New Citrus Forward Gins to Enjoy Now
Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin and Bayab African Palm & Pineapple gin
For gin lovers, it’s a great time to be alive. You can’t walk into a liquor store without facing a wall lined with dozens of bottles of gin. Global flavors are flying their flags through the distiller’s use of local botanicals. And in many cases, the classic piney flavor of gin’s main squeeze, juniper, is being tempered with lighter, brighter citrus flavors that take gin out of the parlor and onto the patio. This summer, for instance, Spearhead Spirits released their newest gin, Bayab African Palm & Pineapple, made by steeping 8 African botanicals, including oranges from South Africa, for 14 days to create a zesty fresh spirit. Victoria Distillers in British Columbia, Canada added Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon to their lineup.
"Gin is a truly global spirit,” says Simon Ford, Co-Founder of Fords Gin, adding "The ingredients that are used to make gin come from all over the world and you can make it practically anywhere. This leads to many gins that celebrate local flavors and is arguably why gin is one of the most exciting and interesting categories of spirits. It isn't restricted by geographical location but instead inspired by it. After juniper, the list of botanicals that a gin maker can use is endless leading to an extraordinary amount of flavor direction and opportunities for gin makers to explore. I love that producers all over the world are taking advantage of this as not only does it make the category more interesting, but it will help broaden the minds of the gin consumer."
We’ve picked a handful of fresh favorites for your upcoming gin explorations.
The Gardener gin
Launched with the blessings of co-founder Brad Pitt at the 2023 Cannes International Film Festival, this crisp, zesty gin from the French Riviera gets kissed with bitter bigarade oranges and pink grapefruit before its bottling in ocean blue glass. The notes include a pleasant juniper taste with light well balanced citruses and blackcurrants background. Crafted by Tom Nichol, the distiller behind Tanqueray 10, and co-founder Matthieu Perrin, from the esteemed Perrin winemaking family, this gin is also certified organic. It should find its way into many citrus-y gin and tonics. It should find its way into many citrus-y gin and tonics.
St George Valley Gin credit Jason Tinacci
Master Distiller Lance Winters and the team at Alameda CA’s renowned St. George Distillery chose to focus on fragrant Central Valley orange blossoms to add delicate and distinct floral notes, along with Valencia and the more bitter Seville orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, fresh dill and cilantro, and 17 other botanicals for this gorgeous 90 proof artisan botting. The St. George team recommends it in a Martini, Vesper, or Collins, and it notes that it also makes a sublime Ramos Gin Fizz.
Staple Gin
Rachael Ray called on Brian Facquet, Co-Founder of Do Good Spirits in the Catskills region of New York, to create her vision: a London Dry gin that’s an ode to the Empire State. The result? A terrific new craft gin that gives a rich, citrus-y vibe to any cocktail, but tastes great on the rocks to best show off its bergamot orange and Castelvetrano olive notes. Staple Gin won Double Gold in the 2024 NY International Spirits Competition.
Named for the Swedish word for “cure,” this Washington State London Dry from the “gin doctors” (owners Chef John Howie and Master Distiller Erik Liedholm) at Wildwood Spirits pairs a spirit made from local red winter wheat, plus Braeburn apples, Seville orange, and Douglas fir for a surprisingly delicate, rustic pour. Try it in a French 75 to enhance its refreshing yet classic PNW flavors, and to cure what ails you.
West End Gin photo credit Michael Devaney
Launched in July 2024 in the whiskey town of Louisville, KY, West End Gin, named for the West End of Louisville and honoring the region’s rich Black American heritage, offers nuanced layers of citrus flavors and aromas thanks to the addition of sweet and bitter orange peel, lemon and grapefruit peel, plus lemongrass and lemon verbena. Founders Dr. Dawn and Stacey Wade are marketing executives by day and will devote $1 for every bottle from this passion project sold to support community empowerment locally and nationally.
Granicera Perfil Cítrico gin
From Taller Astrafilia, a micro-distillery in Mexico City, comes this uniquely delicious gin that starts with a base of native heirloom corn alcohol from Chiapas. They add regional botanicals from small farms to the roster including lemon verbena and lemon balm to provide the gentle herbal and peppery citrus flavor. “Mexico is one of the countries with the highest biodiversity in the world,” says Raza Zaidi, Managing Partner of Back Alley Imports, who brings the spirit to the US. “Combine that with its amazing gastronomy and spirits know-how and it was just a matter of time before they applied these to making craft gin.”