What a year 2019 was for gin! Here at Craft Gin Club, we taste 100’s of gins each year, narrowing down the best of the best to just 12 gins that go on to feature as our Gin of the Month.
From the deep jungle depths of the Amazon to the Scottish Highlands, and all the way to the beaches Down Under, we've unearthed incredible craft gins from near and far to wow our members. With botanicals ranging from oolong tea to London harvested honey, wormwood to Cambridge grown lemon verbena, and even a 300 year old recipe, it's been a year of exciting discovery!
The UK's finest
We’re proud to support some of the UK’s most wonderful, talented craft distillers - and to share their incredible gins with the wider audience they deserve. Here are some of the homegrown treasures we were excited to feature in 2019 - most of which were first released exclusively to our members.
One Apple and Sage Gin
This brand new special edition was first released exclusively to Craft Gin Club members in March. What’s more, proceeds from every bottle of One Gin go to support the One Foundations mission to create a world in which everyone has access to safe clean water.
Taste: Smooth and aromatic with notes of orchard-fresh russet apple and fresh, herbal English sage.
Perfect G&T: Lixir Rhubarb and Ginger Tonic and a lemon slice garnish.
Cocktail: The long, cooling Spring Cobbler showcases the gin’s flavours perfectly.
What our members said: “A proper feel-good gin - we always feel good when drinking gin, but it’s even better to know that by drinking this gin we’re doing good too!”
Where can I buy it?: Available now on our Members’ Store.
Nelson’s Gluggle Jug Gin
Our very own co-founder, Jon, and Dragon’s Den investor, Sarah Willingham, travelled to their native Stoke-on-Trent to help create June’s Gin Of the Month with Nelson’s Distillery. It’s no surprise that this gorgeously summery gin was named Gin of the Year 2019 in our Big Gin Awards.
Taste: Smooth, balanced and deeply refreshing. Notes of sweet and sour citrus and hibiscus combine with the gentle warmth of green cardamom and pink peppercorns.
Perfect G&T: Folkington’s English Garden Tonic Water, and orange and cucumber slices to garnish.
Cocktail: The sparkling, berrylicious Bakewell Flute is a perfectly pink showcase for this fruity gin.
What our members said: “It’s a very lovely, fruity but delicate gin - perfect for those long summer evenings, sipping (or gulping, hic!) in the sun!”
Where can I buy it?: Pick up a bottle - or a 1.5 litre refill pouch! - on our Members’ Store.
Theodore Pictish Gin
Craft Gin Club members were the first in the UK to try Greenwood Distiller’s first release in July. Inspired by the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands, this delicately coloured gin looks as beautiful as it tastes.
Taste: Floral and woody with notes of damask rose, oolong tea and chamomile harmonising with juniper.
Perfect G&T: Fentiman’s Pink Rhubarb Tonic, garnished with dried grapefruit slices.
Cocktail: The tangy Blackberry Sour is a real taste of the wild Scottish outdoors.
What our members said: “It was my favourite gin I’ve received from Craft Gin Club so far, It’s a peerless gin in my humble opinion.”
Where can I buy it?: Available now on our Members’ Store.
Wessex Alfred the Great Gin
In September, our members were treated to Wessex Distillery’s flagship gin, distilled in the heart of the historic kingdom of Wessex and inspired by the flavours of Anglo-Saxon England. The gorgeous green bottle was as much of a hit as the lovely liquid itself!
Taste: Clean, crisp and classic, juniper is complemented by historic botanicals such chervil, with its faint flavour of aniseed. A bright burst of citrus at the finish.
Perfect G&T: Peter Spanton Lemongrass Tonic and an apple and juniper garnish.
Cocktail: Try one of these four delicious concoctions, all of which show this gin off at its best.
What our members said: “All I can say is MORE please. I’ve never tasted such a beautiful mellow-flavoured gin before.”
Where can I buy it?: Members can pick up a bottle on our Members’ Store.
The gins from around the world (that you probably haven't tried)
Every year, we take our members of a wonderful ginny adventure around some of the world’s best gins - and 2019 was no exception. Covering four different continents, this bunch of globetrotting gins are definitely worth travelling for!
La Republica Amazonica Gin
From Bolivia
In January, we kicked off 2019 with what was perhaps our most exotic gin to date! This very special tipple is made using botanicals sourced from the Amazon rainforest - and we imported it just for our members.
Taste: Elegant and smooth, this gin is rich with fresh hervs, toasty notes and a strong backbone of juniper. Fruit lingers on the finish, blending with exotic spices and earthy undertones.
Perfect G&T: 1724 tonic water and slices of chilli to garnish - or orange slices and lime zest if you don’t like spice!
Cocktail: The fruity El Dorado combines this gin’s exotic flavour with passion fruit, lime and orange.
What our members said: “It is the best gin I have ever tasted. Such interesting flavours – a hint of toffee apple along with an assortment of botanicals has made this gin very special.”
Where can I buy it?: Still not widely available in the UK, luckily our members can pick up a bottle (or two!) in our Members’ Store.
NAUD Gin
From France
Created by a French family who have been making Cognac for five generations, this beautiful, elegant gin brought a touch of ‘ooo, la la!’ to our members in February.
Taste: Scents of lime and freshly picked flowers, with citrus, menthol and the spice of cinnamon, cubeb and cardamom on the palate. The pine of juniper is followed by delicate bergamot.
Perfect G&T: Merchant’s Heart Classic tonic and a rose petal garnish. Add a slice of lime for extra zing.
Cocktail: The blushing pink Heart of Two Rivers showcases this gin’s floral notes beautifully.
What our members said: “My favourite by miles, but I made the mistake of sharing and now need to buy another!”
Where can I buy it: Club members can pick up this beautiful bottle on our Members’ Store.
Romeo’s Gin
From Canada
Craft Gin Club specially imported four limited-edition bottle designs of this refreshing gin in May, just for our members. Featuring the work of Montreal artists, they are still not available for purchase in the UK.
Taste: Juniper plays an elegant accompaniment to the exuberantly fresh flavours of cucumber, lemon and dill. Almond smooths and rounds while the faintest hint of lavender evokes fields of flowers in bloom.
Perfect G&T: Artisan Violet Blossom tonic and a lime and pink peppercorn garnish.
Cocktail: Delicious - and easy to make - the Masterpiece shows off this art-inspired gin perfectly.
What our members said: “A beautiful-tasting gin! I love the story behind it and the bottle is now a lamp in my home.”
Where can I buy it?: With very limited UK availability, it’s a good job members can grab some on our Members’ Store.
Gin 1689
From Holland
This Amsterdam-distilled gin, is inspired by the illustrious history of gin itself, looking back to the time when Dutch king William of Orange brought gin to the UK, and using a 300-year-old recipe.
Taste: Juniper-forward, with an attractive floral, citrusy aroma on the nose. Floral flavours are balanced by good piney juniper and nutty notes, alongside subtle spices of cloves, nutmeg and aniseed.
Perfect G&T: Double Dutch Cranberry & Ginger Tonic with orange slices and cloves, to garnish.
Cocktail: This classic Hanky Panky is a great match for this gin’s citrus and aniseed notes.
What our members said: “My only feedback is how quickly it ‘evaporated’ ;) One day I had a full bottle, the next it was empty!”
Where can I buy it?: Available to buy in our Members’ Store.
The extra-exclusive ones
While many of the gins we send our members are exclusive when we send them out - whether they’re brand new launches or exclusive imports - there are some that will stay that way forever. Here are the gins of 2019 that will always be for our members’ lips only!
Dodd’s Gin Craft Gin Club Limited Edition
April’s Gin of the Month was made just for our members in Bermondsey by the amazing team at Dodd’s. This edition added jasmine green tea to Dodd’s classic base of juniper and London honey to create a gin perfect for spring.
Taste: Floral notes of jasmine green tea are heightened by heather honey, which gives flavour and mouthful. Raspberry leaf, bay leaf and angelica root combine to provide a balanced finish.
Perfect G&T: London Essence Company Pomelo & Pink Pepper tonic, and a lavender and lemon peel garnish.
Cocktail: The Bumblebee combines the gin’s floral notes with a zing of honey and lemon.
What our members said: “We loved the gin this month. Not only did it taste great, but it was a gorgeous (and different) bottle to add to my gin shelf!”
Where can I buy it?: This limited edition is now sold out for good - but you can still grab a bottle of Dodd’s equally delicious regular edition on our Members’ Store.
Cambridge Gin Lemon & Verbena Limited Edition
Crafted by one of the world’s most innovative distilleries exclusively for our members in November, this elegant gin unusually contains no citrus - instead achieving a lemony hit with the use of locally picked lemon verbena.
Taste: Sunny and citrus-forward, with the roundness of rosemary on the mid-palate followed by a lingering juniper finish.
Perfect G&T: Cambridge Distillery Lemon Verbena Tonic and pear slices to garnish.
Cocktail: The Moment of Genius pairs the gin’s herbal notes with zingy limoncello.
What our members said: “The gin was outstanding, delicate, fresh and crisp, and mixed with limoncello I was transported straight back to Sorrento.”
Where can I buy it?: Available for Craft Gin Club members only on our Members’ Store, while stocks last.
Copperfield Gin ‘A Christmas Carol’ Edition
There ain’t no Christmas like a Craft Gin Club Christmas - and in December, our members were treated to a fantastically festive exclusive gin from Surrey Copper Distillery. Inspired by a classic Dickens tale, it was the perfect end to a wonderful year.
Taste: A unique gin, rich with wintry spices but still well-balanced and rounded. The perfect, warming festive tipple.
Mix it with: Merchant’s Heart Hibiscus Tonic and a dried orange and cranberry garnish.
Cocktail: Conjure up some festive sparkle with a Cratchit’s Christmas Fizz.
What our members said: “Copperfield gin is like Christmas in a glass.”
Where can I buy it: Available for members-only as part of some brilliant bundles on the Members’ Store - while stocks last.
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