Food
Have a gin fling! 5 gins to try this summer, plus gin tasting tips
by Helena Lang
When summer rolls around and warmer days arrive, many of us begin dreaming of sitting on a sunny terrace with a gin and tonic in hand. But which gin is for you? And how do you find out? Helena Lang has scoured the shelves and brought you five new gins to try this summer accompanied with her personal tasting notes, plus some handy gin-tasting tips. Cheers to that!
How to taste gin…
- Pick a tulip shaped tumbler if you have one – if you don’t, a tulip-shaped wine glass will work
- Add a generous splash of the gin and swirl it around the glass to release the aromas
- Inhale the aromas gently. What can you detect? Are there any dominant botanical notes? Juniper? Lemon? Spice?
- Next step is sipping – just a small one – and hold the liquid on your tongue before swirling it around your mouth so your tastebuds can get to work
- What are the flavours? Is there one that’s stronger than the others, or are the flavours more balanced? Does the gin feel smooth and pleasant? Do you notice the alcohol, or is it overpowering?
- Try to neutralise your palate in between gins by munching on a plain cracker or similar
Five new gins to try this summer…
Sipsmith chilli & lime gin
Spicy and savoury cocktails are trending, and this deliciously spicy number captures the trend beautifully. Made with seven different types of chilli from all four corners of the world, and distilled at Sipsmith’s London distillery, try it in a Picante with fresh lime and honey syrup for a hardcore kick or take the edge off with ice and tonic water. Sipsmith Chilli & Lime Gin 70cl, £30 in Sainsbury’s.
Helena says: This is a nighttime gin made for when the sun is setting, the music is pumping and the party is just getting started.
Mr White’s Gin
If my memory serves me right (too much gin!), Marco Pierre White was the first British chef to win three Michelin stars and the youngest to do so too! Marco worked with master distiller Chris Sadler on this – his first gin – using artisanal techniques and Italian botanicals in a nod to his heritage, including juniper and orris root as well as fresh lemon peel from Greece and liquorice from France. Try it in an Italian 75 or a white negroni, or simply with tonic and a sprig of lavender. Mr White's Gin 70cl, £32.99 in selected Sainsbury’s stores.
Helena says: A gin as smooth as Marco Pierre White himself. Sophisticated and complex – it’s the perfect date-night gin.
Salcombe ‘Four Seas’ Gin
I love everything about this gin, including the beautiful Devon seaside village of Salcombe where it is distilled. There’s the 10% of the net price that goes to support the precious RNLI who bravely save lives at risk at sea; the distillation over Scottish whisky barrel wood chips, the English sea buckthorn harvested in Cornwall and the elderberries from Wales. It’s as British as fish and chips and twice the fun. Salcombe 'Four Seas' Gin 70cl, £39.50 in Sainsbury’s.
Helena says: Fresh and flavoursome this is exactly what I want to drink before my Sunday roast or barbecue.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference London Dry Gin
This is one of three new Taste the Difference gins in Sainsbury’s stores this summer. The other two are flavoured gins; one Corsican Lemon and Elderflower and the other Scottish Raspberry and Rhubarb, but this one is a meticulously created classic London Dry Gin, made in small batches in 150-year old copper stills. The ultimate pre-dinner snifter, it’s delicious with ice, tonic and a sprig of rosemary from the garden or a grapefruit slice from the fruit bowl. Taste the Difference London Dry Gin 70cl, £21 in Sainsbury’s.
Helena says: If you only have room for one gin on your drinks table, then make it this one. It’s an elevated classic for the perfect G&T.
Ukiyo Japanese Blossom Gin
Ukiyo means ‘floating world’ and this gin, from an award-winning producer, is transported all the way from Chiba, east of Tokyo. It’s a rice-based distillation and along with the notes of juniper and orange are the typically Japanese botanicals of Sakura (cherry blossom) and yuzu – a popular citrus fruit flavour. Ukiyo Japanese Blossom Gin 70cl, £32 in Sainsbury’s.
Helena says: Want to surprise your guests with something a bit different? This gin is a conversation starter for sure. Pretty and elegant (and that’s just the bottle) it’s a stylish gin, for stylish people.
Feeling inspired?
Ready for a gin fling or just keen to whip up creative cocktails this summer? Check out our drinks recipes.
