The Coolest Gins From Around The World

Gin is one of the most versatile, diverse spirits around. With myriad possibilities of botanical combinations, the flavor profiles can range from mineral to herbaceous, citrusy or floral. And with creative distillers adding their own local and personal touches, there are many gins from around the world worth exploring. Here are a few interesting choices for the gin lover on your holiday list.

Scotland: Tulchan Gin (SRP: $40.00)

Covering the largest area of Scotland, the Highlands boasts the highest number of Scottish Gin distilleries. Tulchan is a luxury, small batch c ‘London Dry’ gin, made in the Glenrinnes Distillery in Speyside, known for its whiskey more than its gin. The gin carries the botanical flavor through distillation and into the bottle including juniper, berries, elderflower, sage, soft citrus, chamomile and sweet pine. Tulchan is carefully produced through craft distilling, handcrafted in copper pot stills with the precise weighing of botanicals.

Monkey 47 has debuted a new edition of its highly collectible Distiller’s Cut every year since 2010. Now in its 13th year, Monkey 47’s continues the tradition of further enhancing its signature Schwarzwald Dry Gin with a carefully selected 48th botanical. Last summer, the brand unveiled Acer Saccharum, better known as maple syrup, as the Species Rara in the 13th Distiller’s Cut edition. They teamed up with Canadian Cosman & Webb Farm, who provided their pure, organic maple syrup for this unique limited-edition expression, an elegant dry gin boasting a delicate sweetness and a hint of caramel.

Nikka Coffey Gin achieves a complexity through the perfect balance between 11 selected botanicals and the silky texture of spirits distilled in Coffey stills which are a signature of Nikka.

The bright and zesty aroma originates from Japanese citrus including yuzu, kabosu, amanatsu and shequasar to complement the traditional gin botanicals of juniper berries, angelica, coriander seeds, lemon and orange peels. There are flavors and hints of apple, a fruit deeply related to the history of Nikka, followed by the flavors of green Japanese Sansho pepper in the finish.

Hand-crafted and distilled in Ireland, Dingle Original Gin is an artisan, pot still gin that incorporates both traditional and innovative distilling techniques. Categorized as a London dry gin, its unique character and flavor come from the choice of botanicals, which are macerated in spirit for 24 hours. When the spirit is distilled, it passes through a flavor basket in the neck of the still. Dingle uses, amongst other botanicals, rowan berry from the mountain ash trees, fuchsia, bog myrtle, hawthorn and heather for a taste of the Irish landscape.

Mexico/California: Las Californias (SRP $29.99)

These premium, dual origin gins spotlight Alta and Baja California (modern day California and Baja California, Mexico) and the long shared and unconstrained flow of cultural and biological diversity between the regions. Crafted from both indigenous botanicals as well as plants brought to the lands via cultural migration, Las Californias Nativo combines Pacific kelp for salt and minerality, Californian Artemisia for deep herbaceousness, and Damiana imparts sweet, woody flavors. Las Californias Cítrico is a bright, citrusy, approachable profile thanks to botanicals like lemongrass, figs, and almonds – all widely grown in modern Las Californias though their origins range from Asia to Armenia and The Middle East.

Spain: Gin Mare (SRP: $40)

Established in 2010, Gin Mare distills the Mediterranean lifestyle into a bottle. The distillery, located about 50 kilometers outside of Barcelona in an old fishing village, includes a custom-made still housed within an 18th century chapel. Utilizing botanicals sourced from the several countries in the Mediterranean, Gin Mare uses a unique blend of Arbequina Spanish olives, basil, rosemary, and thyme. With a base of premium barley and independently distilled Mediterranean-inspired botanicals, the ingredients combine for the brand’s signature blend, allowing each botanical to be expressed in the final product.

Pacific Northwest: Forest Gin (SRP: $39.95)

Freeland Spirits, a women owned, operated, and distilled brand known for their craft spirits made from locally harvested botanicals introduced Forest Gin in the summer. The brand’s green bottle Gin features the best of Oregon’s farm fields, with a name and inspiration from Forest Park, one of the country’s largest urban forest reserves, just five blocks from Freeland’s distillery. All ingredients (e.g. chanterelle mushrooms, douglas fir tips, salal berries and nettle) are gently distilled via rotovap in order to preserve their freshness. Scents of new needles on trees and forest floor transport gin connoisseurs to the spirit’s place of origin: a vast, green Oregonian woodland. With hints of florality and fresh greenery, complemented by deep notes of earth, berry, and fresh rain, Forest Gin – bottled at 45% ABV

This beautiful gin, inspired from the distillery’s home in “The City of Gardens,” Elderflower Rose Gin is handcrafted in small batch copper-pot stills by Victoria Distillers on Canada’s picturesque Vancouver Island. The gin expertly blends nine botanicals to create a delicate spirit with a stunning all-natural rose hue. In addition to elderflower, Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose includes juniper berries, orange peel, red rose petals and black carrot. While roses are a traditional gin botanical with a beautiful floral note and a delicate aroma, the unique black carrot adds a touch of sweetness and enhances and maintains the spirit’s vibrant ruby color.

Iceland: Himbrimi Gin (SRP $40 & $69.99)

This Icelandic brand distills two expressions: Winterbird, a London Dry Gin and an Old Tom Gin inspired by the scent of wild botanicals that grow along the banks of lakes and rivers in Iceland, such as wild arctic thyme and angelica flowers. The gin is slowly distilled using the natural energy of geothermal water, with a complex combination of botanicals and natural elements. Himbrimi means “heaven howler” — the Icelandic name for the common loon. To honor its namesake, 5% of the revenue generated from the sale of each bottle will be donated for nature conservation in Iceland.

South Asian gins have seen an extraordinary rise of late, and Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin is a leading example of this trend. The distillery, formerly known as Rampur Distillery and established in 1943, is still a pioneer in sustainable practices that protect the water, uses renewable energy, and practices reforestation.

While maintaining the heady juniper and angelica that are the soul of all gin, it also sources botanicals from across India for its two expressions: Jaisalmer Classic and Jaisalmer Gold. Vetiver, cubeb pepper, lemongrass, and Darjeeling green tea all serve to create a sense of place in these award-winning gins.