Gin for Beginners: What It Is, Types, and How to Choose and Use It

Gin can look simple on paper: a clear spirit with botanicals. In the glass, small differences in style and strength decide whether a drink tastes crisp, perfumed, sharp, or flat. This guide keeps it practical so choosing and using gin becomes easy.

Beginner quick guide (read this first)

• Start with a classic London Dry gin for most cocktails. It is reliable, dry, and juniper-led.

• Juniper must be the dominant flavor for a spirit to be gin in many legal definitions.

• Higher alcohol percentage (ABV) tastes more intense and needs proper dilution.

• In mixed drinks, dilution is part of the recipe. Ice plus stirring or shaking matters.

• Tonic quality matters as much as gin in a Gin and Tonic. Pick a tonic you like on its own.

• Keep garnishes simple. Too many aromatics can make drinks taste like perfume.

• For a quick test, taste gin chilled with a few drops of water. It reveals the main botanicals fast.

What gin is, in plain terms

Gin is a distilled spirit where juniper is the main aroma and flavor. Juniper gives the pine, resin, and evergreen character associated with gin. Around that core, producers add botanicals, meaning herbs, spices, seeds, roots, and citrus peels used for aroma and flavor.

Most gins start from a neutral spirit, a very clean alcohol distilled to a high strength so it carries little flavor of its own. Botanicals are then used to flavor that spirit.

Minimum bottling strength depends on local rules. In the European Union, gin is generally bottled at 37.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) or higher. In the United States, gin is generally bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or higher. Lower-strength products are often classified differently, for example as a gin liqueur, and will behave differently in cocktails.

How gin gets its flavor

Three common approaches explain most bottles.

Distilled gin (redistilled with botanicals)

A neutral spirit is distilled again with juniper and other botanicals. Distillation heats the liquid, captures alcohol vapor, then condenses it back into clear spirit. Aromas carried in the vapor become part of the finished gin. This style usually tastes cleaner and more integrated than simply blending flavors into alcohol.

Vapor-infused gin

Botanicals sit in a basket so alcohol vapor passes through them during distillation. This often produces lighter, brighter aromas (citrus peel, fresh herb, floral notes). It can be excellent in highballs, but it can feel very aromatic in a Martini.

Compound gin (flavored without redistillation)

Botanicals or extracts are blended into neutral spirit without redistillation. Some are enjoyable, but the flavor can feel flatter or less cohesive. Labels do not always highlight this, so checking the producer description helps.

Short advanced sidebar (why ABV changes the drink)

ABV is not only how strong it is. Higher ABV carries aroma more aggressively and can make botanicals taste sharper. A 57% navy strength gin can stay vivid after dilution, but it can also taste hot if under-diluted. For a first bottle, 40% to 47% ABV is usually the easiest range to balance across many drinks.

Common gin styles and what they are best for

Some names are legal categories, others are loose style labels. Use them as practical cues.

• London Dry gin: dry, juniper-forward, distilled from natural botanicals. Safest choice for classic cocktails.

• Distilled gin (non-London): still distilled, but the profile can lean more citrus, spice, or herb while keeping juniper clear.

• Contemporary or new western: juniper is present, but secondary botanicals may lead (cucumber, rose, lavender, seaweed). Great in highballs and sours, less universal in Martinis.

• Old Tom: usually slightly sweetened. Useful for older-style recipes that need roundness. Bottles vary because rules differ by region.

• Plymouth: a geographic style name associated with Plymouth, England, often described as softer and earthier than a sharp London Dry.

• Navy strength: typically around 57% ABV. Treat it as a different ingredient because it shifts balance.

• Flavored or pink gin: often flavored and sweetened after distillation. Works in simple mixers, but can make classic dry-gin recipes too sweet.

• Aged or cask-rested gin: picks up wood notes (vanilla, spice, tannin). Interesting in stirred drinks, less typical in Gin and Tonic.

How to choose a bottle without overthinking it

Start with the drink style.

For Gin and Tonic or highballs

• Classic London Dry or a clear citrus-led gin is easiest.

• If the gin is very floral, use a drier tonic and a minimal garnish.

• Avoid stacking flavors: floral gin plus strongly flavored tonic plus multiple garnishes often reads as perfume.

For Martini-style drinks

• Choose a dry, juniper-forward gin at 40% to 47% ABV.

• Avoid very perfumed gins until there is a clear preference for that style.

• Dry vermouth must be fresh and stored correctly. Old vermouth makes Martinis taste dull and sour.

For sours (Gimlet-style, Bee’s Knees, Collins)

• Citrus-friendly gins work well: juniper plus lemon or orange peel notes.

• Strong spice gins can taste peppery in sour formats unless sweetness is adjusted.

Quick label checks

• ABV: higher tends to be more intense.

• London Dry: usually a reliable classic profile.

• Fruit names or flavored: expect sweetness and a different role in cocktails.

A simple way to taste gin at home

1. Smell the gin at room temperature, then again after chilling. Note the first clear cue: juniper, citrus peel, floral, spice, or herb.

2. Sip a small amount neat. Focus on the finish: dry and piney, soft and citrus-led, or perfumed.

3. Add a few drops of water, swirl, and smell again. Water often reveals hidden botanicals.

4. If it tastes harsh neat, that does not automatically mean it fails in mixed drinks. Many gins are built to shine after dilution.

Common mistakes & fixes

• Christmas tree pine overload: choose a softer style next time, or add dilution and a citrus accent in the drink.

• Perfume-like: simplify garnish, switch to a lighter tonic, or avoid pairing floral gins with strong bitter mixers.

• Flat highball: use colder tonic, more ice, and pour gently to keep carbonation.

• Too sweet: switch to a drier tonic or reduce sweetener in sours. Flavored gins can be the hidden cause.

• Too bitter: avoid thick citrus rind and pith, and try a different tonic if quinine bitterness is dominant.

Storage & shelf life

Gin is shelf-stable and usually does not spoil quickly after opening. The main change over time is aroma fade, especially for very botanical gins. Store bottles upright, tightly closed, away from heat and direct light. Chilling gin can speed up mixing and improve consistency, but freezing is optional.

FAQ

Is gin just flavored vodka?

Gin and vodka can start from similar neutral spirit, but gin is defined by a juniper-led flavor profile. Vodka is designed to be close to neutral.

What makes London Dry different?

London Dry is typically a distilled, dry style where juniper remains dominant. It does not have to be made in London.

Is pink gin always sweet?

Often yes, because many pink gins are flavored with fruit and may be sweetened. Some are drier than others, so the label matters.

What is navy strength gin used for?

It is useful when a drink needs gin character to stay strong after dilution. It also needs careful dilution to avoid tasting hot.

Does gin contain sugar?

Many dry gins contain little to no added sugar. Some styles, especially flavored gins and Old Tom, can be sweetened. Rules vary by region.

Can gin go bad after opening?

It usually does not spoil, but aromas can fade over time, especially if stored warm or with lots of air in the bottle.

Glossary

• ABV: Alcohol by volume, the percentage of pure alcohol in the liquid.

• Botanicals: Plant materials used for aroma and flavor, such as herbs, spices, roots, seeds, and peels.

• Compound gin: Gin flavored by blending botanicals or extracts into spirit without redistillation.

• Distillation: Separating alcohol and aroma compounds through heating and condensation.

• Juniper: The defining botanical of gin, creating piney, resinous aromas.

• Maceration: Soaking botanicals in spirit to extract flavor before or during distillation.

• Neutral spirit: A very clean distilled alcohol with minimal flavor, used as a base for many gins.

• Vapor infusion: Passing alcohol vapor through botanicals during distillation to extract lighter aromas.

Recipe Card: Classic Gin and Tonic

Yield: 1 cocktail

Time: 2 minutes

Technique: Build

Glassware: Highball glass

Ingredients

• 45 ml (1.5 oz) London Dry gin

• 120 ml (4 oz) Tonic water, well chilled

Method

1. Fill the glass completely with solid ice.

2. Add gin.

3. Top with chilled tonic water.

4. Stir gently 1 to 2 turns, just to combine without killing carbonation.

Garnish standard

• 1 lime wedge (or 1 thin lemon peel). Keep it to one garnish.

Dilution and temperature notes

• More ice equals less melt. The drink should stay very cold from first sip to last.

• If it tastes watery, the tonic was likely warm, the glass under-iced, or the drink stirred too much.

Tasting notes

• Crisp, aromatic, lightly bitter, with juniper structure and clean citrus lift.

Batching or prep notes

• Chill tonic and glassware. Pre-chilling is a bigger upgrade than changing garnish.

  
  

Ingredient substitutions and acceptable swaps

• London Dry gin: any classic, juniper-led dry gin works for both recipes.

• Tonic water: a drier tonic reduces sweetness; a sweeter tonic can soften harsh gins but can hide botanicals.

  
  

Common mistakes and fixes

1. Under-iced highball: fill the glass fully with ice to reduce melt and keep carbonation.

2. Warm tonic: use well-chilled tonic; warmth flattens and sweetens perception.

3. Garnish overload: one garnish only; extra aromatics can read as perfume.

4. Old vermouth: replace; stale vermouth makes Martinis taste dull and sour.

5. Under-diluted Martini: stir longer with more ice; serving temperature should be very cold.

6. Using sweet flavored gin in classic specs: reduce or remove sweetener, or treat it like a flavored spirit with simpler mixers.

   
   

Explore more practical ingredient guides in the Ingredients section.

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Written by: Riccardo Grechi | Head Mixologist, Bar Consultant & Trainer