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Back in the day, you chose your preferred gin from a limited selection and mixed it with a bit of that tonic water you’ll find at just about any bottle store or petrol station.

No lemon, no fuss, nothing special.

Then a few years back, gin underwent an extreme makeover.

Gone were the mediocre G&Ts of old, because now it came carefully crafted, beautifully presented, decked out in floral flavours, botanicals, and mixed with the finest of tonics.

These days, we speak about gin in the same way that we talk about fine wine.

I’m also pretty sure you can relate to hiding the craft gin from friends when there are too many of them over for a party, or breaking it out, complete with tasting notes, when trying to make a good impression.

I see you.

If you need more proof that the gin boom is upon us and here to stay, Forbes has the receipts.

Gin is the fastest growing white spirits category in the world, with approximately 72 million nine-litre cases of gin sold worldwide in 2019.

That’s roughly $12,9 billion in gin sales.

Great Britain alone has more than 1,700 different gins. The US come next, a distant second, with over 700 different gin brands. Germany (692 brands), Spain (463 brands) and Belgium (430 brands) round out the top five.

Today, it’s estimated that there are over 6 000 different gin brands globally (more than whiskey and vodka), with a total of 68 countries producing the stuff, which means that there is some stiff competition when trying to place a blue ribbon on the very best that the world has to offer.

The International Wines & Spirits Competition (IWSC) decided to give it a shot with over 800 gins submitted for tasting.

They chose eight of the best, which you can check out here, and we narrowed it down to the three that really stood out based on their tasting notes.

Stranger & Sons, Indian Spirited Gin, 42.8% ABV

Stranger & Sons is an Indian gin produced by the Third Eye Distillery in Goa.

Bold, bright citrus flavours stand out on the nose, supported by floral notes and hints of earth spice and sweetness. Harmonious and intense on the palate with extraordinary refinement. Producing a delectable, long spicy finish.

It’s made with gondhoraj, a citrus from Kolkata that tastes like a cross between a lime and a mandarin.

Wessex Distillery, The Wyvern Gin, 47% ABV

A Wyvern is a dragon that doesn’t breath fire, in case you’re wondering.

Classic nose, plenty of juniper backed up by citrus (lemon and lime), warming spices and pepper. Round, luxurious and creamy with a fantastic palate. An outstanding example and truly well-made gin.

This gin is billed as being incredibly smooth.

BeauFort Spirit, Fifty-Seven Smoked Sipping Gin, 57% ABV

This is a “navy style’ English gin. You’ll need to check out the history of gin to unpack that one.

A unique, distinct gin with smoky notes of ancho peppers and bacon. Richly textured flavors of grainy cereals, cream soda, brown sugar and ginger spices with lingering smoke flowing through a finish of juniper and pine.

I love bacon, but would prefer to keep church and state separate when it comes to my gin.

While all of this sounds great, none of those represents the unique flavour profiles we find here in South Africa. When it comes to the best gin in South Africa, it doesn’t get better than the three winners from the Cape Town Gin Company.

For rich botanicals dominated by juniper, citrus notes, and a hint of herbs and wildflowers, you’ll find the Cape Town Classic Gin hits the spot:

If you’re keen for a gin that works as well with tonic as it does as a sipping gin, you’ll enjoy unique Cape flavours like rooibos and rosewater in the Rooibos Red Gin and the ever-popular Pink Lady.

I have a couple of bottles stashed away for when special guests pop in, and I’m looking to impress.

Ultimately, as South Africa’s gin industry continues to go from strength to strength (buy local, where possible, because the alcohol sales ban has placed immense strain on many distilleries), we hope to see more representation in the international stage.

We certainly have the goods, so we’ll be keeping an eye on next year’s International Wines & Spirits Competition.

[source:forbes]