Over the past roughly 20 years, gin has developed tremendously thanks to the craft distilling boom. There are now thousands of brands available from producers around the world, and seemingly endless styles of the spirit. Beyond the use of juniper, the rules for gin production leave room for plenty of experimentation with different botanicals and flavors. Still, many consumers have misconceptions about gin. Erin Ashford, co-owner of Holiday in Austin, Texas, notes that gin tends to be a “love it or hate it” spirit among her guests. “It seems to be regaining popularity, particularly with Martini drinkers, but I think many guests still view gin as out of date,” she says. “It’s likely they’ve had a lot of lower quality gin or poorly made gin cocktails, but there are so many different gins on the market today that if everyone was able to sample every type, certainly everyone would find at least one they enjoyed in some application.”
Ricki Serapiglia, lead bartender at The Junto Attic Bar in Jersey City, New Jersey, also notes how polarizing gin can be among guests, but she’s up to the challenge. “Some guests love gin and some don’t— the ones that don’t typically had some bad experience way back in the day with their grandfather’s gin,” she says. “Those guests are my favorite, because I tell them, ‘Let me make you a gin cocktail to change your mind about it.’ Nine times out of ten they can’t believe the cocktail they’re drinking is in fact a gin cocktail.”
Jackie Rey, lead bartender at Stubborn Seed in Miami, speculates that gin has been slower to gain fans because it’s been overshadowed by other spirits like Tequila and mezcal. “Or possibly consumers are just intimidated,” she adds. “It’s up to us as gin enthusiasts to educate and show them the beautiful potential it has.”
Go-To Serves
Ashford believes gin is poised to earn more fans in the coming years for myriad reasons. “The price point is so accessible, the market is vast with offerings, and the Martini craze should certainly help move some bottles and change young drinkers’ minds about gin,” she says. “Consumers should be excited to drink and discover new gins. Gin is classy; it’s timeless.” Her 87 Club Martini ($17) features Hayman’s Old Tom gin, Martini & Rossi Riserva Ambrato vermouth, Kástra Elión vodka, Regans’ No. 6 Orange bitters, and saline. “Anything light, floral, easy-drinking, and refreshing works with gin—it’s a classic spirit in drinks like Gin and Tonics, Martinis, and simple Sours for this reason.” Her Modern Romance ($14) blends equal parts Genius Highborn Texas Dry gin, Cocchi Rosa aperitif, and grapefruit juice, plus lemon juice, simple syrup, and Peychaud’s bitters, topped with Rambler sparkling water.
Patricia Verdesoto, bar director at Bar Bonobo in New York City, notes that gin has become one of the bar’s more popular spirits over the last few years. “Surprisingly, the classic gin Martini has risen in popularity to beat out its vodka Martini counterpart,” she says. “I think people are more curious about gin and willing to branch out; with that and a gentle nudge, guests are open to trying what we offer them especially when it comes to Martinis—Vespers in particular have made a big comeback.” Former beverage director Gelo Honrade’s Bonobo Martini ($20) is a Vesper variation comprising Beefeater gin, Absolut vodka, Lillet Blanc aperitif, Grand Marnier orange liqueur, and Fee Brothers Orange bitters.
Irvin Rivas, bartender at Mothership in Cambridge, Massachusetts, points out that given gin’s history in pre-Prohibition cocktails, it will always be an important part of any bar program. “Since cocktails have come back, so have the classics, so, naturally, gin now has a spotlight, with styles like gin sours and even flips increasing in popularity and finding homes in many bars,” he says. His Morning Frost ($15) is a sour-style drink mixing Four Corners gin, Giffard crème de cacao liqueur, house-made cranberry spice syrup, lemon juice, and egg white.
As its name suggests, the San Diego bar Prohibition is a 1920s-inspired speakeasy and gin has a major place on the cocktail menu. “At our bar, we’re regularly educating guests about gin’s unique qualities, and we’ve noticed increased interest in it,” says Ryan Andrews, Prohibition’s lead bartender and beverage director for GBOD Hospitality Group, which owns the bar. “We carry more than 80 types of gin and frequently rotate in new options, keeping guests engaged and curious about the spirit—and I’m actually launching my own gin brand, Prohibition gin, this year.” Andrews’ gin-based cocktails at Prohibition range from Prohibition-era classics like the Army Navy ($18), featuring Monkey 47 gin, house-made orgeat, lemon juice, and R&D Sarsaparilla bitters, to his original Breakfast in Barca ($18), blending Bombay Dry gin, grapefruit and lemon juices, honey, house-made raspberry syrup, and soda water.
Stubborn Seed’s Rey notes that gin is a natural pair with herbaceous flavors. “Herbs like dill or rosemary, and ingredients such as cucumbers, rose, or lavender all work perfectly to compliment the botanical profiles found in gin,” she says. “Depending on the brand you use, gin provides that extra spice to help balance the cocktail.” Her Kill Dill ($21) comprises Gray Whale gin, Dolin Génépy le Chamois liqueur, house-made dill syrup and Fresno pepper tincture, cucumber and lime juices, and egg white.
“Gin has always worked well with herbal and floral flavors; for example, the cucumber in the Eastside, or the crème de violette in an Aviation,” says Diamond Harris, bartender at Gatsby’s Cocktail Lounge at Resorts World Las Vegas. Nathan Dobbins, mixologist at the venue, adds that gin cocktails should complement the botanicals found in the spirit. “Gin master distillers work hard to perfect their spirits, so with that in mind, it’s best to let the botanicals do the hard work and create cocktails that are fresh and clean, letting the natural intricacies of the gin shine through without overwhelming its essence.” The bar’s Lavender Lotus ($21) mixes Tanqueray No. Ten gin, Dolin Dry vermouth, Giffard Crème de Violette liqueur, Dress The Drink lavender syrup, lime juice, and egg white.
Similarly floral, Rey’s La Vie En Rose ($21) at Stubborn Seed features Atian Rose gin, Lillet Rose aperitif, house-made rooibos rose syrup, and lemon juice, topped with rose petal dust and house-made floral candy. “Regarding a classic Martini, I almost always use a London Dry gin, but with the cocktail game growing I find myself constantly searching for new contemporary gins that will work well with the flavor profile I’m trying to achieve,” Rey notes. “For example, Atian is a rose gin made from botanicals in South Africa that recently came to my attention. The floral aspect of this gin works beautifully with crisp citrus notes.”
Take It Up A Notch
Rey adds that gin is a fun spirit to make cocktails with because of its wide range and versatility. “Since gin is essentially a neutral spirit that’s been flavored with botanicals, it gives bartenders a lot of room to experiment, making it feel like an ever-evolving spirit with endless opportunities for innovation,” she says.
The Junto Attic Bar’s Serapiglia notes that gin-based cocktails have evolved just as gin itself has. “Craft gins in particular have a unique array of herbs, botanicals, citrus, and fruit elements that allow bartenders to be super creative—there’s pretty much a gin for every flavor profile imaginable,” she says. “I do a lot of off-the-cuff, ‘dealer’s choice’ cocktails and gin is a versatile choice, ranging from the always great herbaceous, light, and refreshing cocktail to a more out-of-the box drink with a spicy, sweet, and robust twist.” Her Common Sense ($16) features All Points West Cathouse Pink Pepper gin, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto bergamot liqueur, Giffard Crème de Fraise des Bois wild strawberry liqueur, St. George Aqua Perfecta Basil eau de vie, house-made chamomile tea syrup, and lemon juice, while her Rearview Mirror ($16) blends Brooklyn gin, Green Chartreuse liqueur, Pierre Ferrand Yuzu Dry Curaçao, El Guapo Gumbo bitters, house-made chamomile tea syrup, and lime juice. “I like using Brooklyn gin—they hand cut fresh citrus during the distilling process, which creates vibrant citrus notes throughout the gin’s profile,” Serapiglia adds. “They also hand crush their juniper berries, which releases a subtle sweet and spicy taste as well. It’s very flavorful and pairs well with any cocktail style.”
Prohibition’s Andrews also notes the increasing creativity of gin distillers. “With the boom of craft distilleries in every major market, you’re seeing a lot of unique and interesting ingredients being used,” he says. “This trend is particularly prominent in Mexico, where many distilleries incorporate authentic Mexican ingredients into their gin blends.” At Panamericano Bar in Miami, the Mexican Word ($21) by bar manager and mixologist Aistis Zidanavicius mixes several Mexican spirits, including Acrónimo gin, Xtabentún liqueur, Nixta Licor de Elote corn liqueur, and Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, plus lime juice.
“Cocktails in general have begun to incorporate more complexity in their ingredients than ever before—it’s no longer about how many ingredients or how fresh a fruit is, but rather how the base spirit plays along with the other cocktail ingredients,” says Mothership’s Rivas. “For example, Four Corners gin allows an everyday Tom Collins a chance to be subtly bright, balanced, and fruit-forward because the gin has a complexity that collaborates differently with the other ingredients. This is what gin cocktails look for today: a difference in deliverance that really highlights what the spirit can do to the classic or modern cocktail.” His Elixir of Love ($14) comprises rose-infused Four Corners, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, Cocchi Americano aperitif, lemon juice, and house-made rose syrup, topped with sparkling water. “With all these new brands making waves in the market, people are seeking gin in different formats,” Rivas adds. “People trust gin more and see it as a legitimate part of the cocktail world and not just something you drink with tonic or juice.”
Mark McNeely, beverage manager at Costa in Charleston, South Carolina, is seeing a rise in “gin-curious” guests. “They know the standards but want to try some of the less popular styles like Drumshambo, Roku, and our new Costa gin,” he says, referring to the gin the restaurant created in collaboration with Charleston Distilling Co. “I don’t think there’s just one reason behind gin’s growth: I think it was helped by the rise of whisk(e)y makers, which led to those distilleries making gin to have more product. This has created a ton of profiles that has helped show that gin can be more than just a juniper bomb.”
Costa lead bartender Chris Carron’s Amalfitano ($18) mixes Costa gin, lavender-infused Luxardo Bitter Bianco liqueur, John D. Taylor’s velvet falernum, house-made grapefruit cordial, and lemon juice. “From citrus-forward, shaken cocktails like a Gimlet or Last Word to boozy and even savory cocktails like a Martini or Gibson, it’s really difficult to find a cocktail style where gin would be out of place,” Carron says. “I’ve never heard of a gin-based Old Fashioned, but I’m sure there’s a delicious one out there.” Indeed, there is: At Fringe Bar in Philadelphia, co-owner and general manager Liz Boleslavsky’s Hayman’s Old Tom Gin Old Fashioned ($14) comprises Hayman’s Old Tom gin, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, and lemon and orange zest.
Carron adds that one of his favorite gins right now is Nikka. “It’s a really well-made product with a cool flavor profile, including a lot of interesting Japanese citrus like yuzu and amanatsu, as well as green apple, and it still has a strong juniper backbone,” he says. “If you throw it in a citrus-based cocktail, all those other citrus notes in the gin really jump out at you.” His Cardi P ($18) features equal parts Nikka gin and Caravedo Pisco, plus Montenegro amaro, fresh green apple and lemon juices, house-made cardamom syrup, and honey syrup.
“In recent years, we’ve noticed that bartenders are playing more with the flavors of gin, showcasing its versatility through various techniques, such as split-basing, where you incorporate other spirits or liqueurs to split the main base spirit, offering new and innovative ways to incorporate gin,” notes Dobbins of Gatsby’s Cocktail Lounge. Bar Bonobo’s Verdesoto also notes this trend. “Now that people are exploring different gin options in cocktails, my prediction is that we’ll start seeing more split-based cocktails with gin in the future,” she says.
At Bar Bonobo, Honrade’s The Chelsea ($19) splits the base between Beefeater gin and Barstool Pisco and also features house-made strawberry and rhubarb syrup, lemon juice, strawberry purée, and Ms. Better’s Bitters Miraculous Foamer. Meanwhile at Wilder in Philadelphia, beverage director Tom Brander’s Kimono Racer ($15) blends equal parts Askur gin and Oka yuzu liqueur, plus house-made balsamic syrup and lemon juice. “Gin is a unique spirit because it can be the star of the show or play a supporting role in any cocktail,” Verdesoto adds. “Whether it’s a drier London gin or a more floral, juniper-forward gin, it’s very dynamic to work with.”
The Junto Attic Bar’s Serapiglia hopes that gin cocktails continue to get more experimental. “It really is a limitless pool to swim in; I would like to see the trends for gin cocktails go in a variety of directions,” she says. “Personally, I’m looking forward to trying my hand at something tropical and tiki-inspired with gin.” At Prohibition, Andrews’ Boats and Hoes ($18) features Bombay Dry gin alongside ingredients most commonly associated with classic tiki drinks, including John D. Taylor’s velvet falernum, Giffard Crème de Fruit de la Passion passionfruit liqueur, and lime juice, topped with soda water. “Gin’s versatility is something I’ve always appreciated—it’s never a one-note spirit,” Andrews says. “Unlike aged spirits, which can lose nuance when mixed, gin retains its complexity and adds depth to cocktails.”
