Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley, of worldsbestspirits.com, are seasoned writers and commentators on fine spirits and cocktails. Their book, Distilled, acts as an A-Z of craft spirits from across the world and won the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards Drinks Book of the Year 2015. Read on to discover their picks for the best flavoured gins. For more, visit our reviews section to find more than 200 practical buyer’s guides, including taste tests of gin, vodka, rum and brandy, plus round-ups of the best rhubarb, pink and citrus gin.
Best flavoured gins at a glance
- Best rhubarb gin: Warner Edwards Victoria’s Rhubarb Gin, £54.99
- Best red wine gin: Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin, £40.95
- Best lemon gin: Malfy Gin Con Limone, £25.60
- Best pink gin: Eden Mill Love Gin, £34.30
- Best plum gin: Edinburgh Gin Plum and Vanilla Liqueur, £7.95
- Best pineapple gin: Boutique-y Gin Company Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin, £29.95
- Best chocolate gin: X Cocoa Gin, £37.49
- Best sloe gin: Elephant Sloe Gin, £29.95
- Best upgrade for gin liqueur fans: Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb and Ginger Gin, £23.20
- Best strawberry gin: Didsbury Strawberry and Sicilian Lemon Gin, £29
- Best orange gin: Sipsmith Zesty Orange Gin, £29.95
How we tested flavoured gins
We looked for the best examples of popular flavoured gins (the kind you’d find in bars and pubs) – so predominantly fruit-based gins, such as rhubarb, raspberry or lemon. Alongside these classics, we also looked for creative flavours, such as red wine or oak-aged gins.
The flavour of the fruit or spice should be identifiable when tested blind. Flavoured gins can often be overpoweringly sweet – we wanted well-balanced gins that weren’t sickly and still had enough bitter notes from juniper and aromatics. Gins were tasted with plain tonic and then with lemonade to judge how well they tasted with different mixers. Read more on how we test and review products at BBC Good Food.
Best flavoured gins
Warner Edwards Victoria’s Rhubarb Gin
Size: 70cl
ABV %: 40
Best rhubarb gin
This Northamptonshire-based distillery is owned by husband-and-wife team Tom Warner and Tina Keogh-Warner, who have combined seasonal English fruit with their already hugely popular Harrington Dry Gin. Rhubarb is the flavour of the moment, and this fine example – which traces its origins to the original crop of rhubarb grown in Buckingham Palace’s kitchen garden during the reign of Queen Victoria – has a wonderful tangy, crisp freshness, backdropped by a delicious fruity note. Drink it lengthened with a dry tonic over ice and you’ve got yourself a perfect summer sipper, fit for a king or queen.
Available from:
Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin
Size: 70cl
ABV %: 37
Best red wine gin
What’s not to like here? A premium Australian gin from industry favourites Four Pillars, combined with the dry spiciness of Shiraz grapes. The grapes are left to infuse in the gin for eight weeks before the juice is pressed and blended with yet more gin, taking on a wonderful dark purple hue in the process. It makes for a killer bramble cocktail, or add a hearty measure to a glass of prosecco.
Available from:
Malfy Gin Con Limone
Size: 70cl
ABV %: 40
Best lemon gin
Produced in Turin, this flavoursome Italian beast brings together some classic botanicals (including Italian juniper, angelica and coriander) and then adds in an infusion of very zesty lemons, which are sourced from Sicily and the Amalfi Coast. An undeniable burst of citrus dominates the flavour, but in a marvellously refreshing way. Works best with tonic, plenty of ice and, if you’re still craving more citrus, a twist of oily Amalfi lemon zest.
Available from:
Eden Mill Love Gin
Size: 70cl
ABV %: 20
Best pink gin
Traditional botanicals (it packs a juniper-laden punch) come together with both rose petals and hibiscus to give this gin a complex yet floral appeal. Works really well with a flavoured tonics such as Double Dutch’s Pomegranate and Basil, with a handful of frozen strawberries tossed in.
Available from:
Edinburgh Gin Plum and Vanilla Liqueur
Size: 20cl
ABV %: 20
Best plum gin
Technically a liqueur because of its 20% ABV, this is a wonderfully fruity homage to lost summer days in the garden, sipping on a tall glass of something. The tangy, sweet plum notes combine with an aromatic Madagascan vanilla flavour, alongside orange peel, lemongrass, mulberry, lavender and pine buds. It’s a great ingredient in a spritz, or perfect with prosecco.
Available from:
Boutique-y Gin Company Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin
Size: 70cl
ABV %: 40
Best pineapple gin
Pineapple works sensationally well with gin. This variety uses whole pineapples, which are spit-roasted with demerara sugar to give them a caramelised coating. The resulting flavours are then extracted and combined with a bold, juniper-forward gin. It’s sweet, pineappley and distinct, but it’s also surprisingly moreish and almost liqueur-like. Mix with sparkling water and ice for a long spritzer-style drink.
Available from:
X Cocoa Gin
Size: 50cl
ABV %: 30
Best chocolate gin
Created in partnership with Belgian chocolatiers Xolato, X is infused with cocoa beans from Colombia, hazelnuts from Piedmont in Italy, Madagascan vanilla pods and more than a dozen other botanicals, including a hint of chilli. Silky dark chocolate takes the lead, followed by lingering notes of spice, zest and a final cocoa dryness.
Available from Urban Gin (£36.90)
Elephant Sloe Gin
Size: 50
ABV %: 35
Best sloe gin
Elephant is a fine example of this classic gin flavour. Plump sloes are macerated in an award-winning London dry gin (made in Germany) for several months, before being sweetened and bottled. The result is a very fruity, tart, rich spirit, which isn’t cloyingly sweet like some other examples on the market. Try this over ice with a Sicilian lemon tonic and you may find you have a new summer classic on your hands.
Available from:
Edinburgh Rhubarb and Ginger Gin
Star rating: 4/5
Size: 50cl
ABV %: 20
Best upgrade for gin liqueur fans
If you like the sweetness of a gin liqueur, this is the perfect way to dip your toe into a higher percentage gin. Having originally launched as a gin liqueur, the success of Edinburgh Gin’s rhubarb and ginger flavour inspired the brand to launch this as a full strength gin. The addition of stem ginger adds warmth and subtle spice that leads the palate, followed by sweet and tart rhubarb. Best served with tonic to let the rhubarb shine.
Available from:
Didsbury Strawberry and Sicilian Lemon Gin
Star rating: 5/5
Size: 50cl
ABV %: 40
Best strawberry gin
We were intrigued by this combination of flavours. Strawberry gin has the potential to be sickly sweet, so the pairing here with tart Sicilian lemon (plus Didsbury’s 11 botanicals) is inspired – plenty of jammy sweetness from British strawberries, tempered by zesty lemons. You can dial up the sweetness by pairing with lemonade – a great summer drink that’s sure to be a crowdpleaser, and a good alternative to Pimm’s in the sunshine.
Available from:
Sipsmith Zesty Orange Gin
Star rating: 4/5
Size: 70cl
ABV %: 40
Best orange gin
Based on a classic London dry gin, this bottle lives up to its ‘zesty’ title. Both fresh and dried orange peel alongside fragrant bergamot zest makes for a gin that bursts with citrus flavour. It develops into tangy marmalade notes and gentle spice to prevent it from being too sweet. This orange gin would be great in cocktails – we’ve got plenty of citrus cocktail recipes for inspiration – and Sipsmith suggests adding a splash to hot chocolate, too. We also tried the Sipsmith lemon drizzle gin, which was pleasingly tart and again delivered a punch of citrus flavour.
Available from:
Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin
Star rating: 4/5
Size: 70cl
ABV %: 43
Best raspberry gin
Whitley Neill has a huge range of flavoured gins, including lime, rhubarb, violet and even quince, but the raspberry gin is our top pick. Whitley Neill gins are made in their City of London distillery and the raspberry gin has won the silver award at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2020 and 2021. Made with Scottish raspberries and balanced with punchy juniper, liquorice and coriander, this is a versatile and vibrant flavoured gin.
Available from:
What is gin made from?
Gin is made by distilling a neutral grain alcohol (such as vodka) with juniper berries and other botanicals. To be classed as gin, it must contain juniper berries – but the other chosen botanicals can vary and this is what makes each gin distinct. In a flavoured gin, fruit (whether fresh, dried or zest) or aromatics are also added. These, along with the botanicals, are infused into the raw spirit to release their flavours and potentially add colour, too.
What is pink gin?
The term pink gin originally referred to a cocktail of Plymouth gin and Angostura bitters, created by the British Navy. Today, pink gin is normal gin that has been flavoured with fruits or aromatics (such as rose petals) to lend it a pink hue and usually extra sweetness, without adding sugar or lowering the alcohol percentage. Pink gins can vary from subtle, pale rose-tinted tipples to bold and juicy berry gins.
How to drink gin
There’s no right or wrong way to drink gin – there’s plenty of options depending on your personal preference.
- Neat: high quality spirits can be drunk neat, aka on their own without mixers. This allows you to taste the flavours and aromas of the gin itself without being distracted by aromatics from tonic water or sugary lemonade. Add ice to have it ‘on the rocks’.
- Gin and tonic: perhaps the most familiar way to drink gin. Our collection of gin and tonic recipes has plenty of ideas for matching different garnishes to gins, and also includes gin-infused bakes.
- Cocktails: from a long fizzy spritz to a classic negroni or martini, gin is the basis for lots of popular cocktails. We’ve got over 50 gin cocktail recipes to get you started – experiment with different flavoured gins to add extra flavour.
What are the best gin glasses?
Once you’ve got the perfect bottle, find the best gin glasses to sip your G&T from, whether that’s a roomy goblet or chic tumbler.
Wilko gin glasses
For a classic gin goblet, you can’t beat this Wilko set. With 6 glasses for a wallet-friendly £8, you’ll have enough to host a party and won’t need to panic if any break. The generous sized glasses leave room for plenty of mixer and garnish, with a comfortable thick handle to hold. Plus they’re dishwasher-safe, too.
Lakeland crystal-look acrylic tumblers
If you’re planning a picnic or want drinks in the garden, these acrylic tumblers are a lightweight, shatterproof alternative to glass. They look like expensive crystal glassware with a roomy 350ml capacity – much more chic than plastic cups or gin from a tin.
Available from Lakeland (£19.96)
Root 7 geo tumblers
For short gin cocktails or sipping gin neat, a short tumbler is just what you need. This modern, geometric style has stylish metallic edging and is available in plain, gold or black designs. They’d stand out on a bar cart and also make a great gift for a gin lover.
Available from Amazon (£24.99)
Gin recipes and buyer’s advice
Sloe gin recipes
Gin cocktail recipes
10 gin & tonics with a twist
10 gin cocktails you can make in minutes
How to make your own sloe gin
The best new-wave gin
The best gin to buy as a gift
The best classic gin
If you have any questions or suggestions for future reviews, or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
Have we missed your favourite flavoured gin off our list? We’d love your suggestions…
