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10 best flavoured gins to add a twist to your G&T

From orange to marshmallow flavours, there’s a tasty tipple to suit everyone

Siobhan Grogan
Friday 08 December 2023 12:59 GMT
Add some dazzle to your drinks cabinet with these tasty tipples
Add some dazzle to your drinks cabinet with these tasty tipples (The Independent)
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Traditional gin fans, look away now. As we’ve all gone ga-ga for gin, distilleries have responded by producing a huge range of new-fangled flavours to add some dazzle to our drinks cabinet.

Of course, even a classic gin is flavoured with juniper, often with a hint of other botanicals such as lemon or spices to give the drinks a fresh, balanced taste. Flavoured gins have another noticeable flavour added to the mix to make them distinctly different from the dry gin featured in the average G&T. This could be a berry, a spice or even – as we discovered – anything from marshmallows to chocolate biscuits. It’s possible to find almost any flavour that takes your fancy on every supermarket shelf.

Though these can be served with simple tonic, flavoured gins can also be served neat or are a great shortcut to a killer cocktail. Most of the flavoured gins we tested recommended an ideal way to serve on the bottle and we found it was well worth trying these to add a whole new drink to our repertoire. It’s worth noting that we asked some self-professed gin haters to try these tipples too and all vastly preferred the flavoured gins to regular versions.

The flavoured gin you prefer largely comes down to personal taste and whether you prefer floral hints, warming spices, fruity notes or even a hint of sweetness. The season and occasion are worth considering too. We’d prefer flavoured gins using real fruit during summer months, while some of the more novelty flavours are made to be enjoyed with friends or at parties. However, while almost any gin was fair game for inclusion, we didn’t include any gin liqueurs or sloe gins in our tests as these have a lower ABV than standard flavoured gins. But choose any of our other favourites and your favourite tipple will be transformed forever.

How we tested

A selection of the best flavoured gins that we tested for this review
A selection of the best flavoured gins that we tested for this review (Siobhan Grogan)

We tried a range of flavoured gins neat to ensure the taste wasn’t affected by any mixer. All these were tested blind to see if we could identify the flavours used without reading the label first – or being affected by the brand in question. We also roped in other gin lovers – and haters! – to see if the drinks would appeal to those with different preferences. Finally, we tested each gin with plain tonic and, where applicable, with the recommended serve on the bottle to see the different ways the gin could be used when a bog-standard G&T just won’t cut it.

The best flavoured gins for 2023:

Silent Pool kaffir lime expression gin

Silent-Pool-kaffir-lime-expression-gin-indybest
  • Best: Flavoured gin overall
  • Size: 70cl
  • ABV: 43%
  • Flavour: Lime
  • Why we love it
    • No artificial taste at all
    • Tropical flavour works perfectly in a G&T
  • Take note
    • Some drinkers may prefer a sweeter gin
    • On the pricey side

We’re already big fans of Silent Pool’s crisp, clean gin made on the Duke of Northumberland’s Albury Estate using a whopping 24 botanicals including local honey, lavender and chamomile.

Their latest invention adds a tropical twist to those homegrown notes with the citrus freshness of kaffir lime to offset the piney juniper perfectly. Zesty and vibrant, it has a distinct aroma, smooth finish and bright lime flavours that give way to a hint of unexpected pepper. It’s ideal if you want to dabble in flavoured gin but don’t want to mess with the classics too much. Plus, it will give any G&T a serious upgrade, garnished with a generous wedge of lime of course.

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Bombay bramble blackberry & raspberry gin

Bombay-bramble-blackberry&raspberry-gin-indybest
  • Best: Budget buy
  • Size: 70cl
  • ABV: 37.5%
  • Flavour: Blackberry & raspberry
  • Why we love it
    • Very well priced
    • Natural fruit flavours used and no added sugar
    • Good for cocktails
  • Take note
    • It’s on the sweet side

If you can’t get enough of sweet fresh berries each summer, this is the gin for you. Made by Bombay Sapphire, this one is infused with a 100% natural fruit infusion of tasty blackberries and raspberries with no added sugar. The pop of berry brightness is perfect for anyone who likes to add fruit to their G&T, but it’s also a fast-track to a berry-centric cocktail. Although it’s not for those who hate sweet drinks, the peppery undertones stop it becoming too cloying and we reckon this could become our go-to gin when the sun is out.

  1.  £20 from Tesco.com
Prices may vary
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Bathtub gin damson & bay

Bathtub-gin-damson&bay-flavoured-gins-indybest
  • Best: Sloe gin alternative
  • Size: 70cl
  • ABV: 43.4%
  • Flavour: damson & bay
  • Why we love it
    • Lovely old-school packaging
    • Very autumnal flavours
  • Take note
    • The flavours won’t suit everyone

One sip of this and we wanted to lock the door, start a fire and hibernate for the winter. It’s made using a base of the original, award-winning Bathtub gin, inspired by illicit gin distilled in bathtubs in the 1920s and produced in small batches.

This one tastes like a crisp autumn evening in a bottle, with classic botanical flavours spiced up with juicy damsons and aromatic bay leaves. It has a moreish jammy sweetness that makes it ideal for drinking on its own over ice and it’s already won a Masters medal at this year’s Global Spirits Masters Competition for its downright deliciousness. Plus, it gets extra marks for the bottle’s endearingly old-fashioned appearance, wrapped in brown paper with a hand-drawn illustration of a bathtub on the front.

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Brockmans orange kiss

Brockmans-orange-kiss-flavoured-gins-indybest
  • Best: flavoured gin for negronis
  • Sive: 70cl
  • ABV: 40%
  • Flavour : Orange
  • Why we love it
    • Works well in cocktails
    • Not overly sweet yet with a lovely orange flavour
  • Take note
    • Orange flavours won’t appeal to everyone

One sniff of this orange-scented gin and we felt like we should be dining alfresco in a Spanish courtyard.

This silky smooth gin combines traditional botanicals with sun-kissed Valencian oranges and a citrus hit from triple sec which balances perfectly with the classic flavours of orange peel, liquorice and almond. The flavours develop in the mouth but are never overly sweet, and this gin was a particular favourite with one tester who swore they loathed all types of gin. Serve it over ice to savour its citrus warmth or add it to a negroni to balance out the bitterness and really make it sing.

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Jaffa cake gin

Jaffa-Cake-gin-indybest
  • Best: For chocoholics
  • Size : 70cl
  • ABV: 42%
  • Flavour: Jaffa cake
  • Why we love it
    • Well priced
    • Would make for a good gift
    • A fun drink that tastes surprisingly good
  • Take note
    • If you hate Jaffa Cakes, it’s not for you
    • Looks too much of a novelty product for serious gin drinkers

It might horrify gin purists but we were surprised by just how tasty this Jaffa Cake-infused gin really is. True, if you loathe the distinctive chocolate biscuit, it won’t be for you. But if you’re partial to chocolate orange and want a fun tipple that works wonders in a negroni, you won’t go far wrong.

Surprisingly, the gin is not as sweet or artificial as you’d imagine and is made by distilling oranges, cocoa powder and genuine Jaffa Cakes to give notes of earthy chocolate, vanilla and almond with a discernible base of juniper so you won’t feel you’ve just scarfed a whole packet of biscuits. Though we definitely had the urge after sipping this.

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Sixtowns pink gin

Sixtowns-pink-gin-flavoured-gins-indybest
  • Best: Pink gin
  • Size : 70cl
  • ABV: 37.5%
  • Flavour: Rhubarb, strawberry and raspberry
  • Why we love it
    • Lovely ceramic bottle
    • A good summery drink
  • Take note
    • The hint of sweetness won’t appeal to all

We just can’t get enough of pink gin, so had to include a couple of the finest examples around in this list.

This one is a real head turner in a baby pink ceramic decanter that we’d buy just to show off on a cocktail trolley. Made in Staffordshire, it’s inspired by an original recipe from the 1980s and is astonishingly smooth, with a rush of rhubarb against sweeter notes of strawberry and raspberry. There’s a twist of citrus and a pervasive juniper backbone with a long finish that is deliciously refreshing. We’d serve it on a summer’s day garnished with plenty of ice and fresh strawberries and reckon life wouldn’t get much better.

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The Naked Marshmallow Co. candy floss gourmet marshmallow gin

The-Naked-Marshmallow-Co-candy-floss-gourmet-marshmallow-gin-indybest
  • Best: For those with a sweet tooth
  • Size: 70cl
  • ABV: 42%
  • Flavour: Candy floss & marshmallow
  • Why we love it
    • A fun bottle for those willing to experiment with their drink
    • Could make a great cocktail
  • Take note
    • Far too sweet for some gin drinkers

If you’re going to choose a flavoured gin, you may as well go all-out and have some fun with the options. This is the most unexpected tipple we tested but it would go down a treat with anyone who loves gin and has a sweet tooth. Made in the UK by artisanal distillers, it’s inspired by the brand’s own candy floss marshmallows for a rush of nostalgic fairground flavours. The retro sugary flavours make this gin very easy-drinking, but don’t entirely drown out the woody juniper so the overall effect is far more balanced than you’d imagine.

Not quite sweet enough? The Naked Marshmallow Co. recommend garnishing your drink with a cloud of candy floss which will guarantee your G&T is the talking point of any party.

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Cygnet 22

Cygnet-22-flavoured-gins-indybest
  • Best: Luxury flavoured gin
  • Size: 70cl
  • ABV: 44%
  • Flavour: Honey
  • Why we love it
    • The bottle is beautiful
    • It doesn’t have a novelty flavour
  • Take note
    • The Manuka honey means it’s not suitable for vegans
    • Expensive

Not all flavoured gin involves chocolate biscuits and strawberries. If you’d rather not mess with a classic but want to try something a little different, this beautifully packaged gin is a real winner in a stunning, reusable glass bottle that we’d happily keep out on show.

It comes from opera singer Katherine Jenkins, who formed Cygnet with her husband Andrew Levitas. Their gin is made in a traditional Welsh distillery by a female master distiller using traditional methods and the purest Welsh water in a 300 litre Arnold Holstein copper pot. This one focuses on subtle flavours and warming spices, with a blend of 22 botanicals and Manuka honey to give it a soft sweetness that lingers on the palate finished with a moreish touch of vanilla. Think of it as gin with a twist that could easily become your new favourite tipple.

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Elephant Gin African Explorer limited edition gin

Elephant-Gin-African-Explorer-limited-edition-gin-indybest
  • Best: Limited edition flavoured gin
  • Size: 50cl
  • ABV: 40 %
  • Flavour: ginger & grapefruit
  • Why we love it
    • Contributes to a great cause
    • More sustainable bottle
    • Great chance to try more unusual flavours
  • Take note
    • Expensive as bottle is smaller than others
    • Limited edition so you may not be able to buy another

Another great gin which is subtly flavoured rather than an all-out taste explosion. This one was created to celebrate Elephant Gin’s tenth anniversary and is designed to highlight the very best African ingredients for a gin unlike any other. These include fragrant buchu leaves from South Africa, white ginger and monodora from Cameroon, sumbala seeds from Burkina Faso, baobab and lion’s tail. It’s a deliciously unexpected gin with notes of grapefruit and blackcurrant and undertones of fresh ginger for a sophisticated finish.

Plus, it comes in a lighter eco-glass bottle that uses 65% recycled glass, topped with a traditional cork stopper and decorated with traditional glass beads handmade by Maasai tribal women in Kenya, which can be used as sunglass strings. Even better, 15% of bottle profits go to protect the critically endangered African forest elephant in Cameroon through the African Wildlife Foundation. A winner all round.

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The verdict: flavoured gins

From the wacky to the wonderful, there’s a flavoured gin for every taste and occasion but The Silent Pool kaffir lime expression gin is the perfect upgrade from regular gin with its tropical tang and homegrown botanicals. To bring a real burst of sunshine to your glass, we also rated Brockmans orange kiss, which is a must-buy for any keen cocktail lover.

Want more inspiration? We’ve rounded up the best champagnes

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