With so many different types of gin out there and even more fabulous cocktail recipes and garnishes, finding the right gin for the right cocktail or garnish can be quite a task, even if you are just wanting to make a simple G&T. That’s why we have put together this easy-to-use guide to pairing gin with the flavours and ingredients you might have to hand.
For each general type of gin, we have selected a loose range of flavours that you can use as a framework to experiment within.
With this fun guide, you’ll never have to ask what to pair your gin with again!
Which flavours work best with London Dry gins?
Gins known as “London Dry” are typically juniper-forward, with subtler touches of citrus, herb and spice flavours. That rich, deep, complex flavour profile works wonderfully with sweet, tart, bright and juicy flavours that usually come from fruits and berries.
So, when looking for a garnish for your classic London Dry G&T, the usual recommendation would be citrus fruit like lemon or orange.
Why stick to the same boring suggestions though? We love to mix it up with berries like strawberries, raspberries or blackberries; other citrus fruit like grapefruit, lime and blood orange; and even more unusual fruits that you might not think to add to a G&T, like grapes, pear, fig and apricot - there are no wrong answers!
When it comes to cocktails, the scope of flavours gets even wider as we take into account more savoury flavour profiles. London Dry gins work fabulously well with tomatoes in a Red Snapper, for example, or with olives in a Dirty Martini. For sweeter profiles, the list of fruity gin cocktails is almost endless but why not give a Clover Club a go. Full of raspberry flavours, it’s the perfect cocktail recipe for a London Dry gin.
A Dirty Martini mixes gin, vermouth and olives. Click on the image to find the full recipe!
A Clover Club tastes as beautiful as it looks! Just click on the image to find out how to make one for yourself.
When working with a gin that’s London Dry, just think berries and fruit and you will never go wrong!
Which flavours work best with fruity and floral gins?
When it comes to fruity and floral gins like Wessex Saxon Garden Gin or Marie Jeanne’s Pink Gin, we think fragrant and flowery flavours work best. The likes of lavender, rose, jasmine and vanilla are perfect for pulling out the floral and fruity notes of the gin.
If you have a particularly fruity gin that you’ve been waiting to experiment with, why not give it a go with jasmine-flavoured tonic waters like London Essence White Peach & Jasmine and a garnish of lavender sprigs? For a G&T made with a more floral gin, try garnishing with edible rose leaves for a truly delicious drinking experience.
If cocktails are more your thing, give your floral gin a go in a classic Aviation cocktail where it will be complemented by the flowery flavours of Créme de Violette. A fruitier gin would then be wonderful in a Vanilla Milk Punch or a Vanilla Gin Sour.
Find out how to mix up a classic Aviation by clicking on the image!
Click on the image to find the recipe for our Vanilla Milk Punch!
Which flavours work best with citrus-forward gins?
With citrus-forward gins, we love to get herbaceous! Be it with woody herbs like thyme and rosemary or soft green herbs like mint and basil, the citrusy flavours in gins like Ludlow Triple Citrus and Pomegranate Gin No. 2 and Fox’s Kiln Distillery Blood Orange Gin are the perfect match for herby flavours.
This means that when making a G&T with a citrus-forward gin we usually go for tonic waters that are more on the herbaceous side (like Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water) and we love to garnish with rosemary, thyme, marjoram or even oregano depending on our preference at the time. You can really get creative with it though - why not give tarragon a go in your G&T for a touch of fragrant, aniseed-esque flavour?
Citrus-forward gins are great for cocktails that have a herbaceous leaning, like our Basil & Raspberry Smash or our Rosemary & Thyme Collins. Both are fantastic ways to enjoy citrus-led gins!
Click on the image to discover our fabulous Basil & Raspberry Smash recipe!
Just click on the picture to find our scrumptious Rosemary & Thyme Collins recipe!
Which flavours work best with spiced gins?
Often warm and full of deliciously deep, dark tones, spiced gins can run along that fine line between savoury and sweet with the greatest of ease - just try Spiced Cuckoo Gin or Four Pillar Spiced Negroni Gin and you will know what we mean.
It’s for this reason that they work brilliantly with both savoury and sweet flavours as well as those flavours that also work for both, like honey and chocolate, which are often used for both savoury and sweet dishes.
Try spiced gin in a G&T with savoury herbs like bay and thyme and you will not be disappointed. Try spiced gin in a G&T with sweet blueberries and you will be equally delighted.
Cocktails are where spiced gins really come into their own though, their versatility is remarkable! Try spiced gin in a Filthy Martini, which is garnished with capers and your taste buds will certainly thank you. Spiced gins are also perfect for our boozy Double Chocolate & Gin Milkshake or a Bee’s Knees for something full of honey and spice and all things nice. And, of course, those spiced tones are always welcome in a Negroni!
This is one luxurious milkshake, find the recipe by clicking on the image!
For our classic Negroni recipe, just click on the pic!
Once you have found your favourite pairings, you’ll need to know how to garnish your gin drinks like a pro. To find our guide to garnishing, just click this link or on the image below!
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