6 Interesting Gins to Try For World Gin Day and the Summer Ahead
World Gin Day is this weekend (June 8th). The celebratory day falls annually on the second Saturday in June, providing gin enthusiasts an excuse to stock up on new and interesting bottles for the weekend.
This year, a French and U.K. favorite gin are now available stateside, there’s a new iteration from Canada’s favorite violet gin and a trio of U.S. inspired and produced gins are defining why this global drinks holiday is so important.
As there are more gin brands than ever, according to IWSR forecasts, global gin volumes are on track to grow five percent between 2021 and 2026, World Gin Day poses a time to try something new. Look to these six unique bottles for something other than your bar cart staple.
Empress Cucumber Lemon Gin in their signature Cucumber Tonic. (Image: Kyla Zanardi)
Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin
The newest expression to join the Empress Gin portfolio—most famed for their Indigo Gin produced with butterfly pea flower which Nielsen Total reports as the fastest growing ultra-premium gin in the U.S.—is infused with seven botanicals. The eighth and final botanical is added post-distillation to ensure the freshest taste. The profile was inspired by flavors found at afternoon tea with botanicals like juniper berries, lemon, jasmine, star anise, cucumber and lemon zest. The citrus components are lifted by cardamom and the pureness of the cucumber makes it ideal in their signature Cucumber & Tonic — just add tonic water.
Orion Gin
In April, Pegasus Distillerie brought its French organic spirits stateside with Orion Gin among them. As the flagship product from Pegasus, Orion Gin is a tribute to the Meursault region in France, using five locally sourced botanicals that are distilled separately before they’re mixed. This process results in a masterfully balanced blend of bitter orange aromas, sourced from Menton in the Mediterranean, with herbaceous and floral notes influenced by the botanicals sourced closer to the Swiss Alps (thyme, verbena, orange mint and monarda).
Four Corners Gin is made with all-American botanicals. (Image: Four Corners Gin)
Four Corners Gin
It’s been nearly a year since Four Corners Gin came to market but it remains a novelty. The all-American gin sources botanicals from the four corners of the U.S., including yerba santa from the Mojave Desert to Maine cranberries and wild cherry bark from Florida. The variety of ingredients work in harmony to showcase the nation’s most iconic regions in a glass with a nuanced palate that offers hints of cedar and vanilla bean to the classic citrus and juniper notes.
Silent Pool Gin
Silent Pool Gin is another bottle from across the pond that made a splash in the U.S. just in time for summer. The ultra-premium new style of London Dry Gin from England is produced with 24 botanicals and regionally-sourced honey. Its name portrays the locale of the spirits’ distillery in Surrey Hills along the banks of the spring-fed, teal-hued waters of Silent Pool, fabled to date back to the last Ice Age. The four-step distillation—a 24-hour maceration; tea infusion with botanicals like lavender, chamomile, elderflower and linden; vapor basket; the pot still, which is when the local Aubrey honey is added—creates a rich, layered gin with a lingering finish of subtle sweetness.
Waymar Gin House pays homage to old world traditions. (Image: Reid Mitchell)
Waymar Gin house
Launched this year out of Memphis, Tenn., Waymar Gin House is a line of artisanal gins but its the Signature Dry Gin that purists will enjoy for its “jazzy and crisp” taste. The brothers behind this new collection were inspired by old-world gins and the traditions dedicated to creating a quality sip. The spirit is crafted with 12 botanicals for a floral nose with candied citrus and a layered sip that culminates with notes of evergreen and spice.
Freeland Spirits Gin
As one of the world’s youngest female distillers, Molly Troupe began making Freeland Gin in a miniature test still before launching the brand in 2017. Today, she rises the tide for her female counterparts in Oregon and beyond by procuring the botanicals used in Freeland Gin—including rosemary, thyme, cucumber and honey—from woman-run farms. Their newest expression was launched in March for Women’s History Month as a limited-release Old Tom Gin that spent six months in Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey barrels. The result is an aged gin characterized by notes of candied orange from nose to lingering notes with soft tannins and a touch of maple syrup sweetness.