The 14 Best Gins For Mixing (That Are Affordable)
A good quality gin is a foundation for many fantastic cocktails around the world. But what are some of the best gins to use for mixing?
What Makes A Gin Great For Mixing
Many, many different drinks use gin in combination with other spirits, juices, or sodas. A Gin and Tonic is a classic example, but drinks such as a Negroni, Martini, or Singapore Sling all use gin as their base.
But what makes a gin great for mixing? Pretty much every gin will be great for mixing. Mixing your gin will always dilute the taste a bit, so there won’t be an extremely noticeable difference between all the gins. Gin is often used for its crisp and fresh taste, which is the taste that pretty much all gins have.
Still, some are preferable over others. When you’re mixing a gin with another liquid, you’ll always get a ‘diluted’ gin, which is normal when you’re mixing, but for this reason, you might not want to use an extremely expensive gin.
Instead, you might want to go for a cheaper option. Many cheaper options are still amazing gins. Brands like Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, and Gordon’s all offer more affordable gins that are perfect for mixing.
Best Gins for Mixing Based on Taste
In addition to those three listed above, we’ll go over some of the best gins to use for mixing! These are in no particular order and also depend on your own preferred taste.
Beefeater
Beefeater is one of the best-known gin brands in the world that still distills its gins in London. Their recipe also hasn’t changed since 1860, showing how truly great their signature London Dry Gin is.
The Beefeater London Dry Gin is infused with lemon zest, orange zest, coriander, licorice root, and, of course, the signature juniper berries, before distillation.
This gives the gin its crisp, dry, and juniper-forward taste, just how a London Dry Gin should taste.
What makes this gin so great for mixing is its versatility. Beefeater’s gin goes perfectly in pretty much any gin-based drink. Its juniper-forward taste is as classic as a gin will come, making it great for a simple gin and tonic, but also more extravagant gin drinks.
Beefeater London Dry Gin would go great in a slightly sweeter drink, such as a Gimlet or even a Gin and Juice. It’s also great on its own and you can’t go wrong with mixing it either.
Beefeater London Dry Gin is a great choice for any gin drinker. Whether it’s your first sip of gin or if you drink it regularly, this is a gin you will appreciate!
Bombay Sapphire
Bombay Sapphire is a premium gin brand, loved for its complex, yet straightforward London Dry Gin. The history of Bombay Sapphire dates back to 1761.
Since then, Bombay Sapphire has grown to be one of the largest distilleries in the United Kingdom.
The Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin is infused with 10 different botanicals; juniper berries, licorice, almond, lemon peel, orris root, angelica root, coriander, cassia bark, cubeb berries, and grains of paradise.
These botanicals make for a smooth and complex taste that still tastes like a nice London Dry Gin. Hints of freshness come from the lemon peel, whereas the juniper berries give the gin a crisp and piney taste.
Then, there’s also an added smoothness from the almonds and licorice, making for a unique experience.
A London Dry Gin such as this not only tastes amazing, but it’s also extremely versatile. This London Dry Gin is great on its own but mixes well with practically anything.
A trendy drink with Bombay Sapphire is the classic Gin and Tonic, but a Negroni also works amazingly with this gin!
Gordon’s
Gordon’s is another popular gin brand, loved for its straightforward and versatile gins. Their most popular one is their London Dry Gin, bottled in the classic bottle with a yellow label.
Their London Dry Gin is distilled two times and is infused with a bunch of secret botanicals. Gordon’s London Dry Gin recipe is such a secret, only 12 people on earth know it.
What we do know, however, is that this gin tastes crisp and fresh. Naturally, there’s a presence of juniper berries, as a London Dry Gin is a juniper-forward gin. But, there’s also a nice zesty freshness, hinting at some sort of citrusy botanical.
Overall, Gordon’s London Dry Gin goes well with pretty much every drink. It’s a true gin with a straightforward taste that goes perfectly with a simple Gin and Tonic, as well as with a more complex gin drink.
Tanqueray
Tanqueray is yet another brand that most gin drinkers are familiar with. Bottled in green bottles, the Tanqueray gin recipe hasn’t changed since 1830.
Tanqueray Gin is a London Dry Gin infused with many different botanicals. There are some spices present, as well as some citruses, and this gin is distilled 4 times, making for a pure drink with a clear and fresh taste.
Whether you’re an avid gin drinker or you’re just about to try your first actual gin cocktail, a bottle of Tanqueray will always be great. It mixes well with pretty much everything!
However, Tanqueray is often used in a Martini or a Gin and Juice. This gin’s boldness can stand up against these stronger mixes. Still, this is a gin that works great in any drink.
Plymouth
Plymouth Gin isn’t a typical London Dry Gin. In fact, it’s not even a London Dry Gin. This is more of a sweet gin that even shares some similarities with the grandfather of gin, genever.
With Plymouth Gin, you get a gin that smells sweet and spicy and has a taste that’s just that as well. You can pick up hints of pepper, sweet berries, and, of course, juniper berries.
This makes for a crisp and sweet taste that stands apart from a lot of the other gins. It tastes a little smoother as well, making it great for mixing, as well as just sipping neat.
There isn’t really a best mix for Plymouth Gin, however, it’s known to go exceptionally well with a Martini, as the sweeter aspect of this gin mixes greatly with the sweet cocktail, as well as in a simple Gin and Tonic. However, any other drink will be just fine as well.
Hendrick’s
Hendrick’s is an amazing Scottish gin brand that has become a household name. This is a premium gin with a smooth and complex taste.
Some of the botanicals used to give Hendrick’s Gin its flavor are juniper berries, cubeb berries, elderflower, chamomile, angelica, lemon peel, orange peel, coriander, yarrow, orris, rose petals, and cucumber.
The most prominent botanical in this gin is the cucumber. With this gin, you get a refreshing and crisp flavor where the cucumber plays a large role.
Of course, there’s also a strong influence of juniper berries and there’s even a noticeably citrusy addition, but the cucumber seems to be the main star.
The cucumber-forward taste is also responsible for its versatility. Cucumber has a rather safe taste that goes well with most things, so naturally, this gin goes great with most drinks as well.
And that’s definitely the case. Whether you want to drink your gin neat, in a Gin and Tonic, or in any other gin-based drink, Hendrick’s Gin will be perfect for it.
Roku
The brand Roku is a Japanese gin brand that makes some truly fantastic gins. The Roku Gin is inspired by every one of the four seasons, and certain botanicals are used to represent them.
For instance, spring is represented by Sakura leaves and Sakura flowers, Sencha tea, and Gyokuro tea are used to represent the summer, Sansha pepper for the fall, and Yuzu peel for the winter.
Alongside these special botanicals are of course some of the classics, such as juniper berries and several citrus peels. These all come together to create a wonderful flavor that tastes earthy, fresh, and slightly fruity.
This gin is often praised for its extraordinary taste. Many gin lovers swear by this one and would even drink it neat. However, such a fine gin will also do well in any cocktail as well!
Whitley Gin Dry Original
Whitely Neill is a family-run gin distillery, spanning 8 generations already. The Neill family is from the United Kingdom and creates both gins that are more classic and contemporary, as well as more unique types of gin.
Now, the main reason why Whitley Neill is on this list is because of its wide range of flavors. Seriously, these guys have over 10 different, uniquely flavored gins, all of this high quality as well!
If you’re looking for something sweet and fruity then try their Rhubarb And Ginger Gin.
But they also have gins based on citruses, spices, and florals, as well as one called ‘The Original’, being a straight-forward, classic gin.
With such a large range of differently flavored gins, you’re sure to find the one you like. And such diversity is also great for mixing as well!
If you’re making a fresh cocktail, go for a fresher gin and if you’re looking for a fruitier or spicier cocktail, they have just the thing for that as well!
We definitely recommend Whitley Gin Dry Original for mixing as it is the most versatile.
Nolet’s
Nolet’s Dry Gin is a rather exciting gin. It takes the elements of a classic gin, such as juniper berries, licorice, citruses, and orris root, and blends it with more unique botanicals such as raspberry, peach, and rose.
Nolet’s is a Dutch gin brand and it’s safe to say that their gin is intriguing, unique, and tastes great! This is partly attributed to the use of those uncommon botanicals, making for a new flavor experience.
However, this is all kept in check by the classic base upon which it’s built.
Blending these pillars of a regular gin with the more unique botanicals makes for a gin that’s not only great on its own but also mixes very well with pretty much everything.
The taste of this gin is so diverse that it works well with practically any sort of drink. As you might have guessed from the botanicals, this gin has a slightly sweeter and fruitier taste, and what’s better to mix with than a fruity, yet classic gin?
Sipsmith
Sipsmith London Dry Gin is an incredible gin that perfectly demonstrates that a good gin does not have to have an abundance of flavors.
The Sipsmith London Dry Gin is only lightly flavored with 10 different botanicals, making for a taste that’s even drier than your typical London Dry Gin.
Still, Sipsmith manages to make such a smooth and easy-going gin that’s great for both gin lovers and people trying out their first gin.
When you open your bottle of Sipsmith London Dry Gin, you’re greeted by a fresh and flowery scent, supported by a crispness of juniper and tanginess of citruses.
These scents also shine through in the flavor. Initially, you’re hit with a crisp taste of juniper berries, but you’ll quickly notice a freshness of citruses and there’s even a light sweetness in the mix.
All these flavors, however, are done very lightly, making sure that the true taste of gin always has the foreground.
Due to the smoothness of this gin, and the fact that this is an extremely dry and straightforward gin, it’s perfect for mixing. If you’re looking for a gin to add a true gin taste to your drink, look no further!
Aviation Gin
Aviation is a relatively young gin distillery, dating back to 2006. The name ‘Aviation’ pays homage to a classic cocktail from the 1900s and the gin itself tastes fantastic.
The base of Aviation Gin is a Dutch rye spirit. This spirit is then infused with many different botanicals, including juniper berries, lavender, cinnamon, anise, orange peel, and cardamom.
These botanicals make for a gin that smells and tastes spicy and refreshing. Hints of cardamom and cinnamon are both very prevalent, giving the fragrance a different approach.
Still, there’s the classic crispness and freshness of gin, making for a unique and complex taste experience.
Due to the emphasis on spices, this gin is perfect for your cocktails if you’re looking to make your drink a tad bit fancier. The spices add just a slightly different taste that still goes perfectly with any gin-based drink.
Final Thoughts
As we end, we would like to say that the right gin can transform a plain cocktail into an absolutely delicious and classy one. That’s why you must pick out your best gin for mixing based on quality and price range.
After all, there’s nothing worse than drinking a boring cocktail just because of bad ingredients!
