It’s early August and there’s a lot more summer left to enjoy. Nobody should tell you otherwise. Summer isn’t over until the end of September so don’t let anyone cram any pumpkin spiced nonsense or other fall flavors down your throat just yet. There are still almost two whole months to revel in the fresh flavors of summer. Specifically botanical, herbal, and flavorful gins.
While we eagerly await the arrival of darker spirits and Oktoberfest beer season in the end of August and early September, we’re in no hurry to get there just yet. We’re going to enjoy fresh, floral, citrus-filled gin & tonics, gin gimlets, negronis, and a slew of other exciting cocktails.
To find the best gins to sip and mix with, we turned to our friendly neighborhood bar pros for help. We asked some well-known bartenders, beverage directors, and bar experts to tell us the freshest gins to finish summer on a strong note and they didn’t disappoint with their answers. Keep reading to see all of their botanical, herbal, juniper, and citrus-centric selections.
Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin
Evan Curtis, bartender at Aba in Chicago
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $69
The Gin:
Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin from Germany’s Black Forest is not to be missed. With 47 botanicals, it has a complex palate that has a bold juniper flavor that isn’t in your face.
Tasting Notes:
The citrus notes found in it make for a wonderfully crisp and refreshing summer cocktail.
Greenhook GinSmiths American Dry Gin
Dana Lachenmayer, head Bartender at The Wesley in New York City
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $30
The Gin:
Greenhook GinSmiths American Dry Gin, which is made locally in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is my go-to gin for the summer. It’s fresh, floral, and loaded with ripe citrus flavors.
Tasting Notes:
It is citrus and chamomile driven, so I love it in an uplifting martini variation or a spritz. It definitely adds a freshness to any summery cocktail.
St. George Terroir Gin
Alex Dominguez, head bartender at Bar Calico in New York City
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $32
The Gin:
St. George Terroir Gin is a foresty, cool, herb forward that makes you think you’re out on a hike in the mountains. A simple southside cocktail or mixed with soda/ tonic is enough to cool you down on any hot day.
Tasting Notes:
Juniper, sage, coriander, and other aromas and flavors of the forest make for a great, summery gin to mix with.
Nikka Coffey Gin
Mario Flores, beverage director at Maple & Ash in Chicago
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $49
The Gin:
Nikka Coffey Gin is my go-to gin for the summer months. It’s packed with wonderful citrus notes, especially yuzu which is the main citrus they use in the distilling process.
Tasting Notes:
I think the combination of citrus and herbal notes makes it perfect to use in the summer months.
Sipsmith Strawberry Smash Gin
Shiva Thapa, head bartender at Miller & Lux in San Francisco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $35
The Gin:
Sipsmith Strawberry Smash is my go-to flavored gin. A fruit-forward spirit, it is pot-stilled, vapor-infused, and uses a handful of other tasty botanicals.
Tasting Notes:
Expect juicy flavors of strawberry, citrus, juniper, and mint leading to a smooth, long-lasting finish. It is a great gin for summer cocktails.
Spring 44 Gin
Phillip Miley, beverage curator and general manager at 1308 in Chicago
ABV: 44%
Average Price: $29
The Gin:
We use Spring 44 gin at 1308. It is a very clean gin, which makes it great for cocktails. We use it in two of our cocktails, Obannion’s Flower Shop (our twist on a French 75) and the Strawberry Basil Negroni (our twist on a White Negroni).
Tasting Notes:
It’s an aromatic, flavorful gin with gentle juniper, coriander, candied orange peel, ginger, and other herbs and botanicals to round it out.
St. Augustine New World Gin
Mitchell Patmagrian, lobby lounge bartender at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes in Orlando
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $30
The Gin:
New World Gin from St. Augustine Distillery would be our number-one choice for the summer. It’s refreshing, and flavorful, and goes extremely well when mixed in a cocktail.
Tasting Notes:
Its bright citrus notes are the perfect representation of Florida’s spirit. The gin is bottled at 94 proof, which allows better preservation of the botanical oils.
Barr Hill Gin
Damon Chilcott, bar lead at The Red Barber in Denver
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $40
The Gin:
Barr Hill Gin is a unique and highly regarded gin produced by Caledonia Spirits in Vermont. What sets Barr Hill Gin apart is its simplicity and the quality of its ingredients—it’s made using only two botanicals: juniper and raw honey. The honey is sourced from the local area, and the flavor can change subtly with the seasons, reflecting the different flowers the bees have been pollinating. This makes Barr Hill Gin a fantastic choice for summer cocktails. The floral notes from the honey pair wonderfully with fresh, fruity ingredients. It’s particularly good in a Bee’s Knees cocktail, which combines gin, honey, and fresh lemon juice. The honey in the gin and the honey in the cocktail amplify each other, creating a drink that’s sweet, tart, and incredibly refreshing. Barr Hill Gin is a great choice for the summer months due to its unique honey-infused flavor that pairs well with a variety of mixers and creates refreshing cocktails.
Tasting Notes:
The juniper provides the traditional gin flavor we all know and love while the raw honey, which is added just before bottling, gives the gin a subtle sweetness and floral notes that are truly unique.
Brooklyn Gin
Matty Clark, general manager at Dutch Kills Bar in Long Island City, New York
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40
The Gin:
I’m not a fan of big botanical gins. I like a straightforward London dry. That being said I think Brooklyn Gin is probably my favorite “summer gin”. On top of juniper, there’s a lot of citrus flavor.
Tasting Notes:
It has some brighter notes of citrus that really make it pop on a warm day. It’s a great base for a fresh, summery cocktail.
Fort Hamilton Gin
Peter James Deluca, bar manager at Tavern on the Green in New York City
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $35
The Gin:
The best, freshest, most flavorful gin to mix with during the summer months is one listed on our menu at Tavern on the Green, Fort Hamilton Gin. It’s made here in New York City and is very tropical and great for summer cocktails.
Tasting Notes:
When you initially put your nose to the bottle you smell a hint of watermelon. This gin holds a ton of tropical notes as well for a great gin cocktail all summer.
Hendrick’s Gin
Esteban Molano, bartender at Mayami in Miami
ABV: 41.4%
Average Price: $35
The Gin:
We use a lot of Hendrick’s. Since temperatures and humidity increase, the light flavor profile of gin combines perfectly with citrus, creating a perfect balance for our seasonal cocktails.
Tasting Notes:
Its unique flavor of juniper botanicals and infusion of dried flowers and fruits is more suitable for summer.
Tod & Vixen’s Dry Gin 1651
Graham Christie, bar manager at The Gem in Bolton Landing, New York
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $38
The Gin:
My gin of choice to mix with during the summer is the Tod & Vixen’s Dry Gin 1651. First, I usually like to support New York State products, Vale Fox is based in Poughkeepsie, New York. And secondly, it is punchy and interesting enough flavor-wise to still stand out in a cocktail or a gin & tonic.
Tasting Notes:
It starts with juniper berries, heads into Seville oranges, and ends in herbal, earthy rooibos tea.
Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Gin
Pedro Pozo, beverage director of Grupo Bakan in Miami
ABV: 41.3%
Average Price: $23
The Gin:
Citrus-forward gins are a great option for the summer months. We love working with Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla with great notes of oranges and orange blossoms.
Tasting Notes:
It’s crisp, filled with ripe orange flavor, and provides a great canvas for a summer Tom Collins or gin & tonic.
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
Mercedes Cowper, certified sommelier and bar manager at Round Robin Bar in Washington, DC
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $39
The Gin:
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin for its plethora of botanicals and herbs; it’s an excellent option for a gin & tonic or gin martini with a twist, as the lemon oils will bring out the herbaceous quality of the gin.
Tasting Notes:
It’s a lean, straightforward gin that fits well in any cocktail. Juniper, orange peels, lemon, and chamomile, and other spices make this a great summer gin.
Roku Gin
Chase West, restaurant manager at Percheron in Kansas City
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $35
The Gin:
As someone who does not normally enjoy gin, the crisp, clean flavors present in Roku Gin won over my taste buds. For summer, this gin can pair effortlessly with any citrus. My personal favorite cocktail includes Roku gin, strawberry liqueur, aloe liqueur, and lemon.
Tasting Notes:
This aromatic and flavorful gin begins with a base of juniper berries, but also has flavors of cinnamon, orange, lemon peel, coriander, and others.
Bonus Writer’s Pick:
Fords Gin
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $30
the Gin:
When it comes to fresh, balanced, highly mixable gins, it’s difficult to beat the appeal of Fords Gin. A favorite of bartenders and home mixologists alike, Fords Gin is a classic London dry gin. Juniper forward, it also has flavors of coriander seed, cassia bark, lemon peel, orange peel, and even jasmine.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a nice kick of juniper upfront, but it’s not overpowering as there are also noticeable citrus, spice, and herbal flavors perfect for an end of summer cocktail.
