Best Gins for Your Favorite Cocktail

In this edition of our Ultimate Beverage Challenge series, we bring you the top placing gins for all of your favorite gin cocktails. The judges followed classic cocktail recipes, ensuring a fair judging between each of the gins tasted. For each of the four cocktails evaluated, a different gin earned the Chairman's Trophy, showing the importance of liquor choice in preparing a great drink.

For more Ultimate Beverage Challenge information, be sure to check out our previous posts, or see the competition website for a full list of cocktails tasted.

Dry Martini

3 ounces gin

1 ounce dry vermouth

Prepare a tall mixing glass with ice. Stir ingredients well with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Photo courtesy ReeceCLloyd via Flickr/CC

Beefeater London Dry Gin, 95pts

Chairman's Trophy: Beefeater London Dry Gin United Kingdom, 47%, 95pts

Finalist: No. 3 London Dry Gin United Kingdom, 46%, 93pts

Finalist: Tanqueray London Dry Gin United Kingdom, 47.30%, 91pts

Finalist: Plymouth Gin United Kingdom, 41.20%, 90pts

Finalist: Tanqueray No. Ten Gin United Kingdom, 47.30%, 90pts

Gin & Tonic

2 ounces gin

4 ounces tonic water

Lime wedge garnish

Fill a 12-ounce highball glass with ice and add gin. Fill with tonic water and garnish with a lime wedge.

Photo courtesy Jonny Ho via Flickr/CC

Beefeater 24 Gin, 94pts

Chairman's Trophy: Beefeater 24 Gin United Kingdom, 45%, 94pts

Finalist: Beefeater London Dry Gin United Kingdom, 47%, 91pts

Finalist: Plymouth Gin United Kingdom, 41.20%, 90pts

Finalist: Tanqueray No. Ten Gin United Kingdom, 47.30%, 90pts

Aviation

2 ounces gin

½ ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

¾ ounce lemon juice

¼ ounce crème de violette

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Photo courtesy Giant Sloth via Flickr/CC

Plymouth Gin, 96pts

Chairman's Trophy: Plymouth Gin U.K., 41.20%, 96pts

Finalist: Beefeater London Dry Gin United Kingdom, 47%, 94pts

Finalist: No. 3 London Dry Gin United Kingdom, 46%, 93pts

Finalist: Tanqueray London Dry Gin United Kingdom, 47.30%, 90pts

Finalist: Tanqueray No. Ten Gin United Kingdom, 47.30%, 90pts

Negroni

1 ¼ ounce gin

1 ¼ ounce Campari

1 ¼ ounce sweet vermouth

Combine all ingredients in an iced double old-fashioned glass and stir. Garnish with an orange slice.

Photo courtesy leonardo.bonanni via Flickr/CC

No. 3 London Dry Gin, 94pts

Chairman's Trophy: No. 3 London Dry Gin United Kingdom, 46%, 94pts

Finalist: Beefeater 24 Gin United Kingdom, 45%, 93pts

Finalist: Plymouth Gin United Kingdom, 41.20%, 92pts

Finalist: Tanqueray No. Ten Gin United Kingdom, 47.30%, 92pts

Want to Learn More?

Ultimate Cocktails Challenge Results
UBC Cocktail Categories
UBC Methods & Procedures
Meet the Ultimate Spirits Challenge Judges

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Comments

rosey40

923502 0

It is, of course, fascinating to see how the various gins 'placed' according to the cocktails they were used in. But what is it about their flavors that earned them these distinctions? For instance, what is it about Beefeater's flavor profile that made it the clear Martini winner? Why is an Aviation made with Plymouth the winner? Certainly, this information was at the heart of discussion at the competition. Telling us why these particular spirits merit these awards is every bit as important as who won the award, isn't it?

Sep 15, 2011 at 4:41 PM
it2daddy

Hand of Snooth Voice of Snooth

622990 50

@rosey40; agreed. I'd like to consider changing the gins I use, depending on the cocktail, but without knowing "why" i should do this, not sure i will take the risk of buying 4 different gins

Sep 16, 2011 at 7:45 AM
David-
Hughes

555783 0

Were there any gins involved in this tasting besides the few biggest, mass produced brands that won these categories?

Sep 16, 2011 at 6:23 PM