With cosy Winter nights in drawing closer, we have put together a selection of Winter Gins to try – hopefully making the season a little warmer!
Our selection of Winter Gins features some well-known brands such as Sipsmith, Tarquin’s and Silent Pool with a couple of fantastic new finds that will have to go on your “Need to Try” list.
Scroll down to see our top 10 picks of Premium Gins to Try this Winter 2021.
1. Monkey 47
The origins of Monkey 47 date back to the 1940s, Berlin, where British Royal Air Force wing commander Montgomery “Monty” Collins was posted following the end of World War II. Collins was involved in the rebuilding of the Berlin Zoo, and it was here where he became fond of an egret monkey named Max.
In 1951 Collins moved to an isolated valley in the Black Forest region of Germany and began following tradition of distilling the local fruits, which was then followed by developing his own gin recipe. In the Northern part of the Black Forest, Collins opened a country guesthouse naming it “Zum Wilden Affen” (German for The Wild Monkey) in memory of Max, and here the gin became the guesthouse’s trademark drink until the 1970s.
The gin features 47 handpicked botanicals, mainly sourced from the Black Forest, including coriander, dog rose, elderflower, ginger, rose hip, honeysuckle, jasmine, lemon balm and 6 different types of pepper. Offering a complex flavour profile, from juniper and pepper through to an array of fruits, spices, floral and pine notes, Monkey 47 is a truly superb gin that will offer some warm and comforting notes on those cold winter evenings.
Serving Recommendation: Serve over ice with Fever-Tree Plain Indian Tonic, garnished with a wedge of lime.
ABV: 47%
Distillery: Black Forest Distillers
Price: £35.40
2. Sipsmith Sipspresso Gin
Sipsmith teamed up with speciality coffee company, Pact Coffee, to create this wonderful coffee flavoured gin. The expression is made using a base of Sipsmith London Dry Gin blended with Pact’s Fruit and Nut Espresso blend (featuring Brazilian and Rwandan ground coffee beans) alongside cinnamon, coriander, vanilla, and banana.
On the nose, you’re greeted with chocolate, coffee bean, liquorish and smoky anise. The palate is rich and warm with notes of aniseed, cacao nib and vanilla, moving into a smooth finish of spiced ice coffee with hints of liquorish.
Sipsmith Sipspresso Gin is wonderfully aromatic with a smooth and balanced finish – if you’re a lover of coffee and gin, this is the perfect choice for sipping next to a cosy fire this winter.
Serving Recommendation: Serve with ice and a premium tonic water, garnished with a long orange peel twist.
ABV: 37.5%
Distillery: Sipsmith Gin Distillery
Price: £28.50
3. York Gin Chocolate & Orange
Inspired by festive favourite, the Terry’s Chocolate Orange, this award-winning gin was the brand’s best seller in 2020, despite only being released from 1 November last year – and we can see why!
After many attempts to achieve the perfect balance of chocolate and orange with York Gin’s original nine botanicals, the result is a beautifully balanced gin with notes of rich and luxurious chocolate accompanied by delightful zesty orange.
If you’re a fan of chocolate, this gin will be the perfect treat for you to indulge in over the winter months – not to mention a lovely gift for the festive season!
Serving Recommendation: Serve over ice with a premium light tonic, garnished with an orange peel.
ABV: 42.5%
Distillery: York Gin Distillery
Price: £34.38
4. Cambridge Dry Gin
Cambridge Dry Gin is a wonderful example of a classic dry gin, created using locally sourced and home-grown botanicals. These fresh flowers and herbs include the likes of rosemary, basil, juniper, lemon verbena, rose petals, and blackcurrant leaf which are individually distilled under vacuum at low temperatures (thus preserving the freshest flavours possible) before being blended together to achieve a perfectly rounded finish.
Furthermore, the selected botanicals provide flavours from all four seasons, making it ideal to drink all year round – and especially as a delicious serve throughout winter.
Serving Recommendation: Serve with Indian tonic water and ice, garnished with a fresh sprig of mint.
ABV: 42%
Distillery: Cambridge Distillery
Price: £36.45
5. Silent Pool Rare Citrus Gin
Produced in the picturesque Surrey Hills, England, Silent Pool have created an outstanding gin made with a blend of some of the world’s rarest citrus varieties. This unique combination features four distinctive fruits – Buddha’s Hand, Green Seville Orange, Hirado Buntan and Natsu Dai Dai.
The flavour profile features effervescent lemon sherbet and bittersweet orange, followed by classic juniper and peppery spice, with undertones of woody citrus.
This zesty offering from Silent Pool is exquisitely crafted, providing wonderfully complex layers of citrus and spice, and can be enjoyed any time of the year.
Serving Recommendation: Serve with plenty of ice and Fever Tree Indian Tonic, garnished with a grapefruit twist.
ABV: 43%
Distillery: Silent Pool Distillers
Price: £33.50
6. Porter’s Orchard Gin
Produced in a micro-distillery, under the award-winning Orchid Bar in Aberdeen, Scotland, Porter’s Orchard Gin was inspired by Champagne’s chardonnay grape and its intense fruity flavour. The recipe for this expression features a classic juniper base layered with golden notes of cold-distilled green apple and pear, offering a beautifully light flavour.
To complement these orchard fruit flavours, it is then blended with a soybean distillate, providing wonderful butter and biscuit notes.
Porter’s Gin offers a delightful balance of piney juniper, bright green apple and pear, with a rich buttered biscuit note – making it a lovely tipple for those long winter evenings curled up on the sofa.
Serving Recommendation: Serve with a premium light tonic and ice, garnished with a slice of apple.
ABV: 40%
Distillery: Porter’s Gin Micro Distillery
Price: £34.50
7. Tarquin’s British Blackberry Gin
Tarquin’s British Blackberry Gin is a variation on the brand’s flagship Cornish Gin, and has been made in celebration of the great British Blackberry. After distilling the gin in small batches, it is infused with only the best quality blackberries around and a touch of Cornish wildflower honey.
As expected, this gin is full of delicious rich berry notes, with a prominent flavour of juniper shining through in its core. The finish is quite zesty, with a delightful sweetness from the wildflower honey providing a nice balance. We’d recommend this gin for creating some lovely Blackberry Bramble cocktails this winter!
Serving Recommendation: Serve over ice with Fever-Tree Sicilian Lemonade, garnished with fresh blackberries and a sprig of mint.
ABV: 38%
Distillery: Southwestern Distillery
Price: £31.99
8. Conker Spirit Gin
Launched in 2014, Conker Spirit Gin embodies the flavours of the local Dorset County, featuring notes of elderberries, samphire, and gorse flowers. It is made with a blend of British wheat spirit and New Forest Spring Water, alongside 10 locally sourced botanicals from the Dorset coast and New Forest.
The result is a smooth and well–rounded gin, offering bright notes of juniper with undertones of earthy spice and a subtle sweetness. Why not try this gin in a refreshing Gin Mule cocktail (with lime juice, ginger beer and mint) to brighten up those dark winter evenings.
Serving Recommendation: Serve over large ice cubes with Indian tonic water, garnished with a lime twist.
ABV: 40%
Distillery: Conker Spirit Distillery (Dorset’s first gin distillery)
Price: £34.40
9. Generous Gin Original
Presented in the most beautifully decorated bottle, this elegant award-winning French gin has been created using the very best of what French tradition can offer: great natural ingredients, combined with a high precision of distillation in small pot-stills.
Generous Gin features carefully selected botanicals including juniper, citrus, mandarin, red pepper, jasmin and elderflower. Using traditional methods, some of the botanicals are produced by maceration and others by distillation – creating a wonderfully harmonised flavour profile.
The gin is beautifully floral, with delightful elderflower and jasmine on the nose. On the palate, the fresh juniper notes are complemented nicely by aromatic citrus combined with hints of warm spice and sweet florals. Generous Gin is a stunning gin that can be enjoyed all year round – and especially as a treat to enjoy throughout the autumn and winter months!
Serving Recommendation: To create a Generous & Tonic, serve over ice with a premium tonic water and a garnish of 3 fresh basil leaves, 2 grains of Himalayan salt and peppercorns.
ABV: 44%
Distillery: Ôdevie Creative Spirits (Cognac, France)
Price: £38.58
10. Roku Gin
Roku Gin was released in 2017 and has proven to be a big hit with gin consumers all around the globe. Presented in a gorgeous bottle, it offers a delicate fresh taste with floral, aromatic botanicals.
It is made with six unique botanicals (hence the name “Roku” which is Japanese for six), featuring Sakura flower, Sakura leaf, Sencha tea, Gyokuro tea, Sanshō pepper and Yuzu peel. Each botanical represents a specific season, taking you through the flavours of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. More traditional botanicals such as juniper, orange peel, lemon peel, coriander and cinnamon also feature in the mix.
Roku Gin works wonderfully in a Hot Gin Punch, perfect for a cosy night in.
Serving Recommendation: Serve with a Premium Indian Tonic and ice, garnished with thinly sliced sticks of ginger.
ABV: 43%
Distillery: Suntory Yamazaki Distillery (Japan)
Price: £25.00
