Top 10 global gins for World Gin Day

Tomorrow (8 June) is World Gin Day, and to celebrate, we’ve rounded up 10 gins from all corners of the world.

From Australia to Scotland, distillers are developing new and exciting ways with our favourite juniper spirit.

And if this list isn’t enough, keep your eyes open for our July issue, where we will reveal The Gin Masters 2024 – First Tasting results.

Bayab African Palm & Pineapple Gin

The first stop on our world gin tour is South Africa, but this gin from Spearhead Spirits aims to represent the whole African continent. Bayab Palm & Pineapple Gin is a copper pot distilled gin made with Nigerian and Ghanian palm sap, South African pineapple and baobab from Ghana and Zambia.

The brand suggests serving in citrus-forward cocktails, such as a Gimlet.

The Botanist

Our next stop takes us somewhere less tropical and more rugged: the Scottish island of Islay. Most well-known for its disproportionate number of whisky distilleries, Islay is also home to gin brand The Botanist, which is created using 22 sustainably foraged, local botanicals. The brand describes the expression as ‘a gin of delicacy, exceptional balance and complex flavour that speaks of its island home’.

Portofino Dry Gin La Penisola

The next gin in our list is also based by the shore. Portofino is a fishing village on the Italian Riviera coastline, and its eponymous gin brand has created an expression inspired by its landscape, called La Penisola (that’s Italian for ‘peninsula’). Distilled using the London Dry method, it features 10 botanicals, including the region’s distinctive maritime pine.

Ukiyo Tokyo Dry Gin

Our next gin takes us to Japan – Ukiyo Tokyo Dry Gin is a dry-style gin that ‘celebrates the exquisite tastes and aromas’ of its home country. It’s made with native Japanese rice and five local botanicals: yuzu peel, mikan peel, sakura flower, sakura leaf, and sansho pepper. Alongside its Japanese flavours, the gin also has traditional botanicals such as juniper, pepper, coriander, angelica root, lemon peel, cardamom and rosemary.

Highclere Castle Gin

Is there anything more English than landed gentry and stately homes? Highclere Castle Gin is made using botanicals sourced from the estate of its namesake – which is where TV show Downton Abbey is filmed. The brand is co-owned by Lord and Lady Carnarvon, who call the castle home. The gin is a classic London Dry style with notes of citrus and lavender.

Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin

Our next gin sees us jump to the other side of the world, with this unique release from Australian distillery Four Pillars. With the nation perhaps better known for its wines than its gins, the brand has combined the two by adding macerated Shiraz grapes to its Rare Dry Gin. The bottle features a design from Melbourne artist Kris Leombruni, to further celebrate Australia’s talents.

Stranger & Sons Gin

Third Eye Distillery in Goa, India, is behind Stranger & Sons Gin, which features nine ‘inherently Indian’ botanicals to create a spirit that is a ‘fitting representation of our bold and layered country’. Goa was picked for the distillery’s location due to its ‘lush expanse’ of spice farms. Its notes of citrus peel, pepper, mace and nutmeg bagged it a Gold medal at The Gin Masters 2021 and a Master at The Asian Spirits Masters in the same year.

Sir Edmond Gin

Hailing from the Netherlands, Sir Edmond Gin is made at the Herman Jansen Distillery in Schiedam, which was established in 1777. Rather than taking Dutch ingredients as inspiration, however, the brand is based on the story of Edmond Albius, a slave on the French island of Réunion. He figured out a way to pollinate Bourbon vanilla, which is the key flavour in the brand’s gin.

Fort Hamilton New World Dry Gin

Next on our world tour is the US, to sample a New York gin. Fort Hamilton New World Dry Gin is distilled on a still called Eliza – named after Alexander Hamilton’s wife. Reflecting its all-American roots, it has a corn base and flavours of citrus peels and watermelon. Allegedly the first musket shots of the battle of Brooklyn were fired in a watermelon patch one street from the Fort Hamilton distillery.

Stray Dog Wild Gin

Greece might be more associated with ouzo than gin, but Greek brand Stray Dog Wild Gin is hoping to put the country on the map for juniper spirits. Johnny Livanos was inspired by tsipouro, a pomace-based spirit similar to grappa, and decided to infuse the spirit with wild rosemary, sage and other nearby herbs. Delighted with the results, he then created a gin with foraged mountain sage, bay leaf, rosemary, fennel seed, mastiha, cardamom, coriander, juniper, lemon and orange. The brand’s name is a reference to its cause, Save a Greek Stray, with a portion of profits donated to provide food and veterinary care and homes for stray animals in Greece.