When someone tells me they "don't like gin," I ask what gin they've had. Invariably the answer involves something that tasted like a pine tree fell into a bowl of rubbing alcohol. This is not gin's fault. This is a specific gin's fault, and that gin should not be taken as representative of the category.
Gin is flavored spirit — neutral base, juniper-forward, other botanicals. That's the definition. Within that definition lives an enormous range of flavor, from the bone-dry citrus of Tanqueray Ten to the floral meadow of Hendrick's to the intense, aggressive juniper of something like Hayman's Royal Dock at full navy strength.
London Dry
The classic. Dry, juniper-forward, citrus notes, usually no sugar added post-distillation. Tanqueray, Beefeater, Sipsmith. These are for Martinis and Gin & Tonics where you want gin to taste like gin. If you're making a Negroni, this is what you use.
Contemporary / New Western
More botanical flexibility — cucumber, rose, tea, whatever the distillery felt like. Hendrick's is the famous example. These are fine, though I'd argue the best of them are best as sippers or in simple long drinks, not in spirit-forward cocktails where they fight everything else in the glass.
Navy Strength
57% ABV, historically for gunpowder. The extra alcohol means more aroma, more presence, more intensity. When a cocktail calls for gin and you want gin to actually show up, this is the category.
Old Tom
Slightly sweetened, closer to eighteenth-century gin styles. Used in Tom Collins, Martinez. Harder to find. Worth seeking out if you're serious about classic cocktails.
You're welcome. Now stop telling me you don't like gin.
Written By
Alfred C. O'Holic
Self-described authority on civilized drinking. Forty-three coupe glasses. Opinions on ice. Available for consultation, rarely.