Three of the Best English Gins for a Cooling Summer G&T
When the temperature rises and the ice tray comes out, a gin and tonic is one of the simplest pleasures there is, providing you start with a gin that is worth the effort. We have picked three English gins that we think are particularly suited to a summer G&T: each is from a different corner of England, each has a genuinely distinct character, and none of them will get lost in the tonic. One floral and coastal, one tastefully spiced, one classically dry.
Why English gin works so well in a long summer drink
The quality of a G&T depends almost entirely on the gin. Most supermarket own-label gins are built to a cost: the botanicals are perfunctory, the juniper minimal, and the finish short. They work with a strongly flavoured tonic because the tonic is doing most of the work. English gins from independent producers tend to operate quite differently. The botanicals are the point, and they come through with a clarity and definition in the glass that makes the choice of gin matter.
There is genuine variety in the English gin category too. Producers in Northumberland draw on coastal heather and sea plants; distillers on the Isles of Scilly work with island botanicals that have a warmth and spice you do not often find in British gin; others ginmakers source from Spain and Sri Lanka. In a summer G&T, that botanical definition does not disappear into the ice. If anything, the dilution and carbonation open the aromatic character up further. That is why artisan English gin is worth reaching for in summer, and why the selection matters more than the tonic-to-gin ratio.
How we chose these three
Each of these three gins brings a genuinely distinct flavour profile, so they cover different preferences rather than competing with each other: there is a herbal, coastal style with a dry finish; a warmer, more aromatic style built around spice and citrus; and a classically structured dry gin distilled using a method that most producers have long since set aside. All three are distilled and bottled in England.
Ad Gefrin Thirlings Dry Gin: character from the hills and the coast
The story behind Thirlings goes deeper than most gin labels. The distillery at Ad Gefrin in Northumberland takes its name from an ancient royal settlement near Yeavering, and the botanicals reflect that geography directly: heather and pine from the Cheviot Hills, elderberry and dill from the hedgerow, and sea buckthorn and Irish moss from the Northumbrian coastline. The bottle carries the story too. The stepped punt at the base reflects a 7th-century wooden grandstand uncovered on the site, and the dimples in the glass represent post holes that allowed archaeologists to map the original royal buildings.
Thirlings delivers a classic dry gin profile with a wilder, more coastal edge than most English gins. Juniper sits at the fore alongside pine and bright citrus lemon on the nose, with a heather floral quality that is hard to replicate elsewhere. On the palate, green freshness and dill open things up before the gin moves into bright lemon citrus and a touch of early sweetness, giving way to a long, saline, full-bodied dry finish. Bottled at 43.6% Alc., it carries that dry, bitter close without feeling harsh: the strength is doing useful work rather than announcing itself.
In a G&T, a light unflavoured tonic is all this needs. Garnish with a fresh twist of lemon peel to echo the citrus. For something less expected, try a sprig of fresh samphire alongside the lemon. It grows on sea cliffs and salt marshes along the British coast, and has a salty, mineral, slightly herbal character that mirrors what the gin is already doing. You will not find it in a supermarket, but a fishmonger or farmers' market usually stocks it through summer. Drop a sprig in and it makes complete sense. Bronze Medal at the 2024 International Wine and Spirits Competition.
Buy Ad Gefrin Thirlings Dry Gin
Scilly Spirit Island Gin: tastefully spiced from England's far west
The Isles of Scilly lie around 28 miles off the tip of Cornwall, making Scilly Spirit one of the more remote distilleries in England. The location shapes the gin: this is a warmer, more aromatic style than many English dry gins, with cardamom and cassia doing significant flavour work alongside a backbone of piney juniper.
Island Gin is full and rounded in the mouth. Cardamom is the first thing you notice on the nose, alongside orange and a herbal lime leaf note. On the palate, soft citrus and juniper arrive together, followed by layers of fennel and a fruity, peppery quality that sits between peppery spice and ripe citrus. The finish is longer than it first appears: savoury pepper and cardamom are balanced by the sweetness of orange and fennel, and kaffir lime delivers a quiet citrus note right at the close that makes you want to go back for another sip. The gin sits at 44.0% Alc., which gives it enough body to hold that depth and spice together in a long drink without fading into the tonic.
For the G&T, follow the distillery's own serve, which we think is spot-on: 50ml over ice, a fresh lime leaf, a sliver of dried orange peel, and plain tonic. If you want to go a step further, try freezing a few fresh kaffir lime leaves into your ice cubes the night before. As the ice melts, it releases lime oil slowly into the drink, building as the glass cools. A leaf of Thai basil placed alongside the orange peel adds a clean, herbal anise note that works with the cardamom in a way that is genuinely worth trying once. It looks considered. Because it is.
Smeaton's Dry Gin: Bristol's historic gin, made the long way round
The team behind Smeaton's discovered a handwritten gin recipe dating to the 1870s in the historic Bristol Archives on Smeaton Road. Rather than simplify it, they rebuilt it using what they call the Bristol Method: each botanical distilled individually in traditional copper pot stills, according to its season, then assembled into the finished gin.
This is a more labour-intensive approach than most London Dry production, and the results are noticeable. The botanicals read like a list from an old apothecary: Tuscan juniper, Moroccan coriander, hand-cut Valencia orange, Sri Lankan cinnamon in both thick and thin bark (the thick bark powerful and warming; the thin bark more floral and menthol), Italian orris root, Indian liquorice, Dutch calamus and Spanish angelica. The calamus is worth singling out: it is rarely seen in English gin, and adds a base note somewhere between nutmeg and ginger that ties the blend together. The orris root contributes earthy depth and real length to the finish.
This is the most structured gin of the three. Juniper leads clearly, with fresh citrus from the Valencia orange sitting close behind. The finish extends well into warm spice territory as the cinnamon and calamus make themselves known: there is a depth and persistence here that rewards a little attention. Smeaton's comes in at 45.0% Alc., which gives the botanical structure the presence it needs in a long drink; nothing feels thin or hollow. It has won five Gold Medals, which in our view is a fair reflection of what is in the glass.
In a G&T, keep it simple: light tonic, plenty of ice, and a fresh slice of orange to work with the Valencia orange in the botanicals. If you want to do something worth talking about, try a charred rosemary sprig. Light the tip of a fresh sprig, let it catch for three or four seconds, blow it out, and drop it into the glass before adding the tonic. The brief smokiness and the resinous, herbal character of rosemary run alongside Smeaton's cinnamon and calamus in a way that is genuinely hard to explain until you have tasted it. It also looks the part.
How to build a proper summer G&T
Three points that apply to all of the gins above, and to most good gins in general.
Start with more ice than you think you need. Large cubes dilute more slowly than small ones, and a cold glass holds the drink in better shape for longer. A warm G&T is a fundamentally different drink to a cold one.
On tonic, lighter is better for all three of these gins. A strongly flavoured tonic competes with botanical definition rather than supporting it. Double Dutch and London Essence Co. are two of the better options right now for something more considered; Fever Tree remains the most widely available if you would rather not hunt. Whatever you use, pour it last and slowly down the inside of the glass to preserve the carbonation.
On garnish, follow the botanicals. For the Thirlings: a twist of lemon peel, with samphire if you can find it. For the Island Gin: a fresh lime leaf and a sliver of dried orange peel. For Smeaton's: a fresh orange slice, or a charred rosemary sprig if you want the full effect. The garnish changes the aromatic experience of the first sip. It is not decoration.
Where to find English gin
We carry a range of English gins from independent producers across the country. Browse the full English gin collection here.
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