How to Choose the Perfect Gin for Your Home Bar
Whether you’re experimenting with new flavours or shaking up the classics, follow our guide to selecting the perfect gin for your home bar.
When stocking the home bar, one key element that often stumps beginners is choosing the right spirits. With countless options available, it can be overwhelming to know where to start! In this beginner’s guide, we’ll explore how to choose your perfect gin for your home bar from our diverse range at The Spirit of Manchester Distillery.
Gin 101: The Basics
To choose the perfect gin, it’s essential to understand its origins and production process. By definition, gin must have a “predominant juniper flavour” of sweet pine and soft citrus. Starting with juniper and coriander seed, gin is crafted by distilling various botanicals which impart flavour on a neutral spirit. There are also different types of gin, including London Dry Gin, such as our Signature expression, Old Tom Gin, such as our best-selling Raspberry Infused and Navy Strength Gin, or ‘Overboard’ as we call ours!
How to Choose Your Perfect Gin
Our range of Manchester Gin has gained global recognition for exceptional quality and variety so you can’t go far wrong, but as our Founder’s Seb & Jen say – there is a gin for every palate. Below, we have broken down a few factors to consider when choosing the ideal gin for your home bar:
Taste: The taste profile of gin can vary widely. Some gins have a strong juniper flavor, while others may be more citrusy (like our Haçienda Gin) or more floral (such as our Limited Edition – Tied The Knot Gin). Consider your personal preferences and whether you prefer a sweet or dry gin, with a dominant botanical or a well-balanced combination.
Botanicals: Every gin incorporates a unique blend of botanicals, giving it distinct flavors and aromas. For example, each expression in our Manchester Gin range incorporates dandelion and burdock root, which is a nod to our Northern heritage and provides a depth of flavour, which we combine with other botanicals to give each gin its own unique flavour profile. Take our Wild Spirit Gin, it’s savoury and herbaceous, with perfectly balanced sage, thyme and lemon balm, but no citrus – it’s the polar opposite of our Signature Gin (and makes a mean dirty martini).
Alcohol Content: Pay attention to the alcohol content of the gin, as it can influence both the taste and the strength of your cocktails. Most of our gins have an alcohol content of around 40%, and are all cut where we think best accentuates their flavour, all the way up to our 57% ABV Navy Strength Gin – ‘Overboard’.
Explore our full range to discover how different gins combine these factors to create a variety of taste experiences – or if you’d like to visit the distillery and learn first hand all about gin – join us for a ‘Gin Making’ or ‘Gin Tasting’ experience with our expert team!
Gin Cocktails
Gin is the foundation for numerous classic cocktails and offers endless opportunities for innovative creations. Here are a few of our favourite gin based cocktails to get you started:
Clover Club
The tart sweetness of this classic summery gin cocktail lends itself perfectly to the gentle florality of our Raspberry Infused Gin. As delicious as it is beautiful, the raspberries provide a beautiful pink hue and it’s finished with a creamy smooth foam thanks to the egg white!
Recipe:
5 fresh Raspberries
50ml Manchester Gin – Raspberry Infused
15ml Dry Vermouth
15ml Lemon Juice
7.5ml Gomme or Sugar Syrup
20ml Foamer or Egg White
Method:
Shake all ingredients, including the fresh raspberries which will be pulped & incorporated by shaking, with ice and fine strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora. Garnish with a raspberry and you’ve got a zesty, summery at home cocktail which is sure to impress!
Hacienda Negroni
So you’ve had a classic Negroni – but have you ever tried out different combinations of gin, vermouth and bitter apéritifs? In this recipe we use our citrus forward Haçienda Gin and Aperol in place of Campari, for a perfectly balanced zesty variation of this much loved classic!
Recipe:
30ml Aperol
30ml Forty-Five Dry Vermouth
Method:
Pour all ingredients into an ice filled glass, and give it a gentle stir. Garnish with a lemon twist.
For more cocktail inspiration make sure to follow us on Instagram.
Overall, choosing the perfect gin for your home bar is an exciting journey of exploration and experimentation. Now you know how to find a gin that suits your palate and complements your favourite cocktail creations, you can explore our full range here!
Visit Our Distillery
If you’d like to learn more about Manchester Gin and the art of gin distillation, join us for a Gin Tour and Tasting at The Spirit of Manchester Distillery!
