It might seem ridiculous, but the holidays are officially upon us. First up on the holiday agenda: Thanksgiving. This is the day when we all give thanks for our friends and family while gorging on turkey and various side dishes (which everyone really cares more about anyway).
And while we’ll drink various beverages (wine, water, seltzer, and others), nothing adds that extra dimension to a stuffy holiday get-together like a mixed drink. Specifically, a gin cocktail.
You’re going to want a cold cocktail after slaving over a hot stuff, but not just any gin will do for your seasonal endeavor. You’ll need a proper mixing gin. A gin that pairs well with the various flavors and ingredients in drinks like gin & tonics, negronis, Tom Collinses, southsides, and others.
To find these gins, we turned to the professionals for help. We asked a handful of well-known bartenders, bar managers, and mixologists to tell us the best mixing gins for the holidays. Each is likely to make your holidays at least a little brighter. Or at the very least, boozier.
Rieger’s Midwestern Gin
Gui Jaroschy, partner at Unfiltered Hospitality in Miami
ABV: 46.1%
Average Price: $36.99
The Gin:
J. Rieger’s from Kansas City surprises again with a really amazing straightforward London-style dry gin. The distillate and the botanicals blend perfectly. In a time where most gins are pushing unusual, or a massive amount of botanicals, J. Reiger’s went for five of the usual suspects and made them all sing. Great for a dry gin martini or all sorts of lively Collins riffs or tonics.
Awayuki Strawberry Flavored Gin
Cosimo Bruno, beverage curator at Daxton Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan
ABV: 44%
Average Price: $36.99
The Gin:
One of my favorite mixing gins for the holiday season is Awayuki Strawberry Flavored Gin. This rich and flavorful classic gin emits the traditional tones of earthy juniper and botanicals while being married with some of the world’s most delectable strawberries. Harvested at just the right time, Awayuki, White Pearl, and Kotoka strawberries are hand-grown in Japan and make a perfectly smooth and balanced cocktail to enjoy during the holidays.
Empress Gin 1908
Heather Wibbels, managing director of Bourbon Women in Louisville
ABV: 42.5%
Average Price: $36.99
The Gin:
For the holidays, I love how festive Empress Gin looks in the glass. It’s also incredibly delicious and is a great example of a gin that’s approachable to non-gin drinkers. The flavor profile is a little softer and more well-rounded than a typical London dry gin, and it looks gorgeous with a rosemary sprig, one of my favorite November and December garnishes for all cocktails. As a side note, when serving guests, the change in color as acid is added into it makes a great pop whether you’re serving at home at a party, or at a bar.
St. George’s Botanivore
Cody Kennedy, bartender at Juniper Preserve in Bend, Oregon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $29.99
The Gin:
The best gin for the holidays is one that leans hard on the herbaceous botanicals that make gin so unique. My favorite big botanical gin is St. George’s Botanivore. What flavors make it great? Its name speaks for the nature of this gin. It tastes evergreen and big. Almost like you walked into the forest and walked out with both a turkey that you hunted with your bare hands and a Christmas tree that you cut down yourself while the wolf that you bonded with leads the way. It’s mind-blowing and impossible to fathom. What cocktails does it mix into well? It basically mixes with the season, pomegranates, beets, grapefruit, and peppers. Its applications are limitless for the holiday season because it takes all the big botanicals to the forefront of any cocktail.
Monkey 47
Donny Largotta, beverage director at Gansevoort Meatpacking in New York City
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $66.99
The Gin:
My favorite gin used to mix in cocktails without a doubt would have to be Monkey 47. It is so smooth, with hints of lemon and slight spice which make it a top choice when implemented in fun specialty and classic cocktails. The best cocktails to mix it in would be your standard negroni, gin fizz, Gibson, vesper martini, and yes, even a corpse reviver No.2.
Tommyrotter Cask Strength Bourbon Barrel Aged Gin
Robert Kidd, head bartender at Le Cavalier in Wilmington, Delaware
ABV: 62.5%
Average Price: $45
The Gin:
Tommyrotter makes a lovely cask-strength bourbon barrel gin. This gin has those great herbal notes that I love in a gin, but the bourbon barrel adds some spice for the fall and winter holidays. The cask strength makes this gin strong, and you can be sure it will not get lost in your most complex cocktails. If you use this gin, it will be the star of the show. Give it a solid supporting cast and you will have an amazing drink for your guests. The Martinez and Bijou are my two personal favorites to use this spirit in.
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
Nicholas Bennett, beverage director at Porchlight in New York City
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $40
The Gin:
I will be pouring the Botanist Gin this holiday season. I am a huge fan of the botanical qualities in gin, and they are handled very well in this spirit. I mean it’s right there in the name. They are using some pretty uncommon herbs and spices in the mix as well, so it is a delightful change of pace while still making an elegant and amazing martini.
Hepple Gin
Adam Montgomerie, bar manager at Hawksmoor in New York City
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $49.99
The Gin:
My favorite gin for mixing drinks in the holiday season would be Hepple Gin from Northumbria in the very North of England. Hepple uses a three-level process for extracting juniper flavor and it’s this focus on juniper that makes Hepple shine. It’s both a modern gin, through the processes they use, and also a traditional gin, in terms of its flavor profile. It makes an excellent martini (the test of any good gin) as well as works really well in shaken citrus cocktails and the classic gin & tonic.
Calwise Big Sur Gin With Cranberry
Gabby Senne, bar supervisor at Sideways Lounge in Buellton, California
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $45
The Gin:
One gin I’m looking forward to using this holiday season is from Calwise Spirits. Their Big Sur gin with cranberry. They only come out with the cranberry edition during the holiday season, and it is perfect in any classic gin cocktail but also really fun to play around with in other drinks. The cranberry adds a bit of sweetness and tartness to an already delicious gin. I love it as a negroni. It’s also super fun and festive as a mule because the ginger beer goes great with the cranberry and botanicals in the gin, especially the sage.
McQueen And The Violet Fog
Jack Beguedou, bartender at Proof 192 in Omaha, Nebraska
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $42
The Gin:
McQueen And The Violet Fog is my pick. It has the perfect layers of botanicals to be the perfect mixing gin. It will shine in the gin mule and other cocktails. Made in Brazil, this exotic and flavorful gin is made using 21 different herbs and botanicals. Flavors like pomelo peel and lemongrass will add extra dimensions to your favorite holiday cocktails.
Nolet’s Reserve Gin
Brandon Hensley, bartender at Montecristo Cigar Bar at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
ABV: 52.3%
Average Price: $599
The Gin:
The wonderful world of gin has blessed us with its prominent use of non-traditional botanicals. The holiday season always reminds me of mixed berry pies, cakes, and cobblers, and Nolet’s Reserve reflects this. Its use of raspberries as a secondary botanical makes it a great holiday gin, especially for a clover club.