World Gin Day! Saturday, June 8 is a day given over to a global celebration of all things gin but frankly the Irish don't need an excuse. The Irish gin scene is booming and our sister publication FOOD&WINE Ireland has selected some of their top picks.
Gin isn't on the way out just yet, even though Irish whiskey is giving it a run for its money but there are some seriously good Irish gins out there to try. We've done the hard work (read: sipped our way through many a G&T) to find the best gins produced in Ireland right now.
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Glendalough Sloe Gin
Glendalough Sloe Gin.
A beautiful deep pink gin made with ingredients foraged in the Wicklow mountains, this goes perfectly with a Poachers tonic. Many sloe gins have a lower alcohol strength since the sloes dilute the spirit, but Glendalough maintains a 41% ABV.
Ornabrack
Ornabrack Gin.
Crafted from 100% Irish malted barley and four times copper pot distilled, our unique single malt spirit is then distilled a fifth time with five carefully selected botanicals to create this complex and floral single malt gin.
Light and zesty with a bottle too pretty to throw away once empty.
Dingle Original Gin
Dingle Original Gin.
Dingle Original Gin is made in small batches of 500 liters and a secret batch of botanical ingredients - including hawthorn and heather - is steeped in spirit for 24 hours for a deeper flavor.
Dingle Original Gin is best served with large cubes of ice, a wedge of fresh orange and a sprinkling of juniper berries.
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Von Hallers
An interesting collaboration, the gin is distilled in Ireland but using botanicals from Gottingen in Germany, including Halleria Lucidia, German ginger, and lemon verbena.
Serve it with ginger beer and a wedge of orange for a refreshing summer tipple.
An Dúlamán
An Dúlamán.
An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin is the first gin distilled in Co. Donegal and boasts an unusual flavor by using five locally harvested varieties of seaweed; including Sweet Kombu, Dulse, Pepper Dulse, Dulaman, and superfood Carrageen Moss, bringing an authentic and innovative “umami” twist to the gin category.
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Garnish Island Gin
A handcrafted small batch gin that takes inspiration from the lush Italian gardens on West Cork's Garnish Island. The recipe includes locally forages botanicals some of which include hibiscus, iris, rose, rosemary, and thyme.
Dublin City Gin
Dublin City Gin.
Something a bit different, this Dublin-made gin is created with a subtle touch of rhubarb that's handpicked from along the Grand Canal.
The finish is a wonderful warm, spicy flavor that goes perfectly with a sliver of grapefruit as a garnish.
Shortcross
Shortcross is a classical Gin style but with a unique twist, best described as floral meadow, wild berries and grassy notes, and uses fresh apples and wild clovers as well as juniper berries and orange peel.
Mór
Mór Gin.
A more traditional Irish gin from the town of Tullamore, Mór contains traditional gin botanicals plus some floral honeysuckle and Slieve Bloom mountain water.
Fresh and crisp, it's best served with lime and raspberry but also love it with a spring of basil.
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Drumshanbo Gunpowder
This is a green tea that has been slowly dried, the delicate leaves then carefully rolled into shiny pellets. The flavor is bold and bright with a slight spicy freshness that instantly became a classic when it was released.
Go wild and serve with a chunk of mango and chilli.
James Joyce Gin
James Joyce Gin.
An unusual blend of spices and cloves rather than the fruity botanicals you may be used to, James Joyce gin is inspired by (of course!) the life and works of one of the world’s most famous writers.
Do you have a favorite Irish gin? Let us know your favorite tipple in the comments section below.
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* Originally published on our sister website FOOD&WINE Ireland.
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