From chilli and lime to clotted cream (!!), take your tipple up a notch with these delicious flavoured gins
Remember the good old days of going to a bar/club/pub with your mates, scanning the cocktail list and ordering an outlandishly flavoured cocktail? Nope, us neither. The anniversary of the first lockdown is quickly approaching and what we thought was just going to be a short-lived phase, is now very much the reality of our day to day lives – meaning (along with a host of other events), a night out with the girls is a rather distant memory at this point.
Whilst we don’t miss paying £20 for a mixologist to pour us an aperitif, we do miss the delicious varieties of drinks (and one of the best gin advent calendars is 100% making its way onto our Christmas lists…). So we’ve decided to pull out our cocktail making equipment, polish off our best glassware and treat ourselves to the best flavoured gins out there – perfect for recreating that spenny cocktail feeling.
A G&T has quickly become the go-to drink, whether it's to toast a celebration (on Zoom, of course), or just to yourself for surviving another week of home school. But a flavoured gin will take this classic drink to the next level - and there's a plethora of varieties to choose from to suit your palette. For something fruity, try this Rhubarb and Blood Orange flavour, bitter palettes, on the other hand, will appreciate this Chilli and Lime gin. Our edit even includes a clotted cream flavoured gin, because honestly at this point, even our afternoons could do with a tipple.
Scroll down for our edit of the best flavoured gins to buy and enjoy now.
Best inexpensive flavoured gin
Edinburgh Gin Orange Blossom and Mandarin Liqueur, £16.50, John Lewis
For a deliciously flavoured gin that won't break the bank, it's hard to beat this orange blossom and mandarin liqueur. Bursting with zesty orange notes and a delicate floral aroma, it has a unique and refreshing taste that'll go well with cocktails.
Best rhubarb flavoured gin
Slingsby Spirit of Harrogate Rhubarb Gin, £40, John Lewis
Using Harrogate spring water, pure single grain spirit and locally sourced botanicals, Slingsby’s Rhubarb Gin will leave an unforgettable flavour on your palate. The initial sweetness of raspberry is followed by the bitter tang of pink grapefruit, but the overall finish is the tart rhubarb taste. Just add ice and tonic.
Best citrus flavoured gin
Chase Seville Marmalade Gin, £46.99, Selfridges
Handmade in Hertfordshire, this Chase gin is perfect if you’re after a refreshing drink. Keep things simple with this citrusy marmalade flavour – all it requires is lots of ice, some tonic and an orange peel and the zesty, zingy flavour will come to life.
Best unique flavoured gin
Wrecking Coast Clotted Cream Gin, £46.99, Selfridges
If you’re an afternoon tea and gin aficionado, you’ll be happy to know that there is now a clotted cream flavour to satisfy both your whims. Straight out of its Cornish homeland, this velvety gin is balanced with classic hints of juniper and pairs best with – you guessed it, strawberries.
Best sweet flavoured gin
Faith & Sons Pineapple Gin, £39.99, Selfridges
Manchester microdistillery Faith & Sons’ Pineapple gin will immediately transport you to a tropical beach. The pineapple flavor is balanced with juniper and hints of fennel to give it a fruity but earthy taste. The closest any of us will get any time soon to the Caribbean, it’s just the lockdown gin we all need.
Best raspberry flavoured gin
Whitley Neil Raspberry Gin, £28.99, Selfridges
This versatile raspberry gin has a distinctive flavour no matter how you serve it. The initial notes are of a botanical blend of coriander, juniper, and a splash of liquorice finished with the sweet and powerful taste of Scottish strawberries. Handcrafted and full of flavour, it’ll quickly become a home cocktail favourite.
Best fruity flavoured gin
North42 Rhubarb and Blood Orange Gin, £42, Selfridges
If you’re after a fruity gin, look no further than North42’s Rhubarb and Blood Orange Gin. In an eye catching pink and orange bottle, it mixes blood orange and British rhubarb – plus a mix of carefully curated botanicals for a perfectly sippable gin.
Best botanical flavoured gin
Glendalough Wild Spring Botanical Gin, £49.99, Selfridges
For a unique – and sustainably foraged – flavour, look no further than Glendalough’s Wild Spring Botanical Gin. Slow – distilled from wild plants that are grown on the mountains around the distillery, this gin has a wildly aromatic spirit with hints of sweet juniper undulating throughout. Just add ice and a mint spring.
Best summer flavoured gin
Edinburgh Gin Elderflower Liqueur, £16.50, John Lewis
It might not be summer quite yet, but this elderflower gin liqueur will make you feel like it is. Fresh and aromatic, this gin is best used in cocktails or combined with bubbly. And did we mention how good the bottle will look on your bar cart?
Best limited edition flavoured gin
Salcombe Gin Voyager Series 'Restless' Limited Edition Gin, £65, John Lewis
Developed in collaboration with Michelin starred chef Niall Keating, this gin is limited to only 3500 bottles. Pushing the boundaries of distillation, it makes use of blood orange kombucha as a liquid botanical, creating a sweetness reminiscent of a pick’ n mix sweet selection. Add in exotic spices, pear, a hint of vanilla, and fresh citrus and the result is a unique, complex gin.
Best rosé flavoured gin
Salcombe Gin Rosé Sainte Marie Gin, £49.99, Selfridges
Combining two of our favourite drink flavours - gin and rosé - this gin may be distilled here in the UK, but it'll immediately transport you to the Med. Made with fresh lemon peel, Provencal herbs, red fruits and the scent of white flowers, it's a delicate and refreshing gin.
Best refreshing flavoured gin
Sipsmith Chilli & Lime Gin, £28.50, John Lewis
Combining the classic botanical for gin – lime – with an array of fruity, complex chillies has created a gin that is bitter, with a slight sweetness and finished with a subtle spiciness. Sipsmith’s Chilli & Lime Gin is refreshing and palette cleasning and we can almost guarantee that one G&T with this flavoured gin won’t be enough.
Best flavoured gin that gives back
Warner’s Honeybee Gin, £42.99, Selfridges
Using all locally sourced ingredients of the very best quality this tasty gin includes over 28 different botanicals. From lavender to rose and cornflower petals, these botanicals are complimented by a dollop of fresh honey. Plus for every bottle sold, Warner’s has partnered with the Royal Horticultural Society, donating a percentage of the proceeds to its pollinator projects. Doing good whilst sipping a G&T? We’re on board with that.
