Finish: Only slightly dry with sour citrus remaining dominant, although above a spice-led accord that feels distinctively Tanqueray like. Charles Tanqueray was born in 1810 to a third generation member of the clergy in Bedfordshire, England. But at the age of twenty, he decided that the church wasn’t really his scene and started experimenting with spirits production instead, making the first run of what would become his famous gin in 1830. He and his brother Edward learned about the spirits business at the Curries Distillery and, less than a decade after striking out, they had established a retail outlet named Edward & Charles Tanqueray & Co on Vine Street in London. Gin is now definitely a global spirit, with excellent examples being made everywhere from the U.S. to Mexico to Southeast Asia, and even the UK has seen an infusion of new gin distilleries. The best thing about this is that each spirit is an attempt to capture some essence of its geography, often using locally sourced botanicals to flavor what otherwise would essentially be, well, vodka. With so many bottles to choose from, we’ve broken down some of the best gins out there to try now by highlighting stellar examples of the new and old school. Here are some of the best gin brands available now, from traditional London dry to brand-new innovations.

London Dry Gin: The old guard brands mostly distill London Dry-style gin in the UK, although it does not actually have a geographical indicator. The main rules of this designation are that juniper must be the dominant flavor (as it is for all gin) and botanicals must flavor the gin during distillation, with no flavor or color added afterwards. Brands like Beefeater and Tanqueray are classics for a reason, but the world of gin has expanded enormously over the past 20 years as new distilleries tinker with the formula. In describing the flavor of some gins we often use metaphor. While some are obvious, like the tasting note “lemon curd.” We all know there’s no lemon curd in a gin. Other tasting notes often get misinterpreted. One time I reviewed a gin and said there was a strong licorice flavor. The distiller was outraged. “There’s no licorice in here!” But alike when a sommelier might say that a Riesling invokes “stone fruit,” when reviewing a gin I sometimes have to use botanicals that are not present in the gin to describe the impression a gin invokes. The flavor can contain notes of licorice without the gin itself containing licorice. Another example of where I think the gin has been superseded is in the Martini. It’s a little heavy-handed and some of he duller ethanol notes on the finish make for an acceptable, but ultimately underwhelming drink. I recommend Tanqueray 10 instead.Usually, when we add a bit of ice the flavors take a nosedive. That’s especially true in spirits like a gin, where the flavors are infused during distillation and tend to be a little bit more delicate than usual. In this case, fortunately for us, I think they have all mostly survived — with one notable change. Flavor: Slightly sweet in impression and quite citrus forward. The citrus is complex and could be described as having hints of lemon, tangerine and even grapefruit. Green juniper with slight pine facets comes in late. Hints of laurel, coriander and licorice round it out. New Western Gin: This is really a catch-all term for newer gins that don’t fit into the previous categories. But the through line is that these gins, while still using juniper as a key ingredient, are flavored with a wide range of botanicals, and often use ones that are grown locally to showcase the flavors of where they are made. No, I meant intimation. It’s not an “imitation,” a la a deliberate attempt to replicate the flavor of something although not using an ingredient.

A Rangpur Lime isn’t really a lime. It’s known as a Canton lemon in some parts of the world— but it’s not a lemon either. It’s a hybrid of a mandarin orange and a citron. ( Citrus × limonia). Its flesh is orange, the fruit highly acidic and the flavor is perhaps closer to a citron than any of the above. It’s used in place of a lime in some culinary applications because its high acidity; however, to summarize it’s best simply stated: a Rangpur Lime is truly its own thing.Today the brand is distilled at the massive Cameronbridge Distillery in Scotland and owned by Diageo. In Europe you’ll find it bottled at 43.1% ABV; in the US it’s a more assertive (and superior taste-wise in my opinion, especially for mixing) 47.3% ABV. In contrast the other gins, the botanicals are distilled immediately and not macerated prior. Secondly, it also does not use a concentrated botanical distillation which is diluted with neutral spirit after distillation. The botanical strength of the distillate is the botanical strength of the gin. Tasting Notes The gin tradition of Charles Tanqueray began on Vine Street in Bloomsbury in 1830. A pastor’s son who broke with tradition, his creation would certainly be a first ballot Gin-Hall-Of-Fame entrant (if ever there was such a thing). Continuously distilled since its invention, the brand has been owned by several big companies, and while it has been passed around it never lost any of its luster. To many people, Tanqueray London Dry Gin is London Dry Gin; its signature green glass is gin. The zestiness of the exotic Rangpur Lime shines through in this simple, but elegant serve with a touch of warmth from the ginger and aromatic bay leaf. What you need: Hence, it’s an intimation of citrus zest— but not an imitation. I know of very few distillers who use coriander to imitate citrus; however, many will use it in concert because of the way it can amplify citrus, or add fruity floral linalool notes to a gin, or to add a spiciness to draw contrast. Coriander has many purposes in gin; however, at least in my professional experience imitation is not one of them.