Gin

Gin is a distilled spirit that gets its primary flavor from juniper berries. That distinctive juniper taste defines the category, although many gins also incorporate other botanicals like coriander, citrus peel, angelica, cardamom or floral ingredients.

Gin is typically produced by taking a neutral spirit of agricultural origin and adding flavor through botanicals. Those flavors can be introduced by redistilling the spirit with botanicals, by vapor infusion, or by other approved methods depending on the style. The essential requirement is that juniper must remain the dominant flavor.

Gin derives its flavor from botanicals. Juniper is essential, while other common botanicals include coriander seed, citrus peel, angelica root, licorice, cassia, cardamom and many others. Different distillers employ different botanical recipes to create styles that can be citrus-forward, floral, spicy, savory or more traditionally dry.

Gin can taste crisp, fresh, herbal, citrusy, floral or spicy depending on the recipe, but juniper typically provides a piney, resinous backbone. Some styles are very dry and traditional, while others are smoother, more aromatic or more modern in character.

Vodka is typically produced to be relatively neutral in flavor, while gin is characterized by its botanical profile, particularly juniper. Put simply, gin begins with a vodka-like base spirit but then develops its distinctive character through botanical flavoring and, in many cases, redistillation.

Common styles include London Dry gin, distilled gin, Old Tom gin, Plymouth Gin and flavored or contemporary styles that highlight botanicals beyond juniper while still maintaining its dominance. These categories can overlap somewhat, but they provide a helpful guide to how a gin might taste and how it has been produced.

London Dry gin is a production style rather than a geographical name, so it doesn't need to be made in London. It must be produced by distillation from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, all flavoring must be natural botanical material added during distillation, and the finished gin cannot contain more than 0.1 grams of added sugar per liter. Other gins can be made differently or include different post-distillation additions.

Gin is highly versatile. It performs well in a classic gin and tonic, in cocktails like the Martini or Negroni, and sometimes neat if you want to focus on the botanical detail. Lighter citrus-forward styles often work well in long drinks, while drier and more traditional gins can be especially effective in spirit-forward cocktails.