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The complete A to Z of gin

Read time 6 Mins

Posted 26 Jan 2023

By
Emily Reed

A line-up of gins from here in Australia and overseas

Time for a G&T? Better consult our handy guide to the best gins on the market (arranged in alphabetical order because we have too much time on our hands).

We’re not ashamed to say (in fact, we’re proud to say) that we stock a lot of gin at Dan Murphy’s. Like, a lot. And why not? Everyone loves a G&T at some point, and with so many incredible brands doing out-of-this-world gins, it’s hard to stop a list at just a few. So, we didn’t. See our line-up of some of the best gin brands on offer from around the globe and right here in Australia. G&T, anyone?
A bottle of Applewood Gin

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A is for Applewood Gin

An independent brewery out of Adelaide Hills, Applewood offers small batch, handcrafted spirits emphasising native ingredients and sustainable practices. This gin has a botanical-rich profile of rare desert limes, wattleseed and peppermint gum leaf.

B is for Brogan’s Way Evening Light Gin

A unique gin if ever we’ve seen one! We’re talking fresh mangoes and raspberries, and organic white grapefruit juice, complemented with sweet piney juniper and warm cassia; you’ll notice a little red rose and river mint in the mix, too.
A bottle of Brogan’s Way Gin

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Bottle of Comte De Grasse Gin

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C is for Comte De Grasse Gin 44N

Dreaming of a holiday on the French Riviera? Crack this at your next soiree. This is the first gin distilled there, and inspired by the perfume mastery of Grasse. The first thing that hits your nose is a fresh, zingy lemon peel and grapefruit. The process behind it takes its cues from the high-tech extraction and distillation techniques used for making the best perfumes in the world, which have never before been used in spirits. Fancy!

D is for Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin

Here is a gin that's slowly distilled by hand in medieval copper pot stills with oriental botanicals and gunpowder tea. What’s gunpowder tea, you ask? It’s a green tea that's been slowly dried before the delicate leaves are carefully rolled into pellets. The flavour is bold and bright with a slight spicy freshness. Every bottle is hand filled, labelled and sealed by our dedicated team of distillers.
Bottle of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin

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Bottle of Etsu Japanese Gin

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E is for Etsu Japanese Gin

Japanese for ‘pleasure’, Etsu is handcrafted with orange and fresh yuzu lemon on the nose. The palate is full-bodied, thanks to its botanicals, which include yuzu, green tea leaves, cherry blossoms and Sancho pepper. The finish is fresh and well-balanced, making a seriously sophisticated gin that  comes all the way from the northern island of Hokkaido in Japan.

F is for Fossey’s Desert Lime Gin

Best served with a good quality tonic water, a slice of fresh lemon and a sprig of lemon thyme, Fossey’s Desert Lime Gin encompasses everything that a citrus-forward Aussie gin should be. As you’ve probably guessed, the hero ingredient is desert lime, a true native to Australia – the tree of desert limes occurs naturally across the outback and produces small fruit with exceptional flavour.
Bottle of Fossey’s Desert Lime Gin

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Bottle of Gordon’s 0.0 Alcohol Free Gin

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G is for Gordon’s 0.0 Alcohol Free Gin

For those of you who love gin, but want to opt for one without alcohol, Gordon’s has done it. This one is made using only the finest distilled botanicals, just like the original Gordon’s London Dry Gin, so it provides the bold, juniper-led character you’ve come to expect from this producer. It’s also our pick if you’re on a bit of a budget, or if you’re after a gluten-free gin for your cocktail cabinet.

H is for Hendrick’s Neptunia Gin

It’s Hendrick's, but not as you know it. In fact, this gin is what happens if you take their original gin – with its signature foundation of rose and cucumber – and add an invigorating blend of sea kelp, coastal thyme and lime. It’s earthy yet still fresh and a little herbaceous, and it’s sure to win some hearts at the next gathering at your friend’s beach house to really team with the theme here.
Bottle of Hendrick’s Neptunia Gin

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Bottle of Imperial Measures Distilling Single Batch Signature Ounce Gin

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I is for Imperial Measures Distilling Single Batch Signature Ounce Gin

There are 14 mindfully selected botanicals in this flash-looking bottle. Try it with tonic water and a wheel of orange for something really special. Orange, vanilla and cardamom invigorate the more traditional base of juniper, coriander seed and angelica root to give you a very tasty dry gin.

J is for Jawbox Small Batch Dry Gin

This gin is distilled slowly, really slowly. That’s the secret to its incredible flavour. In making and distilling this spirit, Jawbox uses a unique combination of select botanicals – including Belfast Black Mountain heather – and employs traditional, time-honoured methods. This is a brand that's all about detail, obsessive care and a fanatical focus on quality, and boy does it pay off!
Bottle of Jawbox Small Batch Dry Gin

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Bottle of Kangaroo Island Spirits Wild Gin

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K is for Kangaroo Island Spirits Wild Gin

This small-batch Australian gin is distilled uniquely with Kangaroo Island native ‘juniper’. Fashioned in the style of a London dry gin, this contemporary take contains fresh limes and mint, as well as pink pepper, ginger, mace, cassia and cardamom. The traditional way this is distilled maximises the controlled quality. It's best served as a G&T garnished with strawberries and lemon thyme – it tastes like summer.

L is for Lawrenny Meadowbank Pink Gin

How good-looking is this gin? Its pink hue is thanks to the infusion of fresh local raspberries, strawberries and exotic hibiscus flower. Pop it in a glass and marvel at how it looks like a summer evening sky – magic! From the first sip, you’ll enjoy its herbal freshness, bright citrus and cooling coriander-leaf finish.
Bottle of Lawrenny Meadowbank Pin Gin

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Bottle of Mediterranean Gin

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M is for Mediterranean Gin

You’ve never seen a gin label like this before – and the gin is colourful and summery to match. With a beautiful, summer-fresh citrus and herbal nose, the palate is well-rounded and smooth, yet crisp piney juniper and herbs are very present, making this a great sipping gin neat or as a refreshing G&T. Savour it if you’re manifesting a holiday somewhere in the Mediterranean.

N is for Never Never Distilling Co. Ginache

The (literal) spirit of wine country, McLaren Vale's Never Never Distilling Co’s Ginache is the perfect union of freshly pressed grape juice and gin. Grenache grapes grown in the famed South Australian wine region are crushed and then added to their Triple Juniper Gin, and left to steep. The result? A gin with a luminous red colour that develops into a bright hibiscus pink when diluted with tonic or soda. Pretty!
Bottle of Never Never Distilling Co. Ginache

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Bottle of Old Young’s Six Seasons Gin

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O is for Old Young’s Six Seasons Gin

Save this savoury gin for special occasions or bring it out whenever you’re really in the mood for a G&T – whatever floats your boat! It’s herbal and earthy, and pays tribute to the six seasons of the Noongar people who are Indigenous to Western Australia's Swan Valley. We suggest trying it in a Dirty Gin Martini.

P is for Poor Toms Sydney Dry Gin

Dry gin fans, this one is for you! You’ll notice a classic juniper backbone complemented by fresh green apple, native strawberry gum leaf, and chamomile. It’s delicate, fresh and floral – and best enjoyed with tonic and a strawberry garnish for good measure.
Bottle of Poor Toms Sydney Dry Gin

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Bottle of Queenscliff Distillery Citrus Gin

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Q is for Queenscliff Distillery Citrus Gin

If you can’t jump on the ferry across Sydney Harbour to Queenscliff to try this gin IRL, then a glass of it is the next best thing. The team behind it uses the rinds of orange, blood lime and finger lime, then adds a combination of fresh lemon and peeled lemon with a little ginger to give this a seriously zesty finish. Mix it with tonic or soda at your next picnic for guaranteed great vibes.

R is for Rocky Jones Salted Caramel Gin

The secret to the caramel aroma and flavour in this Rocky Jones gin lies in the French oak barrels it’s rested in for several months – the natural sugars of the barrel lead to all kinds of sweet surprises. It makes a smooth gin that displays strong flavours of caramel, vanilla and honey. Enjoy it on the rocks, or with a splash of soda or ginger ale.
Bottle of Rock Jones Salted Caramel Gin

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Bottle of Seven Season Green Ant Gin

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S is for Seven Season Green Ant Gin

You’ve heard of ants in your pants, but what about ants in your gin? Traditionally favoured by Indigenous societies for their medicinal benefits and protein content, the native green ants in this gin are a unique bush tucker hand-harvested in the Northern Territory by the Motlop family of the Larrakia people. They add vibrant coriander and kaffir lime leaf flavours, with a citrus and lime burst on the palate further enhanced by finger lime. This is a one-of-a-kind gin that’s sure to start conversations when you whip it out at your next dinner party.

T is for Tread Softly Dry Gin

Notes of Angelica, pink rose and chamomile, and hints of eucalypt and nutmeg make this gin by Tread Softly a refined treat for the senses. It has a conscience too – Tread Softly plants a tree for every six bottles sold, and each bottle is made from 100% recycled glass. Try this in a Classic Martini and we’re confident you’ll quickly become a fan.
Bottle of Tread Softly Dry Gin

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Bottle of Ukiyo Blossom Gin

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U is for Ukiyo Blossom Gin

How about a moment for how beautiful this gin looks? Ukiyo Japanese Blossom Gin is born in Kagoshima from a base of locally grown rice that’s distilled into a traditional shōchū spirit. Then it’s redistilled with juniper, regional citrus, cherry blossom and native botanicals. The delicate blossom aroma emulates those found in the mountains and coastline surrounding Kagoshima.

V is for 23rd Street Distillery Violet Gin

This gin is tasty and even changes colour when you mix it with tonic – how cool is that? To create it, Australian sugarcane spirit is distilled with traditional juniper and native botanicals, such as lemon myrtle, cinnamon myrtle, pepperberry, finger lime and wattleseed. Butterfly pea flowers are then steeped in the liquid for 18 hours to give it its natural blue tint. Because it’s sensitive to pH, the gin transforms into a luscious violet colour when acidity is added, like tonic or lemon. Magic!
Bottle of 23rd Street Distillery Violet Gin

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Bottle of Warner’s Honeybee Gin

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W is for Warner’s Honeybee Gin

Made with hand-harvested honey from Falls Farm in the British Midlands, along with lavender, hibiscus, rose and blue cornflower, Warner’s Gin is wonderfully complex, yet delicate, too. The bees behind this sweet treat work hard to make its honey, and to keep them buzzing – and the gin delicious – five acres of Warner’s farm where the beehives are situated are covered in wildflowers. Try a glass of it with a sprig of sage or thyme.

X is for Anther Spirits x Royal Botanic Gardens Florescence gin

Was it hard to find a gin for ‘X’? Maybe. Are we using it as a loose excuse to squeeze in the collaboratively-made gin of our dreams? You bet. Working closely with the horticultural experts at Victoria’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Anther Spirits crafted this gorgeously floral gin using plants foraged from the Gardens. If you take a stroll around these parklands, home to 8,500 species, you can actually see the plants growing IRL. Alongside the traditional inclusions, Florescence features unique Australian botanicals like alpine pepper, violet kunzea, and alpine baeckea. In addition, proceeds from the sales go to support the important research and public programs at the Gardens.
Bottle of Anther Spirits Florescence gin

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Bottle of Yu Gin

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Y is for Yu Gin

This is the ultimate refreshing gin and it's based on a unique combination of botanicals: juniper, yuzu, Sichuan pepper and licorice. Sounds exotic, doesn’t it? It’s a French gin, taking its roots in Japanese heritage and traditions, inspired by the concept of wabi-sabi, which is all about finding beauty in every aspect of imperfection in nature.

Z is for (Zero %) Four Pillars Rare Dry Bandwagon

Welcome aboard the Four Pillars Bandwagon. Now you can get on it even when you’re not drinking. This is modelled on the best-selling Four Pillars’ Rare Dry Gin, a modern, citrus-forward gin with a combination of Middle Eastern, Asian and local Australian botanicals. You’ll find aromas of orange and lemon myrtle, notes of spice and some warmth. As a bonus, they even have a zero% version of their fan-favourite Bloody Shiraz Gin, which you need to try in this Zero% Bloody Shiraz Sour recipe from Olivia Molly Rogers.
Bottle of Zero % Four Pillars Rare Dry Bandwagon Gin

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Shop related products
ApplewoodGin 500mL
Gin 500mL
$73.99 each
 
Brogan's WayEvening Light Gin 700mL
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Evening Light Gin 700mL
$86.99 each
 
Comte De GrasseGin 44N 500mL
Gin 44N 500mL
$135.99 each
 
DrumshanboGunpowder Irish Gin 700mL
  • product badge
Gunpowder Irish Gin 700mL
$83.99 each
 
Etsu JapaneseGin 700mL
Gin 700mL
$79.99 each
 
image credits: Charlie Hawks (photography), Bridget Wald (styling).
Authour image
Emily ReedEmily is a Melbourne-based writer partial to a good pét nat. Her hobbies include lining up songs on Spotify at house parties and hovering near cheese platters.
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Hit ListSpiritsGinAustralian products
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