just needs a quality gin for their cabinet should read on. This buyer's guide provides all you need to know to find high-quality, cheap gin from the UK's biggest spirits retailers.
Gin (or Geneva as it used to be called) was probably invented in the Low Countries in the 14th or 15th centuries when an experimental monk added juniper extract and other herbs to their distillation process. We don't know for sure, but what we do know is that by the 17th century, gin was everywhere.
In fact, it became so popular among the London poor that “Gin Lane” became a byword for poverty, and the drink attracted the nickname “Mother's Ruin”. That's ironic, as initially gin was used as a medicine to treat conditions like kidney stones, back pain, and gout.
Eventually, high taxation cleaned up the 18th century “Gin Craze”, but the drink didn't die off, becoming a staple tipple for Brits into the 19th and 20th centuries. Part of the appeal was because gin could be made cheaply, in small premises, and it continued to be a working-class drink.
However, in the mid 19th century, gin started to become a more sophisticated spirit. New distillation processes enabled the production of London Dry – a purer, crisper form that appealed across the world. And G&Ts even became commonplace in the Empire, where people used it to mask the unpleasant taste of quinine, a medication for malaria.
Nowadays, the spirit is experiencing a remarkable renaissance, not unlike craft beer. With plenty of upscale boutique distillers alongside centuries-old favourites, it's a good time to be buying gin.
Gin is a strong spirit, which is generally made by distilling a “mash” of grain (although you can use things like sugar or potatoes as well). Producers use a still to separate the alcohol produced by this fermentation process from the raw ingredients, then add a little extract of juniper berries or other “botanicals” to provide the classic gin flavour, before redistilling the lot.
It's the use of botanicals which lends gin its distinctive taste and creates so many different varieties. Producers all have their own herb mixtures and ratio of juniper to herbs, and they distil to slightly different alcoholic proofs as well.
The amount of botanicals infused into the distilled gin determines how “dry” the product is. If the degree of herbal flavour is less, we tend to say that the Gin is dry, or comes from the London family of gins. But there are richer flavours on the market, too.
There are two forms of still used in the gin-making process. Most commercial gins use the column-distillation method, which yields a far stronger product. But there may also be varieties produced using the pot distillation method, which tends to create slightly less flavoursome, weaker spirits.
As we've hinted, gin falls into a range of styles, and everyone will have their own unique preferences. Here's a quick look at the forms you'll find at UK retailers via hotukdeals:
London Dry Gin – Heavily flavoured with juniper in the classical gin tradition, London Dry usually has a dash of citrus as well. It has a drier taste, and generally mixes more effectively than other gin varieties, meaning that London Dry is the perfect addition to a Martini. Common brands include Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray and Beefeater, all of which can be found at UK supermarkets.
Plymouth – Far sweeter than London Dry, Plymouth also has what you might call an “earthy” taste to it, which makes it a favourite among connoisseurs, but maybe less accessible for everyday gin fans. As the name suggests, it's heavily associated with the port city of Plymouth and is often used in G&Ts.
Navy Strength – The most challenging gin variety of all, Navy Strength is, as the name suggests, not for the faint-hearted. Regularly distilled to 57% proof, it tastes a little bit like London Dry and is mainly used in highly alcoholic cocktails like Negronis, where it can work wonders.
New Wave – A key part of the gin revival movement, New Wave gins place their focus firmly on botanicals, adding all kinds of new and exciting flavours to the mix. For instance, Hendricks is a New Wave brand that you'll find across the UK, and it has a fresh cucumber taste that many drinkers adore.
Old Tom – A slightly sweeter cousin of London Dry, Old Tom is the perfect addition to a Tom Collins cocktail. Very popular in the 19th century, it has been slightly eclipsed by London Dry in recent times but is making a comeback as cocktails swing back into vogue.
Genever – The most common form of gin in the Low Countries (Belgium and the Netherlands), Genever may well be the oldest type of all. Aged in oak casks for a few years before bottling, it's slightly weaker than English gins, light and often fruity, and makes a nice change of pace for gin fanatics.
American New Western Gins – Recent years have seen gin being embraced big-time in America, and they have made some radical innovations. Most importantly, they are moving away from juniper, using all kinds of herbs as a base, such as grapes.
As you can tell, gin is a simple drink, with a complex family of variations. This makes it great fun to explore when you develop a taste for it, but presents some challenges to novice buyers. With that in mind, it makes sense to check out some of the UK's biggest brands to see what they have to offer buyers.
Here's a list of 5 of the UK’s favourite gin brands to choose from:
Gordon's – The grand-daddy of London Dry gins, Gordon's was first made in 1769 and has been the country's number one selling gin for well over a century. Made with juniper and a host of botanicals like angelica and liquorice (although we don't know for sure what the precise recipe contains), Gordon's is a staple in spirits cabinets all over the UK. Along with the classic London Dry variety which comes in green bottles, Gordon's offer pink gin and sloe gin, with a fruitier taste, as well as a newer type which is infused with elderflower. Their cans of G&T are also extremely popular, and perfect for taking on the train.
Bombay Sapphire – Famous for their blue bottles, Bombay Sapphire is owned by the Bacardi group, and only started making gin in the 1980s. However, it hasn't taken them long to develop a big reputation. Fans point to its lighter, floral taste, and its ever so slightly lower ABV than Gordon's, and it has a loyal following all over the UK. As a bonus, you can also visit the Bombay Sapphire distillery in Hampshire for an enlightening window into the production process.
Tanqueray – Produced by Diageo, Tanqueray is a premium London Dry Gin which is made in Scotland, and has a huge market in the USA. First distilled in London's Bloomsbury district in 1830, it also has a closely guarded recipe, with a unique blend of botanicals, which makes it a fascinating counterpoint to Gordon's. The green London Dry bottle is a fixture across the world, but the brand's premium product is definitely Tanqueray Number 10. Check out their website for a range of great cocktail ideas that suit the gin's distinctive flavour.
Beefeater – Owned by Pernod Ricard, Beefeater gin is distilled in London and has been since the 1860s. It's another brand that can be found all over the country fairly easily and features some interesting additions to its botanicals repertoire, such as Seville oranges and almonds. It's a London Dry by definition, although you can taste differences with Gordon's (mainly thanks to the orange). Along with the basic Beefeater Gin variety, there are several alternatives to try, such as Beefeater 24 (which features “exotic teas” in the distillation process) and the London Garden variety, which tries to recreate the herbal mixes used in the 1860s.
Hendricks – Relatively new to the gin market but already making a big name for itself, this Scottish gin uses Bulgarian rose and cucumber to add flavour to its traditional juniper infusion. Lauded repeatedly by institutions like the Beverage Testing Institute and the Gin Foundry, Hendricks is largely credited with spearheading the resurged interest in gin in the last years.
If you’re simply planning to dump your gin in a cocktail or mix it with some Coca Cola, then you’re probably pretty unconcerned by the juniper mix or which berries a particular gin contains. You may simply want the most bang for your buck. If this sounds like you, then read on to see some top tips for saving big when buying gin.
First and foremost, look to the gin labels which most major supermarkets produce. The likes of Asda and Tesco produce their own label gin for around £10 per 70cl bottle, while Aldi has also made waves with its Oliver Cromwell range of fins (with 1L of gin available for around £14).
Buying bigger bottles seems like an obvious way to save, but be sure to double-check how the price is working out per unit. For certain brands, buying a 70 cl bottle can be cheaper than a 1L bottle! There are a number of gin price comparison sites on the web, where you can type in your favourite brand and see what prices are being offered by the different outlets. After you've visited them, you'll be in a good position to know which brand to buy and where.
These days, gin is big business, and many UK retailers have jumped on the bandwagon, offering some fabulous ideas for people who want to assemble a gin gift set for their partner, siblings, friends, or parents.
Here are a few shops to check out if you’re shopping for a gin drinker:
John Lewis – John Lewis stock a wide range of elite gins, with taster sets that feature smaller bottles and a variety of tastes. Some of their best gin gift sets include bottles along with a portfolio of glasses, helping to kick your gin collection off in style.
Marks & Spencer – M&S also offer a huge range of gins and gin gifts. If you really want to splurge, their alcoholic gift hampers are a wonderful present, but they also offer a dazzling selection of artisan and special edition gins, all year-round.
Harvey Nichols – As you might expect, Harvey Nichols really go to town with their gin collection, and there's no better store to look for unusual, boutique gins. Many, like the varieties from the Lakes Distillery, aren't just beautifully made, but come in attractive gift boxes, too.
Fever Tree – One of the UK's biggest tonic water brands, Fever Tree know that gin is a big reason for their success, and offer some excellent tasting sets that can be found from merchants like Tesco or Sainsbury's.
If you become a gin-drinking fan, you'll need the right accessories to go along with your hobby, and there are plenty to choose from. Here's what all gin fans need to enjoy their favourite drink at its best:
Gin glasses – Every drink seems to have its own unique serving glasses, and gin is no exception. With their slightly rounded vessel and elongated neck, gin glasses are similar to wine glasses, but broader – and are perfectly proportioned to hold a refreshing G&T. If you are seriously planning to get into gin cocktails, it makes sense to buy a set of gin glasses, along with highball glasses and martini glasses. You can make a wide range of cocktails with gin, and you'll probably want to do so, which means you need the glasses to hold them.
Mixing spoons – When you buy a G&T at high-class bars, you'll almost always receive a stirrer along with the drink. That's because the way gin and mixers are blended determines how smooth the resulting drink will be. Stirrers need to be long enough to stir from the bottom up and come in plastic and metal varieties. The best ones are elongated metal spoons, which you can get from sellers like Heal's or Lakeland.
Cocktail shakers – If you want to really get creative with Negronis and Martinis, you'll need a metal cocktail shaker. Don't be shy about this. You can mix cocktails with the best of them. But go for a high-quality mixer with a secure fastening mechanism. And think about adding an ice machine to your kitchen collection too. There's nothing like finely ground ice to add to a freshly made cocktail, and it's tough to crumble ice without a little mechanical assistance.
Given the range of delicious artisan gins available these days, it's really important to find the best possible gin prices. We've just noted that gin price comparison websites are around, making it easier to avoid paying over the odds at local retailers. And hotukdeals is there to deliver the latest deals for gin fans, too.
To capitalise on these deals, take the brands you find when you compare gin prices and type them into the search engine at the hotukdeals gin listings. If you're hunting for a popular brand (and plenty of lesser-known varieties), you'll come up with a list of the latest discounts from UK retailers. All of the major high street spirits retailers are included, such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, M&S, John Lewis, and other merchants like Amazon, Lakeland, Harvey Nichols.
Be aware of seasonal sales, too. During Black Friday in November, expect flash sales of festive products like gin and tonic water, as well as gift sets. And Amazon Prime customers may find boutique gin offers around Prime Day, too.
Whether you are a hardcore cocktail maker or you just need a bottle for G&Ts at Christmas, gin is part of almost every UK drinks cabinet. There's a huge variety of gins to choose from, ranging from bog-standard London Dries to boutique upstarts. All of them can be found at the best possible price by consulting the hotukdeals gin listings.
