The Gin Masters 2026 – First Tasting results
The first part of our two-strong gin tastings this year showed that when it comes to taste and quality, the sector is in blooming health.
Gin sales may be slowing but there is life in this category yet. In an era when the majority of categories are seeing declines in both volume and value, juniper-forward spirits are delivering an impressive display of resilience.
At The Gin Guild’s annual Ginposium conference on 12 June, the latest figures for gin sales were shared. In 2025, global gin volumes reached approximately 109 million nine-litre cases, marking a 1% rise on the previous year, IWSR data showed. By value, growth slowed to 2% in 2025. The figures also showed gin consumption was 26% ahead in 2025 compared with 2019.
The data is clear: gin is still in demand. So, where should consumers look to discover top-quality, juniper-forward pours?
The Gin Masters – First Tasting took place in June at The Cumberland hotel in London. Four panels were assembled to taste this year’s entrants. The first panel comprised: Clinton Cawood, freelance drinks writer; Bryan Rodriguez-Curtis, spirits judge and experienced buyer; and Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business, and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions, who led the panel.
A second group included The Spirits Business’ deputy editor Nicola Carruthers, who chaired her team. She was accompanied by: Ruchira Neotia, drinks consultant and founder of Ruchira’s Table, and Karen Taylor, co-founder of Whisky For Everyone. Sitting on group three were: Nick Larsson-Bell, senior spirits and beer buyer at Harvey Nichols, Dan Greifer, bar manager at London’s Black Parrot, Marie Cheong-Thong, food and beverage educator and founder of The Larder at 36, and David T Smith, drinks consultant, writer and co-founder of the Craft Distilling Expo, who chaired the team.
Last, but by no means least, Sarah Miller, founder of the Gin A Ding Ding blog chaired the fourth panel, and was joined by: Sara-Jane Eichler, founder of Negroni Club UK, and; Graham McAteer, spirits partnership manager at The Curious Drinker.
Value for money was the initial agenda of the day as the judges tackled a flight of Standard (up to £20) gins. The first Master medal was discovered in the opening flight, with Old Buck Dry Gin seriously impressing Kiely’s panel. “I can see this making a great coastal-inspired Martini,” said Rodriguez-Curtis. The judges noted “lots of citrus, pine, spice, and the 43% ABV works well”, while also commending the price as “cracking value for money”. Two Gold medals – “bright, citrussy” Empire Gin from Orang Tua and Mälardalens Destilleri Gin, with “citrus and cardamom” flavours – were also awarded.
Progressing to Premium gins (£16-£20), a trio of Gold medals and one Silver were given out. Two of the Golds went to gins from Aldi UK: Specially Selected Haysmith’s London Dry Gin and Comhla Scottish Gin. The latter was enjoyed for its “deep concentration and complexity, with fresh acidity and a long, clean finish”. Gold-winning Royal Flush Gin was liked for its “plump floral notes, excellent texture and a bit of sweetness/jamminess”.
The high standard of entries was praised in the Super-Premium (£21-£35) heat. Two products deserved Master-medal status. The first was Meir Fermented Botanical Gin. The spirit had a “great aroma; juniper zesty”. On the palate, flavours of “citrus, floral notes, and a touch of eucalyptus” created a harmonious, complex profile. Also securing a Master medal was Freedom Rebels Gin. The gin delivered “sweet fennel, coriander, thyme, rosemary – earthy notes; a touch of petrichor, with a weighty mouthfeel”.
Seven Gold medals were also celebrated in the Super-Premium flight, along with two Silvers. Gold recipients included: “citrus-heavy, grapefruit, well-balanced” Malfy Originale; “floral, perfumed with Palma Violet flavours” Generous Azur; and Bottega Gin Bacûr, with its “fresh pine and herbal hints” on the nose, leading to “minty freshness” on the palate.
At the top end of the price ladder, the Ultra-Premium (£36+) gins showed they were worth splashing the cash on. A strong set of four Master medals made this a memorable flight, with Swedish producer Hernö Gin Distillery securing three of them. Master medals were awarded to the brand’s Navy Strength Gin, Old Tom Gin, and Juniper Cask Gin. “The sweetness works well with the juniper, with a touch of meadowsweet, very sippable, and expertly distilled,” praised Smith about Hernö Old Tom Gin in particular.
Taking home the final Master in the flight was Japanese gin Ki No Bi Sei. “Fabulous balance and flavour for the higher ABV [54.5%]. Stunning,” noted Kiely. Tasting notes included “lemon, coriander, a touch of capsicum, and juniper throughout”.
The 12 Gold medals also awarded in this heat meant more to celebrate for the judges. Winners included: “soft and floral with fragrant cardamom, hints of sweetness and lots of juniper” No.3 London Dry Gin; “creamy, rich” Cap Gin, with notes of “citrus and spice” on the palate; and Gin Mare, with notes of “candied lemon, light berry, and an overall aromatic, enjoyable profile”.
Three Silvers brought the flight to a close.
Cawood commented: “When you get to this price band, there’s more experimentation in terms of style. It was cool to see traditional gins present and excellent, along with brands doing something different too.”
With the price segments sorted, the tasting explored different styles of gin, starting with the largest flight in the tasting: London Dry. Expectations are always high for this well-established style – and the entrants did not disappoint. Seven Master medals made for a delighted group of judges.
Master-winning Stauning Danish Dry Gin was “classic to an extent, but with a little something extra”, said Kiely. Her panel praised its “ripe lime and coriander, stone fruits, and very Martini-esque”.
Mayfair London Dry Gin also took home a Master medal after showcasing a “nice berry finish” to complement “juniper throughout, a touch of salinity and good texture”.
Tanqueray No. Ten proved precisely why it is a firm favourite: “Fresh and zesty, quite the perfect package. Very well balanced and superbly versatile for whatever avatar you wish it in,” commented Neotia.
Marberg Icelandic Dry Gin also secured a Master, liked for its particularly “fantastic, super-fragrant nose”. This continued onto the palate, with “fragrant spice, florals, citrus, Earl Grey, cardamom and soft floral notes”.
Gin Burje also made its way into Master territory with its “exceptionally dry, herbaceous nose and notes of dried bay leaves and bright mint on the palate”.
For Master-deserving AmberChes Botanical Gin, the judges picked out “aromatic cardamom from the nose to the palate, with a lovely floralness and bitter herbs, against a lovely backbone of juniper”.
Completing the Master haul in this flight was “oily and sumptuous” Løv Nordic Gin. “Fennel, sea herbs, pepper, bright salinity, and an almost coastal-air aroma” made an impressive mark on the judges. “Full of depth; a great Martini gin,” enthused Eichler.
High and dry
Eighteen Gold medals meant more to celebrate in the London Dry category. The winners were a mix of household names and lesser-known brands bringing something new to the sector. Pernod Ricard won Gold medals for its Beefeater Black and Beefeater Crown Jewel gins, the latter being described as “flavourful, fruity and absolutely delicious”. Meanwhile, Noëp Distillery’s Sünk London Dry Gin took home a Gold due to its “bright and savoury” character, including flavours of “menthol, anise, fennel and citrus”.
Rockland Distilleries won two Gold medals, one of which went to Colombo No.8 with Ginseng London Dry Gin. This was a “citrus-forward gin, with coriander seeds and cardamom popping through”. A solid collection of seven Silver medals finished the flight.
“It was nice to see there’s still innovation in the category, including rare and native botanicals. It’s nice to see the category continue to grow,” noted McAteer.
Newer, more innovative styles of gin were given space to show off their creativity in the following Contemporary flight – with multiple noteworthy expressions. Five Master medals joined the growing tally, including Mashio. “The nose is like dipping your head into a bucket of smoked bonito flakes,” Eichler said. “Smokiness and smoothness is scrumptious; I reckon it would be amazing in a Martini.”
Berkley Golden Hour Gin was found to be Master-worthy due to its “creamy texture and concentrated notes of lemon oil, coriander, juniper and buttery spice”.
Arctic Blue Gin was said to lean towards a traditional style of gin in some ways, but was “not unwanted in the contemporary category. The palate has a high level of florality with this earthy feel. On the back palate is this acidity from citrus peels and salinity from some briny, vegetal botanicals,” Greifer noted.
Stranger & Sons Gin gained the top award with its spice-led take on gin. “Lots of cinnamon and baking spices, underpinned by juniper,” the judges praised, adding: “It is like an alcoholic bakery confection. Delicious.”
The final Master in this flight went to Japanese gin Ki No Tea. Green tea notes were detectable on the palate, but the panellists liked that it was still distinctly gin, with juniper throughout. “This was all lifted by some citrus, lemon oil, and a fresh, grassy note,” the judges said.
Smith was impressed: “There was a fun, wide world of flavour in contemporary gin – this is the frontier of gin.”
Nine Gold medals and five Silvers gave the flight a boost. Gold winners featured the likes of: Gin Gold with “exquisite fresh, pulpy orange juice and some gratifying pine freshness”; and Renais Gin, said to be “aromatic, with grapes, orchard and stone fruit, juniper-forward and full-bodied”.
A trio of Gold medallists were also unearthed in the Organic flight. Hailing from Scotland, Eight Lands Organic Gin was enjoyed for being “bright, zesty and fresh” with “classic flavours of juniper, pine, and lemon sherbet on the finish”.
Hernö Gin added to its medal haul in the Microdistillery flight, with a Gold medal for its Dry Gin. “Cassia root and cardamom are heavily prominent with juniper and light baking spices,” the judges said.
The Gold standard continued into the Navy Strength flight, with five medals presented here. Among those meeting the Gold threshold were Whirligarden Navy Strength Gin with “powerful and prominent juniper, and a nice herbaceous and green back palate”, and Yuki No Mado Navy Strength Gin, which presented “candied orange peel with rosemary and coriander”.
Hernö Old Tom received another Master medal for its classic Old Tom profile in the eponymous flight, and was said to have well-balanced sweetness and touch of “dryness and spice” towards the finish for added complexity.
Cask and it is given
While the Cask-Aged flight was smaller than others in the blind tasting, high standards were upheld, resulting in two Master medals and three Golds. The Botanist Cask-Aged Gin was one of the top scorers, taking a Master medal. Neotia said: “Brooding and unctuous, with deep cask flavours – orange oil and a pine finish that keeps building complexity. Long-aged by the juniper still shows.
Excellent craftsmanship.” Also demonstrating why it’s a master of its craft was Herno Sipping Gin Ex-Grönstedt Cognac Cask. “Big inviting aroma of sweet dried fruit and sultanas,” the judges noted, adding “this carries through to the palate with a drying resinous note and pine, woody finish”.
Flavoured Gin – a key growth driver for the category in recent years – was put to the taste test next. A Master medal was awarded to one entry: The Waterside Inn’s Signature Rhubarb & Ginger Gin. This had “stewed rhubarb and a little hint of ginger spice”, but it was the authenticity of flavours and balance of sweetness that really set this gin apart.
Seven Gold medals also demonstrated how to do flavoured gin well. Among the exemplary medallists were “bright and fresh” Lakeland Moon Elderflower Gin, “sweet, orange-forward and crowd-pleasing” Beefeater Blood Orange, and Wasing Blackberry and Nettle Gin, said to be “sweet with some liquorice notes”. Coles Liquor also secured two Golds for its Mayfair Blood Orange & Yuzu Gin and Mayfair Rhubarb & Ginger Gin. Ten flavoured products took home Silver medals.
As the judges approached the last few flights, one Gold and two Silver medals were handed out in the Pink Gin category. The Gold award winner was Hildringen Bakkan Pink Gin, said to be “very drinkable”, with “rose petal and cranberry” flavours.
In the Gin Liqueur heat, a duo of Gold medals were given to Nishi Shuzo for its White Gin and Plum Gin. White Gin was described as “delicious, like Milky Way in a glass: creamy, chocolatey”. The Plum Gin was described as a “luscious plum liqueur”.
The closing flight of the competition was Sloe Gin, which went out with bang: three Masters and one Gold. One Master winner was Plymouth Sloe Gin, which led with “macerated sloe berry character; blackcurrant and a bit of sour plum tartness”. “It feels like a homemade sloe gin, and I mean that as a compliment,” noted Taylor.
Also securing a coveted Master was Hernö Sloe Gin, with its “tart palate, lovely cherry, dark chocolate and slight amaretto notes. Zippy, juicy and moreish – remarkably clean on the palate”.
“Vibrant cherry” also helped AmberChes Sloe Gin win a Master medal. The gin also had enjoyable “red fruits, a silky texture, and juicy berries – delicious”. “Just like puppies, sloe gin isn’t just for Christmas; you can have it all year round,” Rodriguez-Curtis quipped.
The Gin Masters remains the biggest blind tasting in The Global Spirits Masters Competitions, with The Gin Taste Master 2026 to be determined later this year once the second portion of the tasting has been completed. The medal haul for the inaugural part of this year’s tasting was indisputably strong, leaving little doubt gin still has a bright future.
| Standard | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Heineken Beverages | Old Buck Dry Gin | Master |
| Orang Tua | Empire Gin | Gold |
| Mälardalens Destilleri | Mälardalens Destilleri Gin | Gold |
| Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Aldi UK | Specially Selected Haysmith’s London Dry Gin | Gold |
| Aldi UK | Comhla Scottish Gin | Gold |
| Royal Flush Gin Company | Royal Flush Gin | Gold |
| Pernod Ricard | Beefeater London Dry | Silver |
| Super-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Meir Distillery | Meir Fermented Botanical Gin | Master |
| Berlin Beverages | Freedom Rebels Gin | Master |
| Tankyu Distillery | Yuki No Mado Dry Gin | Gold |
| Pernod Ricard | Malfy Originale | Gold |
| Pernod Ricard | Plymouth Gin | Gold |
| Liviko | Crafter’s Infinite Citrus Gin | Gold |
| La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Generous Azur | Gold |
| La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Generous Purple | Gold |
| Bottega | Bottega Gin Bacûr | Gold |
| Ramsbury Brewery and Distillery | Ramsbury Single Estate Gin | Silver |
| Groupe Dandurand | Seventh Heaven Dry Gin | Silver |
| Ultra-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Navy Strength Gin | Master |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Old Tom Gin | Master |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Juniper Cask Gin | Master |
| Pernod Ricard | Ki No Bi Sei | Master |
| Berry Bros & Rudd | No.3 London Dry Gin | Gold |
| Pernod Ricard | Ki No Bi Kyoto Dry Gin | Gold |
| Wolfsbane | White Fae Allure | Gold |
| Cap Gin | Cap Gin | Gold |
| The Desert Rose Gin Co | Desert Rose Gin – – Limited Edition | Gold |
| Isle of Wight Distillery | Mermaid Gin | Gold |
| Maison Ferrand | Citadelle Gin Bajan | Gold |
| Pernod Ricard | Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin | Gold |
| The Bluff Distillery | Bluff London Dry Gin | Gold |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Dry Gin | Gold |
| Brown-Forman | Gin Mare | Gold |
| The House of Viceroy 1977 | Monsoon Heat Premium Botanical Gin | Gold |
| Gatsby | Gatsby Gin | Silver |
| Rademon Estate Distillery | Shortcross Gin | Silver |
| Wolfsbane | White Fae Sakura | Silver |
| London Dry | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Stauning Whisky | Stauning Danish Dry Gin | Master |
| Coles Liquor | Mayfair London Dry Gin | Master |
| Diageo | Tanqueray No. Ten | Master |
| Thoran Distillery | Marberg Icelandic Dry Gin | Master |
| Razpotje | Gin Burje | Master |
| Amberches Distillery | Amberches Botanical Gin | Master |
| Angr Brenneri | Løv Nordic Gin | Master |
| Pernod Ricard | Beefeater Crown Jewel | Gold |
| Pernod Ricard | Beefeater Black | Gold |
| Loch Lomond Group | Ben Lomond Scottish Gin | Gold |
| Noëp Distillery | Sünk London Dry Gin | Gold |
| Rola Weinbrennerei und Likörfabrik | Gin Premium Wellinghouse | Gold |
| Diageo | Tanqueray London Dry | Gold |
| Rockland Distilleries | Colombo No.7 London Dry Gin | Gold |
| Rockland Distilleries | Colombo No.8 with Ginseng London Dry Gin | Gold |
| Groupe Dandurand | Seventh Heaven London Dry Gin | Gold |
| Coles Liquor | 1585 London Dry Gin | Gold |
| Nordlöf Hildringen Gard | Hildringen Dry Gin | Gold |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Dry Gin | Gold |
| The Desert Rose Gin Co | Desert Rose Gin – Classic | Gold |
| The Desert Rose Gin Co | Desert Rose Gin – Limited Edition | Gold |
| Pernod Ricard | Beefeater London Dry | Gold |
| Pernod Ricard | Beefeater 24 | Gold |
| Salford Gin | Salford Original Dry | Gold |
| Hammond’s Spirits | Hammond’s Ratio London Dry Gin | Gold |
| Penningtons Spirits & Liqueurs | Lakeland Moon Ramblers | Silver |
| DJ Limbrey Distilling Co | D1 London Dry Gin | Silver |
| Sasbery Spirits | Sasbery London Dry Gin | Silver |
| Rockland Distilleries | Colombo No9 with Earl Grey London Dry Gin | Silver |
| Bruichladdich Distillery Company | The Botanist Gin | Silver |
| Bruichladdich Distillery Company | The Botanist Distiller’s Strength Gin | Silver |
| The Waterside Inn | The Waterside Inn’s Signature London Dry Gin | Silver |
| Contemporary | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| KKI | Mashio | Master |
| Berkley Care Group | Berkley Golden Hour Gin | Master |
| Arctic Blue Beverages | Arctic Blue Gin | Master |
| Third Eye Distillery | Stranger & Sons Gin | Master |
| Pernod Ricard | Ki No Tea | Master |
| Grupo Osborne | Gin Gold | Gold |
| Sassenach Spirits | The Sassenach Wild Scottish Gin | Gold |
| Harrel | Borgholm Gin | Gold |
| Sáppusztai Destillery | Flying Emu Gin – Worldwide | Gold |
| Revelry Distillery | Vanaha – Artisanal Forest Gin | Gold |
| Connec.t | Yori Okazaki | Gold |
| Renais Spirits | Renais Gin | Gold |
| Gin PLZ | Gin PLZ | Gold |
| The House of Viceroy 1977 | Monsoon Heat Premium Botanical Gin | Gold |
| Coles Liquor | Pure Origin Tasmanian Gin | Silver |
| Saxzi | Saxzi One | Silver |
| Kyami Distillery | Kyami Gin | Silver |
| Grupo Osborne | Nordés Gin | Silver |
| Nishi Shuzo Co | Flower Gin | Silver |
| Organic | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Eight Lands Organic Spirits | Eight Lands Organic Gin | Gold |
| The Hamsters Brewing | Truce of Gin | Gold |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Dry Gin | Gold |
| Microdistillery | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Dry Gin | Gold |
| Navy Strength | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Liberty & Plenty Distillery | Whirligarden Navy Strength Gin | Gold |
| Pernod Ricard | Plymouth Navy Strength | Gold |
| Rockland Distilleries | Colombo No7 Ration Navy Dry Gin | Gold |
| Tankyu Distillery | Yuki No Mado Navy Strength Gin | Gold |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Old Tom Gin | Gold |
| Old Tom | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Old Tom Gin | Master |
| Cask-Aged | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Bruichladdich Distillery Company | The Botanist Cask Aged Gin | Master |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Sipping Gin Ex-Grönstedt Cognac Cask | Master |
| Royal Flush Gin Company | Royal Flush Amber Luxe | Gold |
| Bruichladdich Distillery Company | The Botanist Cask Rested Gin | Gold |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Juniper Cask Gin | Gold |
| Flavoured Gin | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| The Waterside Inn | The Waterside Inn’s Signature Rhubarb & Ginger Gin | Master |
| Pernod Ricard | Beefeater Blood Orange | Gold |
| Penningtons Spirits & Liqueurs | Lakeland Moon Elderflower Gin | Gold |
| Wasing Leisure (Wasing Park) | Wasing – Blackberry and Nettle Gin | Gold |
| Coles Liquor | Mayfair Blood Orange & Yuzu Gin | Gold |
| Coles Liquor | Mayfair Rhubarb & Ginger Gin | Gold |
| Raincheck Earth | Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin With Sohiong Berries | Gold |
| Mälardalens Destilleri | Mälardalens Destilleri Old Tom Gin | Gold |
| Pernod Ricard | Beefeater Grapefruit | Silver |
| KKI | PT Gin | Silver |
| Guerrilla Chicken | Blush Riot | Silver |
| Pernod Ricard | Malfy Gin Rosa | Silver |
| Gin 1689 | 1689 Dutch Orange Gin | Silver |
| Royal Flush Gin Company | Royal Flush Noir Gin | Silver |
| Pernod Ricard | Malfy Con Limone | Silver |
| Islands8 & Co | Islands8 Watermelon | Silver |
| Distillerie Euclide | Éléments 1 | Silver |
| Pernod Ricard | Beefeater Pink Strawberry | Silver |
| Pink Gin | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Nordlöf Hildringen Gård | Hildringen Bakkan Pink Gin | Gold |
| Arctic Blue Beverages | Arctic Blue Gin Rose | Silver |
| Coles Liquor | Mayfair Pink Gin | Silver |
| Gin Liqueur | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Nishi Shuzo Co | White Gin | Gold |
| Nishi Shuzo Co | Plum Gin | Gold |
| Sloe Gin | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Pernod Ricard | Plymouth Sloe Gin | Master |
| Hernö Gin Distillery | Hernö Sloe Gin | Master |
| AmberChes Distillery | AmberChes Sloe Gin | Master |
| Pernod Ricard | Monkey 47 Sloe Gin | Gold |
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