Drinking & Serving Gin | Top Tips & Best Advice

Gin is an incredibly versatile spirit, with various types, aromas and flavour combinations.

In this guide, we’ll summarise everything you should know about drinking, serving and enjoying gin, including tasting tips and how to unlock complex flavours.

How to Serve Gin: A Step-by-Step Guide

Due to its incredible versatility, how you serve gin can transform the overall drinking experience, unlocking new flavours and exciting characteristics. Some of the best ways include drinking it neat, over ice, with tonic water, or mixed into a refreshing cocktail.

To serve gin, consider the following:

●       Select Your Gin Type - e.g. London Dry, Old Tom, Flavoured.

●       Choose the Right Glass - Copa, Highball, Tumbler, Martini.

●       Neat vs Over Ice vs Mixed - For a slower sip and a softer edge, add large ice cubes for a refreshing taste.

●       Shaking vs Stirring - Shake gin cocktails that feature other ingredients like fresh fruit juice, syrup, or egg white. Stir spirit-focused gin cocktails like Martinis or Negronis.

●       Add a Matching Garnish - Focus on one element of your gin and complement accordingly. For example, citrusy gins may benefit from a twist of lemon, a grapefruit slice or zest.

For more information, read our guide on how to serve gin and common mistakes to avoid here.

To get the most out of our London Dry gin, we recommend a classic G&T. Measure 50ml of Cotswolds Dry Gin into a large Copa glass with ice, top with premium tonic water, and garnish with a slice of pink grapefruit.

Shop our Cotswolds Dry Gin here.

Drinking Gin Neat

A good quality gin shines when sipped neat, particularly a traditional London Dry style. This means serving the versatile spirit completely on its own: without tonic, a mixer, ice or a garnish.

Perfect for slow sipping and truly appreciating its premium taste, gin is often poured in small portions to highlight its complex botanicals and texture. Gin is best served neat when you want to experience its full botanical character without dilution or interference from other flavours.

Consider drinking gin neat...

●       When sampling a new gin bottle

●       Before deciding which gin mixer to add

●       As a slow after-dinner treat

●       When comparing different gin styles

●       During a guided gin tasting experience

Drinking gin offers many benefits and is a great way to fully experience the spirit's versatile flavour profile. Enjoy the crispness of the juniper whilst appreciating the different botanicals specific to that bottle.

You may want to consider drinking gin neat to experience it without the bitterness or sweetness of mixers like tonic water, lemonade, or soda water. It allows you to notice the gin's texture and finish, helping you identify the dominating botanicals– whether this is the citrus fruits, floral, herbal, earthy or spicy notes.

Our Cotswolds Dry Gin is a great choice for drinking neat. With a high concentration of carefully selected botanicals, this expression allows experienced drinkers to truly appreciate the additional flavours when sipping neat. Make sure to start small (15-25ml), serve at room temperature, and consider adding a few water droplets or tonic to unlock new flavours.

For more information, read our full guide to drinking gin neat here.

What is the Best Glassware for Gin?

There is no single glass choice for gin. It all depends on the type of gin served, how you plan to drink it, and any additional garnishes or ice. The shape, size and material of a gin glass can impact how aromas are concentrated and enjoyed.

Here are some of the most popular types of glassware for gin:

Glass	Key Features	Best for
Copa de Balon (Copa Glass)	Rounded, wide bowl Allows for plenty of ice and garnish Long stem to prevent warm hand exposure	Gin and Tonic (G&T) Aromatic gins Serving with lots of garnishes
Highball Glass	Slim shape helps retain carbonation in gin mixes Easy to hold Perfect for lighter, taller drinks	Long gin drinks, Tom Collins cocktail Refreshing mixed serves
Martini Glass	Iconic V-shaped design Adds sophistication and elevates an elegant feel Wide surface releases aromas	Gin Martinis Short, chilled cocktails without ice
Champagne Flute	Tall, narrow design helps preserve bubbles Creates an elegant appearance for more formal parties	Celebratory serves Gin topped with prosecco or champagne Sparkling gin cocktails like the French 75
Tumbler or Rocks Glass	Short, thick bases provide weight and durability Helps slowly release aromas	Neat gin On the rocks Short cocktails like the Negroni

To select the right glassware, focus on the shape, size, and material. These key features can impact the overall aroma and flavour of gin, as well as how much ice and garnish can be added.

Discover more about choosing the best glassware for gin, top tips for holding a glass and more advice with our expert guide here.

Ultimate Gin Tasting Guide

To truly appreciate the gin's character and overall taste, you can follow a simple structure.

Make sure to try the spirit in a well-lit room to see its colour, and serve around 15-25ml of each gin. You don't need to overdo the amount, as you may be testing a number of different gins and styles. Consider this format:

1)     Look at the gin - examine its colour, clarity and viscosity (“legs”).

2)     Smell it - take short, gentle sniffs to try and identify different aromas, including juniper berries, citrus, floral and herbal.

3)     Taste it neat - helps the palate adjust to the alcohol to see which flavours overpower. Try to notice the texture.

4)     Add a few drops of water and taste it - discover how the flavour changes and if any other botanicals are brought forward.

5)     Try it with a tonic - same again, make sure to choose a neutral tonic that is not too strong, such as an Indian Tonic Water.

6)     Record how the flavours change - consider using a notebook to record the different gin styles, flavours and thoughts.

For more information, read our expert guide to tasting gin here.

For your next tasting session, consider trying gins that differ in their base, flavours and overall aromas. This Miniature Trio Gin Set from Cotswolds Distillery features three standout styles, to truly appreciate this versatile spirit.

●      Cotswolds Dry Gin - crisp, juniper-forward London Dry gin

●      Cotswolds Old Tom Gin - sweeter Old Tom style gin

Cotswolds Hedgerow Gin - our take on the Sloe Gin, combining Cotswolds Dry Gin with the finest handpicked local fruit and berries

Shop the Miniature Cotswolds Distillery Gin Trio Set.

Top Tips for Home Tasting Gin

To truly appreciate what gin has to offer, you can compare styles from the comfort of your home. Home gin tasting gives you a clear way to compare different gins without rushing.

Rather than venturing elsewhere, create a cosy, enjoyable atmosphere from your home. Select between 2 and 4 gins to try, and invite your friends or family to make it an event. Consider hosting your own gin tasting experience:

●        Impressing friends and family

●        Housewarming parties

●        As a fun date night activity

●        If you’re interested in learning more about the history of gin

What to read next

How to Serve Gin

Drinking Gin Neat

Best Glassware for Gin

Tasting Gin Guide