Best Gin?

[debstar]

What's the best gin for a Martini?

[debstar]

thanks, I was leaning towards trying bombay...also, what's the best way to store gin? I'm on the hunt for a new one because I have a half empty bottle of Gordon's which has been half empty for years and stored in the cupboard right beside the built in cooker....perhaps not the best place....

[templeman]

Here's some information I pinched from a web site.
Some cheaper versions of Gin are called compound gins, and are made by adding flavourings to the plain spirit - avoid these at all costs! London-type gins are the most popular around the world, and the most suited to mixing. The over-riding flavour is juniper, and their dryness is the key to their versatility. Plymouth Gin is similar in style to London Gin, but can only be made in Plymouth (surprisingly!) It is very dry and herbal, and an excellent Martini base. Genever gins hail from Holland (although there are various other European versions) and are much stronger tasting. They are also sweeter, and not suited to cocktails - much better if sipped. The top three UK gins are Bombay Sapphire, Plymouth and Tanqueray. These are all produced from the best botanicals, and are obviously superior when tasted against lesser gins. One point to bear in mind is that spirits with higher alcohol percentages carry disproportionally more flavour. If you can get hold of the strongest Plymouth gin (Navy strength - 57%), or the export Bombay you'll end up with a better tasting result. Gordons and Beefeater were the standard gins for many years, and whilst being adequate for most purposes, they are really not that exciting.

[jellybaby22]

You asked about storage. Because spirits contain a high level of alcohol they are very resistant to spoilage of any kind, so storage in most conditions is not a problem.

[sft42]

All wrong of course...the answer is ...someone else's.

[debstar]

thanks again, got the bombay and it is very fine indeed!