18 Best Gins For A Gin And Tonic
A gin and tonic, who doesn’t know this classic and refreshing drink? Making this drink is rather easy, but what gins are actually the best for a gin and tonic?
In this article, we’ll list a large number of brands that make wonderful gins that would be perfect in your next gin and tonic!
What Are the Best Gins for A Gin and Tonic
The question of what gins are best for a gin and tonic is difficult to answer. It really comes down to personal preference.
Usually, a gin and tonic is best done with a classic London Dry Gin.
A London Dry Gin usually has the most straightforward gin taste; being fresh, zesty, and crisp. These flavors really contrast with the bittersweet flavors of tonic, making for one of the best flavor experiences.
However, there are so many other gins that will go great with tonic! You can experiment with different flavored gins, such as fruit-infused gins, spice-infused gins, citrus-infused gins, or even pink gins.
And if you want to take it a step further, you can also go with a gin that’s made with white whiskey (unaged whiskey). It would be a shame to just stick with a regular London Dry.
Expand your horizon with all that the gin world has to offer!
Tanqueray
Tanqueray is one of the most reliable brands when it comes to gin. Whether you go with their original London Dry Gin or one of their variants, with Tanqueray, you know you get a high-quality gin.
The botanicals used in a Tanqueray gin are kept secret, but we do know that the recipe hasn’t changed since 1830! The original recipe was made by Charles Tanqueray, and time has shown that this recipe needs no improvements.
Tanqueray gin is often seen as a gin that sits somewhere between the more affordable gins and more expensive gins. That’s from the price point, at least, because when we look at taste, Tanqueray sits somewhere on the top.
Pairing a Tanqueray gin with a wonderful tonic will make for the ultimate, refreshing gin and tonic. Garnish to your liking (lemon, lime, or even cucumber will look great!), and enjoy your wonderful drink.
Brooklyn Hand Crafted Small Batch Gin
Brooklyn Gin is a gin distillery from Brooklyn, known for its fresh and complex gins. Brooklyn Gin makes its gin in small batches, using only fresh ingredients and hand-cracker juniper berries.
This ensures the flavors are optimal. You’ll truly be able to taste the freshness of the ingredients, which in turn makes for a more complex gin. Brooklyn definitely makes some of the best American gins on the market!
When you take your first sip of Brooklyn Gin Small Batch, you’re immediately greeted by fresh and crisp juniper berries. In addition, the freshness of lemon peel will be present, making for a juicy, zesty opening.
With such a fresh-tasting gin, it comes as no surprise that this goes amazingly with a good tonic.
The freshness of the tonic, paired with the crispness of the juniper berries and the citrusy feel of this gin makes for a truly amazing drink, especially during the warmer months.
Beefeater
Beefeater is another classic in the gin world. A reliable and extremely affordable gin brand that has been around since 1863, Beefeater never fails to amaze.
Out of the many offering of Beefeater, pretty much any of them will go great with tonic. Their various differently flavored gins or even their pink gin will be great with tonic.
However, the most popular one to mix with gin would be their classic London Dry Gin.
This gin has the taste of a true, straightforward gin. The botanicals used in this gin are juniper berries, angelica root, coriander seeds, almonds, licorice, oranges, lemon peel, and orris root.
All these botanicals come together to create a crisp and smooth gin. The juniper and coriander will be the most noticeable, but a smooth hint of almond and a subtle orangy sweetness is not far away either.
Due to the classic, straightforward gin taste, this will be amazing when mixed with tonic. It makes for one of the purest gin and tonic experiences we can have, and this gin comes in at a very affordable price as well!
Whitley Neill Aloe & Cucumber Dry Gin
Whitley Neill is an English gin distillery that has been passed down in the family for 8 generations. Over the years, they created a whole bunch of amazing gins, some on the more classic side and some more experimental.
All of their gins are based on the original recipe. This is their Whitley Neill ‘Aloe & Cucumber’, a dry gin full of flavors of citruses, juniper, herbs, and spices. This gin on its own is already an amazing one to sip straight!
However, this original gin has also been used in many different variations, and we really enjoy it in a gin and tonic.
It has been infused with the likes of blood orange, ginger, raspberry, violet, cucumber, blackberry, and pink grapefruit, just to name a few.
No matter the variant you go for, with Whitley Neill you’re sure to get a wonderful gin that goes amazingly in a gin and tonic. Take their original for a classic gin and tonic or spice things up with their different flavored ones!
Gordon’s London Dry Gin
Gordon’s is one of the staples on every gin shelf. The iconic yellow-labeled bottle, paired with a wonderful gin inside it makes this no surprise at all!
Alexander Gordon started creating his gins almost 250 years ago; the recipes have been perfected over the years.
Nowadays, Gordon’s has many different gins to offer. From their signature London Dry Gin to Pink Gins, to many flavored gins, Gordon’s has it all.
Their London Dry is what you’d expect, fresh, crisp, and juniper-forward and their Pink Gin is a little sweeter and infused with different fruits. On top of that, they have an elderflower gin, a sloe gin, a lemon gin, and many more.
And the best part is that you don’t really have to just pick one specific bottle to make a wonderful gin and tonic. Pretty much all of their gins will do perfectly fine with a quality tonic.
They all offer their own unique flavor profiles, and all are sure to impress.
Sipsmith London Dry Gin
Sipsmith is one of the youngest gin distillers on this list, only being founded back in 2009. In those short few years, though, they’ve managed to make a name that took many other distillers much, much longer.
Sipsmith London Dry gin is best known for its smooth and rich flavors, combining juniper berries with orange, lemon, cassia, coriander, and spices. However, Sipsmith also offers a few variations on this Dry Gin.
They offer a Sloe Gin version, a few versions of vodka, and some variations on their Dry gin. Their original will reign supreme, but definitely don’t sleep on their other offerings!
As for the taste, it’s wonderful. Sipsmith London Dry Gin is smooth, rich, warming, and crisp, all at the same time.
This makes the gin appear complex, yet simple, making it perfect for a simple drink such as the gin and tonic. Garnish with a fruit of your choice and you might have your next favorite gin for a gin and tonic!
Hendrick’s
Hendrick’s gin is known as one of the best all-rounders in the gin world. With a wonderful flavor, an affordable price, and a luxurious bottle, this gin truly has it all.
The botanicals used in Hendrick’s gin are juniper, coriander, orange, lemon, angelica, orris root, cubeb berries, caraway seeds, chamomile, elderflower, and yarrow berries.
Their signature original gin also uses rose and cucumber. The rose and cucumber make this gin what it is.
New, yet familiar. They add just the right amount of uniqueness without taking away any of the familiarity. This is arguably the biggest strength of Hendrick’s gin.
Aside from their original gin, they also have a few variations, such as a floral-inspired gin, but the original is all you’ll need. This could easily become your go-to gin, one you’ll always grab for whatever gin-based drink.
This, of course, includes the gin and tonic.
Hendrick’s gin goes especially well with gin and tonic because of its cucumber flavor. This gives a nice freshness to the drink without being overpowering. Garnish with a slice of cucumber and you’ll never go back.
Plymouth
Plymouth gin is perfect for the ones that enjoy a harsher and earthier gin. Plymouth, besides being the name of the distiller, is also a type of gin that differs from your typical London Dry Gin.
Plymouth gin is much less dry, which influences the taste.
Instead of having that dry taste of a London Dry, Plymouth will have an earthier taste. This is because of the higher concentration of root botanicals, which will be earthier and ‘harsher’.
The Plymouth distillery has been around since 1793 and to this day, they still use the exact same recipe. Luckily, this recipe is amazing, so there’s little need for improvement.
Due to the heavier flavors in this gin, this one would be perfect to mix with tonic when you’re looking for something a little more robust.
Your gin and tonic will be a bit earthier and even a little harsher, seeing that Plymouth gin has a higher ABV than most other gins. Still, this is an amazing gin to mix with your favorite tonic.
St. George – Dry/Terroir/Botanivore Gin Set
St. George has 4 gins under its name, Terroir Gin, Botanivore Gin, Dry Rye Gin, and Dry Rye Reposado Gin. All of these gins are great, but we’ll walk through each of them quickly.
The St. George Terroir Gin is described by St. George as ‘a forest in your glass’. This is an extremely piney, juniper-forward gin, packed with crisp and piney flavors.
It almost tastes like an intense version of regular gin, but not an overpowering one. Safe to say this one goes great with a quality tonic!
The St. George Botanivore Gin is the complete opposite as opposed to Terroir.
This one is full of different botanicals; juniper berries, angelica root, bay laurel, bergamot peel, black peppercorn, caraway, cardamom, cilantro, cinnamon, citra hops, coriander, dill seed, fennel seed, ginger, lemon peel, lime peel, orris root, orange peel, and star anise.
A huge list of 19 different botanicals, all ensuring this gin is packed full of flavor. St. George claims that this gin makes for the best gin and tonic in the world.
St. George Dr. Rye gin is made for whiskey lovers that are looking to venture into the gin world. This gin is made with unaged rye, giving the gin a malty feel.
The Reposado version is basically the same as the original Dry Rye gin, only its barrel-aged, making for an even more intense flavor.
This is once again great for a gin and tonic, although the other two options will probably do a better job!
Nolet’s Dry Gin
Nolet’s gin is the perfect gin for a person with some disposable income. This gin is definitely on the more luxurious end, but that shouldn’t deter you away. Treating yourself every once in a while is not such a bad thing!
This gin is made with a bunch of botanicals, including some floral notes, but most importantly, saffron.
Saffron is a rather expensive spice that gives off a warm, slightly sweet, and mostly smooth flavor.
The saffron is also responsible for the higher price tag of this gin and it even gives the liquid a golden color. Besides that, though, it also makes this gin taste amazing and up-scale.
Nolet’s gin comes with a higher ABV than normal; 52,3% and only a limited number of bottles are produced each year. This makes Nolet’s gin not only great to taste, but also a collector’s item.
Aside from all the fancy attributes of Nolet’s gin, it works great in a simple gin and tonic. Simplicity is often key, and such is the case for Nolet’s gin!
Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin
Uncle Val’s Botanical gin is a small-batch gin made with just a few botanicals. This gin was created by Zio Valerio and he picked some of his favorite cooking ingredients to make this gin.
The botanicals used in this gin are juniper berries, cucumber, lemon, sage, and lavender. A rather short list, but packed full of flavor.
The juniper adds that typical gin feeling, whereas the cucumber makes it a little fresher and easy-going. The lemon adds some freshness and the lavender gives off its aromatic qualities.
Upon opening this gin, you’re met with an aroma of sage and lavender. These immediately set the tone, being a fresh and crisp one.
With your first sips, you’ll notice a fresh and citrusy flavor, paired with the cool and refreshing cucumber. All in all, you get a gin that feels like it’s made for a gin and tonic.
The cucumber goes incredibly well with a quality tonic and all the actual gin qualities are still here as well.
Monkey 47
Monkey 47 is a German gin brand that utilizes 47 different botanicals in their gin. Hence the name Monkey ’47’. 47 different botanicals is a lot, but Monkey 47 does it in a great way!
Many of the botanicals are unknown, but a few we do know. There’s a total of 6 different peppers present, as well as lingonberries.
These lingonberries come from the Black Forest in Germany, paying homage to the roots of this brand.
Due to the large number of botanicals, every sip of this gin will taste slightly different.
One time you might pick up more citruses, and the next time you’re on a spicy-heavy sip. This complexity and ‘movement’ makes for an incredibly unique and interesting gin.
Pairing a unique and complex gin with something as simple as a tonic will make for an amazing drink. Every sip will feel like a party, with the botanicals fighting for the spotlight.
And although complex, this is an extremely approachable drink. Both gin lovers and newcomers will appreciate this gin.
FEW Breakfast Gin
FEW is an extremely interesting brand. They started out with just whiskey, but later on, they branched out into gins as well. Nowadays, FEW has three different gins, but not your usual gin.
FEW make a barrel-aged gin and an American gin made with white whiskey, otherwise known as unaged bourbon. As you can imagine, these gins will have a vastly different taste when compared to your normal London Dry gin.
With these gins, there will always be this subtle whiskey presence in the background. Added to this are some sweet hints of vanilla and a fresh touch of lemon peel and juniper berries.
The latter two keep the ‘gin spirit’ alive, but the whiskey influence will always be in the background.
Overall, this is a highly unique take on your typical gin and if you’re looking for something different, this is the way to go.
Luckily, these gins go great with tonic, so there’s still some familiarity. We recommend the FEW breakfast gin as the best option to go with tonic.
Bombay Bramble Blackberry Raspberry Infusion Gin
Bombay Sapphire has become a household name in many bars and restaurants, and with good reason. This is a wonderful gin with an amazing, straightforward taste of pure gin.
The various botanicals used in this gin are juniper berries, lemon peel, coriander, angelica root, orris root, grains of paradise, cubeb berries, cassia bark, almond, and licorice.
These botanicals make up their classic London Dry Gin, but Bombay Sapphire has a few more flavors under its name.
One would be the Bombay Bramble, a fruit-infused version of their classic London Dry Gin.
Mixing it with tonic will always be an amazing choice because of the perfect combination of botanicals used in Bombay Bramble. It works so well with tonic.
Roku
Roku is a Japanese gin distillery with nearly 100 years of experience. Their name, ‘Roku’ is translated to ‘six’. This is because Roku uses 6 key botanicals to create its signature gin.
These six botanicals are juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, angelica seed, cardamom seed, bitter orange, and lemon peel.
Roku gin has 4 botanicals that represent the 4 seasons: 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.
All these botanicals come together to create a wonderful gin that tastes earthy, fresh, crisp, and even a little fruity. Such a flavor profile will always work great when paired with a good tonic.
If you’re looking for a gin and tonic that feels a little more exotic, a bottle of fine Japanese Roku gin will do just the trick. It will be like your standard gin, but with added hints of exoticness.
Malfy Con Limone Gin
Malfy is an amazing gin distillery from Italy that draws its inspiration from the lavish Amalfi coast lifestyle.
With this in mind, they created some amazing flavored gins, particularly citrus-flavored gins, as these are widespread on the Amalfi coast.
The most popular of the citrus-flavored gins would have to be Malfy Gin Con Limone, which is great combined with tonic.
This gin is infused with lemon, giving the gin a whole new layer of freshness.
With such a citrusy fresh taste, you’d expect these Malfy gins to go great in just about any cocktail. And that’s definitely the case.
Mixing this with your favorite drinks and spirits is a great way to go, but for the ones that like a less festive drink, mixing it with your favorite tonic makes for the best refreshment during the summer.
How Does A Gin And Tonic Taste
One of the best-known drinks in the world is the gin and tonic. This drink has been around since the 18th century when the British Army used to drink it for health benefits.
Quinine, a natural cure for Malaria, was drunk with tonic water, but this had a very bitter taste. In order to make it more pleasant to drink, the officers added water, sugar, and lime.
And just like that, the gin and tonic was born! Nowadays, a gin and tonic is best known for being a refreshing summertime drink.
A gin and tonic is a refreshing drink where the bittersweet flavors of tonic mix perfectly with the fresh, crispy, and zesty flavors of gin. Garnish your gin and tonic with a piece of lime, lemon, or even cucumber and you have the perfect summertime drink.
Final Thoughts
By now, you have got a good idea of what style of gin would be best for your favorite cocktail. That being said, don’t forget to taste different brands to find the one that suits your taste!
