Six American Gins Worth Tasting

4.) Blue Coat (94 proof; 750 ml, $21.99) What? A gin made in Philly? Yes, my friend, and it is good--Jeff and I agreed it was the best of the lot. Most gin clocks in at 80 proof, so at 94 proof we expected an alcohol bomb. Instead, we found it powerful but complex, with a cool, sweet nose with a hint of fruit (I also detected a touch of movie popcorn, strangely). It has a crisp and spicy taste that dances on your tongue like pop rocks; Jeff says it reminded him of Blenheim Ginger Ale. I tasted wood and bitter notes, with a crisp and pronounced finish. The gin has backbone, too, which keeps it present but not overbearing in a G&T. If I were stocking a bar for a summer party, this would be my weapon of choice.

5.) Leopold's (80 proof; 750 ml, $31) Leopold's is one of the more recent entrants to the domestic gin horse race, and along with the Dogfish Head, much more of a craft product than the others. Made in the craft-distillery megalopolis of Denver, Leopold's is "hand" everything: hand-crafted, hand-bottled, hand-labeled; if Leopold's told me they hand-blew their own glass, I might believe them.

Leopold's makes mostly flavored whiskeys and liqueurs, so it's not surprising to find their gin packed full of interesting tastes: There's almost no nose to speak of, but once in your mouth it explodes with grapefruit and citrus, pickle brine, vinegar, and bitters, with a licorice finish. It starts out smooth, but then builds to a spicy finish--too spicy, for us. Strangely, in a G&T the flavors, particularly the pickle brine, are much more pronounced.

6.) Dogfish Head Jin (80 proof; 750 ml, $25) Best known for its beers, Dogfish Head has been unleashing small-batch liquors for several years, sold almost exclusively at their alehouses and a couple of stores around Delaware--along with gin (or, um, "Jin"), they make a few rums and a vodka. Like Leopold's, Dogfish Head does it all by hand, but unlike most distillers, they are explicit about which botanicals they put in the mix--pineapple mint, juniper berry, green peppercorn, and rosemary. They're all there in the nose, though I thought the rosemary dominated. The peppercorn and grapefruit take lead on your tongue, with the juniper playing a steady baseline in the background.

This is easily the most complex and best-crafted gin we sampled, and it makes a knock-out G&T. Like Dogfish Head's beer, its gin manages to be unique and interesting, but also broad-ranging enough to offer something for everyone.

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