Explore the Highly Expressive World of 2025’s Best Gins

By WineBottleMag
December 3, 2025
2025s Explore Expressive Gins Highly World
With 0 comments

Gin is one of the most versatile spirits in existence, composing the base of classic cocktails like gimlets, Negronis, and martinis.

It can be distilled from a wide range of agricultural products, such as common grains like wheat and barley, as well as potatoes, grapes, sugarcane, and more. Each imparts subtle differences in texture and flavor to the final product.

Then there are the botanicals that add even more dimension. Wine Enthusiast’s Top Spirits of 2025 highlight the diversity of flavors that can be found in the category.

“These gins have a point of view, and that shows up in the botanicals and subtle flavors,” says Kara Newman, a Wine Enthusiast writer at large who reviews spirits and RTD cocktails. “Of course, juniper is always required to be part of the mix, and some of these gins play up that signature pine-y flavor. But many combined that with memorable accents, like calmansi and galangal botanicals used in a Southeast Asian gin.”

These bottlings are certainly interesting enough to drink on their own with aromas that span from tropical fruit notes and distinct fresh-herb-garden characters to savory and umami-forward gins made from ingredients like Castelvetrano olive and extra-virgin olive oil. However, they’re also versatile enough to be mixed into cocktails.

“Gin is a quirky category: very rarely is it consumed straight, or neat,” says Newman. “So when I’m tasting gin, I’m thinking about how it will play out in classic drinks, from a martini—which might be minimally adorned, and served very cold—to a G&T, which typically lengthens the gin with a lot of tonic water. The gins on this list are crisp and appealing, and should work in a variety of drinks.”

Take a look at the picks below.

// Create the element
var script_693089cd06d27 = document.createElement(“script”);

script_693089cd06d27.innerHTML = `
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};
googletag.cmd.push(function() {

var adType = “leaderboard”;
var mapping;
var lbmapping = googletag.sizeMapping()
.addSize([1024, 0], [[970, 250], [970, 90], [1, 1], [728, 90]])
.addSize([728, 0], [[728, 90], [1, 1]])
.addSize([320, 0], [[1, 1], [300, 50], [300, 100], [320, 50], [320, 100]])
.addSize([0, 0], [[1, 1], [320, 50]])
.build();; // Size mapping for leaderboard ads
var medrecmapping = googletag.sizeMapping()
.addSize([1024, 0], [[300, 600],[300, 250]])
.addSize([728, 0], [300, 250])
.addSize([320, 0], [[1, 1],[300, 250]])
.addSize([0, 0], [[1, 1], [300, 250]])
.build(); // Size mapping for med rectengle ads

if(‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_1’ == ‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_1’
|| ‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_1’ == ‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_2’
|| ‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_1’ == ‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_3’) {
mapping = googletag.sizeMapping()
.addSize([1920, 0], [[728, 90]]) // >= 1920px
.addSize([1440, 0], [[728, 90]]) // 1440px-1919px
.addSize([730, 0], [[300, 250]]) // 730px-1439px
.addSize([0, 0], [[320, 100], [320, 50], [300, 100], [300, 50], [300, 250]]) // Up to 729px
.build();
} else {
mapping = adType == ‘leaderboard’ ? lbmapping : medrecmapping;
}

googletag.defineSlot(‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_1’, [],
‘div-gpt-ad-693089cd06d27’).addService(googletag.pubads()).defineSizeMapping(mapping);
googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs();
googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-693089cd06d27’);

});
`;
// Append the script to the body
document.body.appendChild(script_693089cd06d27);

Wine Enthusiast recommends:

Acronimo Gin

Agave spirits enthusiasts, take note: this gin is made with a cane neutral spirit and “finished” with sotol (the agave-like spirit comprises 17% of the blend). The result is unusual, exciting, complex. Bold, zesty lemon peel aromas mix with a faint smoky waft. On the palate, citrus mixes with grassy and lightly honeyed tones, while a floral tinge suggests lychee and piquant pink pepper ties it all together. A smoky hint returns on the exhale. 95 Points — Kara Newman

$45
Total Wine & More

Tarsier Southeast Asian Dry Gin

Inspired by the producers’ travels around Southeast Asia, the not-quite-familiar botanicals may be hard for some Westerners to place. That blast of lime-lemongrass-lemon verbena? It’s actually calamansi. The spicy, mouthwatering finish? A mix of earthy galangal, similar to ginger, and kampot pepper. But the distinct sea-salt note will be easy to recognize. 95 Points — K.N.

$38
Total Wine & More

// Create the element
var script_693089cd09506 = document.createElement(“script”);

script_693089cd09506.innerHTML = `
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};
googletag.cmd.push(function() {

if(‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_2’ == ‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_1’
|| ‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_2’ == ‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_2’
|| ‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_2’ == ‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_3’) {
mapping = googletag.sizeMapping()
.addSize([1920, 0], [[728, 90]]) // >= 1920px
.addSize([1440, 0], [[728, 90]]) // 1440px-1919px
.addSize([730, 0], [[300, 250]]) // 730px-1439px
.addSize([0, 0], [[320, 100], [320, 50], [300, 100], [300, 50], [300, 250]]) // Up to 729px
.build();
} else {
mapping = adType == ‘leaderboard’ ? lbmapping : medrecmapping;
}

googletag.defineSlot(‘/39808611/article_page/article_leaderboard_2’, [],
‘div-gpt-ad-693089cd09506’).addService(googletag.pubads()).defineSizeMapping(mapping);
googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs();
googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-693089cd09506’);

});
`;
// Append the script to the body
document.body.appendChild(script_693089cd09506);

Beespoke Gin

This complex, G&T-worthy gin mixes fruity, floral and grassy aromas. The lightly sweet palate shows lavender and honeysuckle, finishing with earthy coriander seed lifted by grapefruit peel. 94 Points — K.N.

$32
Empire Wine

424 Export Gin

Distilled from rice and sweet potato, this is different from any other gin you’ll try. Expect a sweet anise aroma and a robust, almost waxy texture with nuanced caraway and fennel flavors. It finishes with an intriguing tropical note that suggests lychee, pink peppercorn and juicy raspberry. 93 Points — K.N.

$48
Saratoga Wine

An Dúlaman Irish Maritime Gin

Expect bold star anise on nose and palate. Each sip is layered with lemongrass, lemon verbena and fresh tarragon, winding into a long, herbaceous finish accented with a final lime peel exhale and a burst of alcohol heat. Mix into gin and tonics. 93 Points — K.N.

$ Varies
Wine-Searcher

Conniption Kinship Gin

Butterfly pea flower provides this gin with a beautiful violet hue, as well as a mildly floral, faintly spicy scent. The palate opens with flickers of cayenne and cinnamon, leading into violet, iris and coriander midpalate, finishing long and spicy, with a final lemon peel exhale. Would be nice to sip/mix even if it wasn’t eye-catching purple. 93 Points — K.N.

$30
Preet’s Liquor

Fid St Gin

This Hawaiian-made, London Dry-style gin nods to the arrival of English ships in Honolulu harbor. Each sip unfurls bold lemongrass, star anise, fennel and pine. Pink pepper sparks accent the finish. Botanicals include cardamom, fennel, cedar leaf and grains of paradise. 93 Points — K.N.

$31
Total Wine & More

Muff Irish Gin

Distilled from potatoes, and flavored with botanicals including lemon, mandarin orange and rosemary. Overall, the citrus component reads as grapefruit peel and flesh on nose and distinctly sweet palate, where it mingles with raspberry, pink peppercorn and candied ginger, plus a faint floral exhale. Best Buy. 93 Points — K.N.

$47
Bottlerocket

More Gin Coverage

These London Dry gins are worth trying.
Have you tried barrel-aged gins? The spirit is an exciting experience.
The best gins for a martini.
The white Negroni, made with gin, is the most refined variation on the Italian classic cocktail.
There’s a good gin for every budget.
Immerse yourself in the botanical world of gin cocktails.