Gin cocktails

What makes gin gin

Gin is a spirit flavoured with juniper berries and other botanicals such as coriander seed, citrus peel, angelica root and orris. In the European Union juniper must be the predominant flavour and the minimum strength is 37.5 percent. Its history runs from Dutch genever through the gin craze of eighteenth-century London to the dry styles that shaped the classic cocktail era.

The main styles

• London dry gin: a production method, not a place. Botanicals are distilled in, afterwards only water and a tiny amount of sugar may be added. Crisp, juniper-led and the most common choice for cocktails.
• Plymouth gin: a gin from Plymouth in England, slightly softer and earthier.
• Old Tom gin: a lightly sweetened style popular in the nineteenth century, good in a Tom Collins or a Martinez.
• Contemporary gins: many modern gins lead with citrus, floral or herbal notes, with juniper in the background.
• Genever: the Dutch and Belgian ancestor, malty and closer to a light whisky.

Choosing a bottle

For most recipes a classic London dry gin at 40 to 47 percent works best. Higher strength stands up well to dilution in stirred drinks and to tonic in highballs. Keep a softer, more floral gin for Gin and Tonics or light sours where its aromatics can show.

Typical ratios

A Gin and Tonic uses about 50 ml gin with 100 to 150 ml tonic. A Negroni is 30 ml each of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. A dry Martini is commonly 60 ml gin with 10 to 15 ml dry vermouth, stirred until very cold.