6 Standout Gins From 2025 You Need To Taste (And The Best Way To Drink Them)

Gin can be a puzzling liquor, with many cocktail enthusiasts having a love-hate relationship with it. Some find it piney and resinous, others find it overly perfumed and cloying. In contrast, others find it tastes like a medicine cabinet. Gin begins like vodka as a neutral grain spirit from wheat, corn, grapes, or anything you can ferment into alcohol. It's then infused with a mix of botanicals, including the always-present, herbaceous juniper berries, giving it a distinct woodsy, earthy, pine tree quality (in addition to other florals, herbs, spices, teas, and other aromatics).

Recently, producers have been working outside the box of a classic gin, crafting modern interpretations that dial back the juniper-heavy flavor to elevate the overall taste. Six producers released new selections this year that follow that contemporary trend. Made with exotic and aromatic botanicals, these gins push the boundaries of the classic liquor while highlighting a range of flavors that reveal exotic, evocative tastes.

I had a chance to try each of the stand out gins of 2025. I sipped each selection neat initially to evaluate, then mixed the gins into an array of drinks to find the ideal expression for each. These bottles will change the way you may drink your evening cocktails, altering familiar flavors to create thought-provoking, intriguing cocktails worthy of a conversation. Utilizing my knowledge and training as a Certified Sommelier, I reviewed each selection while providing the ideal cocktail to showcase the nuances of each option.

Master distiller Leslie Gracie debuted the latest limited edition Oasium gin to her Hendrick's Cabinet of Curiosities in February 2025, which is the eighth expression added to the cabinet. The brand is known for coloring outside the lines with its array of modern, whimsical offerings that challenge the typical juniper-forward, London dry-style gin.

The Hendrick's signature gin showcases roses and cucumber, with a mix of 11 additional botanicals including chamomile, elderflower, orange peel, and juniper. And while Hendrick's doesn't disclose the exact blend of botanicals in its new Oasium release, it does note the gin is inspired by a desert oasis; the mix of plants, aromatic herbs, and citrus that thrive in the desert deliver a gin with an herbaceous, citrusy, fruit-forward flavor with subtle hints of white flower.

Tasting the gin, there's a fresh and earthy character that melds with tropical papaya and guava, as well as citrus flavors of grapefruit and orange. It's a gin that'll elevate even the simplest cocktails, like a classic gin and tonic. After all, though the cocktail is simple, it's essential to use a high-quality tonic water brand (such as Fever Tree Premium Indian tonic water) with a slice of lemon and cucumber — the classic garnishes with Hendrick's.

Quattro Gatti delivers an olive-infused expression from the heart of Italy that fans of the dirty martini will love. Hailing from Umbria, Italy — where olive trees flourish – the brand's Olive Grove gin launched in the U.S. in the summer of 2025. It includes a mix of olive leaves, olives, and olive oil with Italian juniper, artichoke, lemon peel, coriander, and thyme to create a savory, terroir-driven expression.

The spirit has a textured viscosity that coats the palate with a lingering richness, making it very easy to enjoy. Quattro Gatti's classic expression also includes olive leaf; however, it's the Olive Grove selection that sets this gin apart for its well-balanced, unique character, which showcases the region. The highly aromatic small-batch gin has delicate freshness and a clean palate, showing soft white flowers, woody herbs, white pepper, and citrus notes; these meld with an underlying creamy, earthy olive and subdued juniper flavor. There's also a softness and easy approachability that I didn't expect, particularly when sipping a martini.

The drink was delicate and fresh, without the stinging bite of alcohol that's often present in spirit-driven cocktails with few ingredients. Plus, the inspiration for the brand came from the desire to enjoy special moments when gathering with friends for an aperitivo and conversation — a scenario that occurred over several thought-provoking, conversation-inducing cocktails in my home with friends.

The Shed Distilling released its latest offering in collaboration with two-time world champion mixologist Bruno Vanzan in November 2025. Gunpowder Irish Gin mixes Italian viola fig, laurel, and Tuscan juniper with 12 additional botanicals sourced from nine countries. This is the same blend of herbs, citrus, flowers, green tea, and spices the producer uses in its original Gunpowder Irish Gin.

The elegant gin utilizes a historic, traditional method and contemporary process for its production, celebrating history with modernity. The Shed's founder, PJ Rigney, in collaboration with head distiller Brian Taft uses a slow-distillation process in traditional copper pots using botanicals from throughout Asia, India, and Europe, as well as those local to Ireland. These are combined with vapor-infused, aromatic, and highly flavorful Chinese lemon, Oriental grapefruit, Kaffir lime, and Gunpowder green tea to create each small-batch gin.

This gin is like others in this listing, with the Tuscan juniper faintly showing its presence. Instead, the tart and sweet Italian fig and woodsy laurel bring an earthy freshness, melding beautifully in a modern gimlet cocktail (shaken with rosemary and a dash of salt). Adding rosemary will give the cocktail an herbaceous boost, and the salt will simultaneously balance the bitterness and enhance the gin's natural sweetness.

From historic French cognac producer Maison Ferrand and Alexandre Gabriel (who founded Citadelle in 1996) comes the latest offering, Citadelle Rouge. Gabriel had petitioned the French government to use his cognac stills during the months outside typical cognac production, enabling the creation of this French gin. Released in the U.S. in June 2025, the red fruit-forward, wheat-based liquor has extremely subtle juniper notes, with just a touch of the earthy, piney berry taste from the locally cultivated juniper.

Instead, Citadelle fills the palate with a burst of cranberries, raspberries, rhubarb, and currants, along with the 19 other botanicals in its base, such as lemon, cinnamon, and coriander. If you're a gin purist with a love of juniper, this option may not be for you. However, for those who enjoy juicy summer fruit flavors with just a touch of piney taste, you will love this option.

The candied red fruit flavors are suitable for sipping in a lemony Tom Collins cocktail, bringing ripe berry notes to the juicy, citrusy highball. I also love the Citadelle's Gin Rouge in a fruity gin cosmopolitan. The flavors are brought to life when shaken with fresh lemon or lime juice and Cointreau or other orange liquor. Sipping the flavor-packed berry fruit and citrus combination makes me rethink why anyone would ever use a neutral-flavored vodka in the classic cocktail as gin brings so much more character to the drink.

Waterloo Gin embraces its Texas Hill Country roots with a new expression released in fall 2025, which features Texas prickly pear and fresh flowers, including rose and hibiscus. For its small-batch gin, Waterloo begins with a corn base before adding the fragrant flowers and tangy desert fruit. It also includes nine additional Texas-centric, locally sourced botanicals, including pecan, grapefruit, and lavender to create a perfumed spirit with an eye-catching pink color.

What sets this gin apart from others is its process of vapor-infusing each botanical, allowing the essence of each to come through in its entirety, without being masked or overwhelmed by other ingredients. The result is an incredibly fragrant, floral gin that transports you to an English garden. Then it brings you back to Texas with its tangy prickly pear, citrusy grapefruit, and earthy pecan notes. Although full-flavored, modern pink gins have risen in popularity recently, Waterloo's unique flavor combination is distinctive. The mix of the cactus pear with the sweet-scented flowers — led by lavender on the outset and finishing with fresh rose — gives the spirit a fresh appeal and a vibrant new edge.

While the botanical mix includes juniper, the resinous berry isn't dominant. Instead, Waterloo's sugared fruit and highly fragrant, floral characteristics shine, creating a taste well-suited for a refreshing gin spritz with seltzer, prosecco, and citrus. Or, lean into Waterloo's floral elements with a mix of Lillet Blanc, elderflower liqueur, and grapefruit juice for a French blonde cocktail.

Highly regarded Four Pillars Distillery crafts a range of citrus-forward contemporary gins that capture the essence of its Australian home. The new limited-release Whisky Barrel Aged gin is the second edition bottling from the carbon-neutral Yarra Valley distillery. The base of the aged gin is Four Pillars Rare Dry gin, which includes a mix of citrus, Asian spices, and juniper from Macedonia. The gin ages for nine years in former chardonnay barrels before finishing for two years in ex-bourbon barrels from Kentucky's Four Roses Distillery.

Four Pillars successfully delivers the type of gin you can drink like a whiskey — sipping it neat or on the rocks — as the toffee, warm spice, and oak characteristics the barrel aging imparts shine throughout. Conversely, it's 100% gin with citrus, toasty botanical, and subtle juniper aromatics. The palate is creamy and textured, with a lengthy sweet-and-savory finish that isn't weighty, hot, or overly alcoholic (which is impressive given the high 113.6 proof). Instead, the gin is incredibly refined.

For whiskey lovers, swapping this into your nightly old fashioned cocktail will transform the drink, delivering a delicate elegance rarely found in the straight-forward cocktail. For gin lovers who enjoy sipping a nightly Negroni cocktail, Four Pillars barrel-aged gin delivers well-rounded, caramelized flavors. It tames the Campari's bitterness while balancing the vermouth's sweetness, awakening the palate and keeping it engaged. And the cocktail's classic orange peel garnish further highlights the citrus flavors within the spirit.