Happy Friday, everyone!

Today we wanted to focus on two of our favorite brands of gin.

Wait, let us rephrase that.

Today we wanted to focus on the only two brands of gin that we drink, because all other brands are inferior.

There, that’s more like it!

Let’s talk about Hendrick’s and Plymouth!

As a quick refresher, gin as we know it today is a descendant of a product called genever which was first produced in the middle ages and used for medicinal purposes. Gin is flavored with juniper berries and is most commonly produced in the United Kingdom.

There are countless brands, but the only ones we recommend are Hendrick’s and Plymouth. Both have distinctive flavors that set them apart from standard gin, and we cannot get enough.

Plymouth

There used to be multiple so-called “Plymouth” gins — the title was a protected distinction used to identify the style of gin produced in the town of Plymouth, England. Only one distillery remains today, called the Black Friars Distillery, which now produces the official Plymouth Gin.

The distillery itself occupies a building that has been in Plymouth since the 1400s, but it began producing gin around the dawn of the 19th century.

Plymouth has a very distinctive flavor that is markedly different than the common dry gin. It is softer and slightly sweet, which is often attributed to the different combination and percentages of various botanicals used to create the mash.

It is a fantastic product, and one we highly recommend especially if you are not already a huge gin drinker, as this can be a more palatable start for those not used to the flavors of the spirit.

Plymouth will run about $34 / bottle, and can be a bit difficult to track down. We recommend BevMo or other large retailers.

Hendrick’s 

Although it is very popular today, Hendrick’s is actually a very recent addition to the world of gin, with its first distribution in 1999.

Hendrick’s is produced in Scotland, and distilled using the old style pot still. The good people at Hendrick’s also added something unique to their mash to create their flavor: cucumber! This gives the gin a slightly earthy and light flavor, different than other dry gins.

It will run you just about the same as Plymouth, around $33, and is available at most liquor stores.

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So there you have it! Our recommendations for the wonderful world of gin. Get out there and try ’em!

Have a great weekend everyone, we’ll see you back here on Monday!