Gin is in, and the sooner you get with the programme the more clued up you’ll be.

I’ll assume you hang out with classy cohorts, and you are therefore sipping on the good stuff, before we continue.

What you sniff on a night out is your business (Millennial angst aside), but if you want to get the most out of your gin experience a little whiff of coffee goes a long way.

Business Insider spoke with an “expert nosing panel” – a team of six distillers dedicated to sampling the spirit – who offered some tips on how to taste gin like a pro.

Shame, sounds like a tough gig.

Use a curved glass, a whisky glass works well

…using a glass with a curved side will help you to “nose it.”

“Whisky glasses are recommended, as the shape is designed for tasting neat spirits with curved sides to capture aromas, and a small bowl that allows you to swirl the spirit and unleash more of the aromas,” they said.

Sniff coffee to cleanse the palate in between sips

It resets your nasal passages so you can stay sensitive to the aromas.

And if you don’t happen to have any coffee beans to hand then sniffing the back of your hand should work, as smelling yourself also apparently resets your senses.

Wash your hands, you heathen.

Swirl the glass to mix in the air with the spirit, and then ‘nose it’ gently

The nosing panellists advise you to hold the glass to your nose, but not to give it a big sniff to avoid inhaling too much of the perfume aroma which can be overpowering.

Now wet your palm with the gin and smell it again

They also recommended placing a hand over the top of your glass so that it’s completely covered and tipping it upside down for a second to wet your palm with the gin. Then wipe your hands, cup them, and sniff from there.

Could be difficult when you’re on your fifth double, and have thus become an expert on any topic that has ever been discussed, but you’re almost at the point of gin sniffer extraordinaire.

Your three final steps involve drinking it, which is the really fun bit:

• Take a first sip and see if you can detect the same flavours that you did when nosing the gin.
• Let the spirit rest on the tongue, then swirl it around the mouth to detect any other aromas.
• Swallow the gin and pause to detect which tastes linger.

Well done, you’re now a gin expert.

With great power comes great responsibility, like drinking actual, decent quality gin. We have your back, which is why we’ll point you towards Cape Town Spirits Co.’s range of Cape Town Gin.

The Pink Lady is a good starting point, and we’ll even give you the keywords so that you sound clued up:

The Pink Lady Gin is a delightful Gin, infused with Hibiscus flowers and Rose petals, and a heavenly hint of Rose water. Fresh floral aromas on the nose, with rose and Turkish delight on the palate.

Takealot, R300, sorted.

Next is the Classic Dry Gin:

This Dry Gin is a well-made, carefully balanced spirit with rich botanicals dominated by Juniper, punchy citrus notes and a hint of herbs and wild flowers. Voted the best South African Gin in the London Dry category at the 2017 World Drinks Awards.

Be sure to whip out that last bit, so your friends know you only drink the finest.

To finish, one that is quintessentially Cape Town – the Rooibos Red:

The Rooibos Red Gin is infused with organic, handpicked Rooibos to extract the essence of this plant, indigenous to the Cederberg region of the Western Cape. Juniper, orange peel and cinnamon flavours combine harmoniously with the earthy, slightly sweet and nutty flavour of Rooibos.

The result is a unique and truly South African Gin, vibrantly red in colour with the distinctive taste of Rooibos. Voted the best South African Gin in the Contemporary category at the 2017 World Drinks Awards.

Just remember to lick the back of your palm now and again and have a whiff of coffee, so everybody knows you mean business.

In case you’re up for tasting some fine gin in a less pressured environment, you can swing past the Cape Town Gin tasting room, located in Heritage Square, on the corner of Shortmarket and Bree Street.

You’ll get to taste those three tipples we mentioned above, every Monday to Friday from 11AM to 6PM – just email info@capetowngincompany.com to make a booking.

[source:businsider]