How to Choose the Best Gin | Best Flavours, Styles & Bottles at Cotswolds Distillery
Choosing the best gin comes down to understanding flavour, style, and how you plan to enjoy it.
In this guide, we will explain how to choose the best gin for the ultimate drinking experience, including the top gin bottles at the Cotswolds Distillery, when to consider them, and the best drinking practices.
- What is the Best British Gin?
- Should You Choose Alcohol-free Gin Over Alcoholic Alternatives?
- What is the Best Flavoured Gin?
- Choosing the Best Gin Gift Sets
- Choosing the Best Gin for Your Favourite Cocktail
- How to Choose a Quality Gin
Discover what makes a British gin unique, and the best British gins at Cotswolds Distillery.
Learn the features of low alcohol gin, and the benefits of Cotswolds Dry Gin Essence.
Browse the most popular flavours of gin.
Discover how to pick the best gin for gifting.
Learn the most popular gin cocktails, and which gin to include.
Discover more about the three key qualities of a gin: flavours, distillation method, and ingredient quality.[
What is the Best British Gin?
British distillers offer some of the most distinctive flavours in the gin market, using local, heritage ingredients that tell a regional story. There is no single style of British gin, and different bottles offer complex notes and a juniper-forward flavour profile. Some of the most popular gin styles include:
● London Dry: the most famous British gin style, known for its crisp, clean juniper-led flavours and perfect in classic cocktails.
● Old Tom: delivers richer, sweeter and rounder flavours, and perfect in vintage cocktails, like a Tom Collins.
● Flavoured: offers versatility for all types of gin drinkers, particularly those new to the spirit. Popular flavours include pink gin, berries, citrus fruits, and florals.
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Our Recommended British Gin: Cotswolds Dry Gin |
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● Flavour Profile: Citrus, spice and floral
● Key Botanicals: Juniper berries, cardamom seed, black peppercorn, freshly peeled pink grapefruit, bay leaves and locally sourced Snowshill lavender
● Perfect for: Newcomers to gin and lovers of a classic cloudy G&T |
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Should You Choose Low Alcohol Gin Over Alcoholic Alternatives?
The beauty of lower alcohol gins is their versatility, making it perfect for any occasion. These allow you to enjoy a sophisticated cocktail without the high alcohol content, and are a fantastic choice for designated drivers* or mindful drinkers.
Alcohol-free gin usually contains no more than 0.5% ABV (Alcohol by Volume). On the other hand, reduced alcohol gin contains significantly less alcohol but retains much of that ‘gin’ flavour.
At the Cotswolds Distillery, we craft drinks for every lifestyle and occasion, including our Dry Gin Essence, which is a low alcohol gin. Made with ten times the botanical concentration of our signature Dry Gin, the low-alcohol Cotswolds Dry Gin Essence has all the flavours of a classic gin with 90% less alcohol.
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Our Lower Alcoholic Alternative: Cotswolds Dry Gin Essence
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● Flavour Profile: zesty, herbal & deliciously refreshing
● Key Botanicals: juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, local Cotswolds lavender, black peppercorn and cardamom
● Perfect for: a light and refreshing classic G&T |
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*Designated drivers should be mindful when drinking low-alcohol gin – each serving of Cotswolds Distillery Gin Essence contains 0.23 units of alcohol.
Thinking about a lighter, lower alcoholic option? Read our guide to choosing the best low-alcohol gin here.[2]
What is the Best Flavoured Gin?
The "best" flavour of gin really comes down to personal preference, but some have become incredibly popular for their crowd-pleasing tastes.
Here are some of the most popular gin flavours:
● Citrus – Orange, lemon, grapefruit and lime
● Floral – Elderflower, lavender, chamomile and wildflowers
● Berry – Sloe, blackberry, raspberry and damson
● Herbal – Rosemary, mint, thyme, bay and Alpine botanicals
● Spiced – Cardamom, peppercorn, ginger and cinnamon
● Seasonal – Summer-inspired blends or autumnal hedgerow flavours
Shop our entire Wildflower Gin Collection to find the best flavoured gin.
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Our Flavoured Gin Pick: Cotswolds Distillery Wildflower Gin No.1 |
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● Flavour Profile: Fresh, fruity and zesty
● Key Botanicals: Cornflowers, lavender, rhubarb and angelica root
● Perfect for: Summer cocktails and floral gin spritz |
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Read more about the best gin flavours and how to enjoy flavoured gin here.[3]
Choosing the Best Gin for Your Favourite Cocktail
Gin is one of the most versatile spirits, especially when mixed into creative cocktails. Rather than overpowering the flavours, the juniper-forward gin enhances other ingredients in a harmonious blend.
Here are some of the most popular cocktails every gin lover must try:
● Martini – elegant and precise. Best made using Cotswolds Dry Gin.
● Tom Collins – smooth and zesty. Perfectly paired with Cotswolds Old Tom Gin.
● Negroni – bittersweet and complex. Made with Cotswolds Dry Gin.
● Bramble – fresh and fruit-forward. Deliciously made using Cotswolds Dry Gin or Cotswolds Hedgerow Gin.
Looking for the best gin for cocktails? Our award-winning Cotswolds Dry Gin promises refreshing results in your favourite gin cocktail recipes. A harmonious balance of nine carefully selected botanicals, including local lavender from the Cotswolds, it’s a juniper-led London Dry gin with fresh citrus and spice notes.
Adding ice or a tonic of your choice creates a beautiful pearlescent cloud, due to the high number of botanicals – perfect for crafting a cloudy G&T or even a Cloudy Martini.
Choosing the Best Gin for Gifting & Best Gin Gift Sets
A well-curated gift is the perfect way to let someone special feel loved. To find the best gin gift, start by considering your chosen recipient’s preferences. Do they enjoy a classic London Dry gin, known for its piney, juniper-forward flavour profile? Or are they more adventurous with their tastes and prefer unique floral, citrus or spicy notes? What about if they are new to the spirit?
The London Dry style is a benchmark for quality and is often appreciated by those who enjoy familiar, well-balanced flavours - incredibly versatile and great for traditional gin cocktails. On the other hand, craft gin offers a journey into unique and diverse flavour profiles, particularly beneficial for those who do not like the piney taste of London Dry.
At the Cotswolds Distillery, we curate gin sets for the ultimate gift to suit a range of tastes and preferences. Here are our top picks for the best gin gift sets:
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Combine classic gin styles with craft concoctions with the Cotswolds Miniature Gin Trio Gift Set |
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● Cotswolds Dry Gin ● Cotswolds Old Tom ● Cotswolds Hedgerow |
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Mix unique flavours with the Cotswolds Wildflower Gin Gift Set
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● No.1 Wildflower Gin ● No.2 Wildflower Gin ● No.3 Wildflower Gin |
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Discover more about the best gin for gifting, as well as how to further elevate the drinking experience with complementary accessories, with our guide here.
How to Choose a Quality Gin
To make a quality gin, there are three characteristics that work together to influence the gin’s overall character:
● Ingredient Quality – better ingredients produce cleaner, clearer and more natural flavours.
● Flavour Balance – the most important aspect of a quality gin. Well-balanced gins should have a consistent blend of juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol content.
● Distillation and Production Methods – how the gin is distilled can change the final taste. Column distillation often produces lighter and more neutral flavours, whereas traditional copper pot distillation ensures the aromatic botanicals shine through.
Cotswolds Distillery meticulously crafts premium whisky and gins using traditional copper stills. Our flagship Cotswolds Dry Gin is distilled in our traditional copper pot still named Dolly (after the iconic Parton).