Gin-drinking season is coming. While we hunker down in the wool sweater months with our favorite browns, keeping the soul toasty via a steady collection of Scotch, cognac and bourbon, when the sun finally returns, it’s time to clear things up. Literally. 

We look for spirits that are crisp, light, and refreshing as the spring days warm up, and no spirit has the clarity and brightness of gin. Thank the juniper and countless other botanicals that can be used for its production — the resulting eruption of tastes and scents allow the best gins to leap from the glass to your nose and palate. 

We can thank the explosion in craft distilling for the windfall of new gins, with some 6,000 varieties of the pleasantly astringent spirit now in existence. From Holland, where some of the earliest gins were distilled, all the way to Japan, we surveyed several stellar examples for this drink-as-you-go guide. 

We’ve included classics, brand new varietals of our home bar standards, big-ticket limited edition expressions and even one aged in wooden casks to get your gin education off to a proper start.

AVIATION AMERICAN GIN

While many first heard of Aviation thanks to its acquisition by Marvel superhero/merry prankster Ryan Reynolds, the truth is the spirit was something special long before Deadpool got his bloody gloves on it. 

Portland, Oregon-based master distiller and bartender team Christian Krogstad and Ryan Magarian carefully developed the blend. A proprietary maceration produces a unique medley of botanical flavors. 

The technique is credited with imbuing the brand with its incomparably soft and smooth profile, with juniper in the background and both citrus and floral notes up front, helping it earn it a 97-point rating from Wine Enthusiast, which Aviation says makes it the world’s highest-rated gin. 

CITADELLE NO MISTAKE OLD TOM GIN

Boutique French spirits producer Maison Ferrand’s master blender, Alexandre Gabriel, built a reputation on pushing experimentation to extreme places. Specifically, Gabriel is known to play with production, blending and aging techniques to create new and fresh twists on long forgotten liquors. 

More than two decades ago Gabriel launched Citadelle Gin, employing 19 botanicals and aromatics in pot stills over an open flame. Next, he aged the spirit in five types of wooden barrels to create Citadelle Réserve. Now for the Citadelle Extrême collection, he’s testing the limits of the spirit. 

The secret ingredient in Citadelle No Mistake Old Tom Gin comes from a Demerara-like brown sugar that Gabriel discovered on his many trips to the Caribbean. The sugar is toasted and caramelized in copper cauldrons, alcoholized and then aged for three to four months in spirit casks before being added to Citadelle Réserve; the concoction is then married and matured in wooden casks. 

The result is a rare dark gold-tinted gin with a welcome hit of maple sugar. Notes of juniper, orange peel and cardamom give way to hints of fennel and cumin on the palate, while the wood-aging expresses itself through spicy notes of nutmeg, cinnamon and cubeb pepper.

HENDRICK’S ORBIUM

Hendrick’s first gained worldwide recognition due to its innovative approach of infusing their spirit with cucumber and rose, and in doing so simultaneously revolutionized both the gin and mixology industries. 

Now Master Distiller Lesley Gracie is back breaking conventions, this time bringing in flavors traditionally associated with gin cocktails: quinine found in the iconic G&T and wormwood from a martini’s dry vermouth. She also blended blue lotus blossom to balance the alchemy.

Orbium, previously only available in the UK at a small number of exclusive bars and restaurants, is now ready for wider release. But it’s not for everyone — the bitterness from the quinine opens up new possibilities for cocktail-crafting, but requires a different approach from the traditional London dry gin. 

The use of quinine and wormwood result in a taste that is paradoxically exotic and oddly familiar, spiraling from floral to an alluringly bitter space. And while in-creased bitterness would seem to go against the grain, that’s what Hendrick’s has always done best. 

AMASS

Newcomer Amass bills itself as a “nomadic distillery” as they plan to work in different cities every year to craft their various spirits. First up is gin, which they’ve chosen to make in Los Angeles under the auspices of Morgan McLachlan.

The Vancouver-born/L.A.-based distiller specializes in creating small-batch locavore’s gin. Amass selected 29 botanicals to best represent the City of Angels, including indigenous California bay leaf and cascara sagrada, as well as more foreign ingredients like hibiscus, cardamom, cacao, and kaffir lime leaf. 

The citrus notes reference L.A.’s bygone years as a massive orange orchard, and the more exotic botanicals reflect the city’s profound polychromatic multiculturalism. The native herbs provide a distinctive earthy base for Amass, grounding bright top notes of citrus from grapefruit, orange and lemon. Built on a base of 96% corn spirit, the alcohol’s ultra-clean foundation allows for an articulate expression of all its delicate ingredients.

ROKU GIN

The fabled House of Suntory, the historical home of Japanese whisky, has now turned its attention to a new spirit: gin. Many argue the Japanese have surpassed the Scots as masters of malt whisky, so Suntory’s success at conquering another shelf on the bar seems all but foretold. 

Roku is the house’s newest attempt at the spirit, but it falls in line with founder Shinjiro Torii’s monozukuri philosophy of craftsmanship: “A relentless pursuit of perfection, meticulous attention to detail and commitment to quality.” 

As it means “six” in Japanese, Roku utilizes a half-dozen traditional Japanese botanicals in its distillation, and Suntory takes the
provenance of ingredients very seriously indeed. A clean, intriguing and pleasantly affordable gin execution from the Land of the Rising Sun. 

Cherry blossom and green tea provide a floral and sweet aroma, with yuzu as the top tasting note, while Japanese sanshō pepper brings a hint of spiciness to the finish.

MONKEY—47 SCHWARZWALD DRY GIN

Former Nokia exec Alexander Stein moved to the Black Forest of Germany to join forces with master distiller Christoph Keller to produce this unique spirit, using an antique recipe originally formulated by an expat former RAF commander. After 120 test batches, the duo began selling Monkey 47 in 2010. 

The reaction to the handcrafted, batch-distilled spirit was immediate and overwhelming. In total nearly 50 ingredients (hence the name) are used in the making of Monkey 47, with a third of them found in the Black Forest, including lingonberries, spruce, acacia blooms, bramble leaves and, perhaps most importantly, the area’s famed soft spring water.

The end result is a highly complex gin with fruit, spice and herb notes that blend into flavors of pine and wood.

DAMRAK GIN

Another Dutch specialty recently became easier to obtain on American shores. Imported from Amsterdam, Damrak aims for a super-clean profile by five-times distilling their gin for one of the brightest and sweetest spirits we tested. 

Damrak incorporates 17 different botanicals in its process, leaning heavy on the citrus ledger by focusing on Curaçao oranges, Valencia oranges and lemons, as well as herbs and spices like angelica root, cinnamon, star anise and lavender. Most definitely not your standard London dry.

NOLET’S RESERVE

The history of Nolet’s is unlike any other gin, having been distilled in a family-run facility in the gin mecca of Schiedam, Holland, for well over 300 years—one of the storied origins of the term “Dutch courage” came from soldiers quaffing Holland’s best before battle. 

The brand’s current custodian, Carolus Nolet, Sr., is the distillery’s 10th-generation owner. And while Nolet’s classic expression is world renowned, Carolus wanted to offer the faithful a bottle that could be passed down from father to son. Or at least saved and savored at a generational event.

His higher proof Nolet’s Reserve is handcrafted using a recipe that highlights two distinct botanicals: saffron for warmth and spice, and verbena for its delicate subtlety. As can be expected, the cost of the beautifully packaged and hand-numbered spirit is high. 

But as Carolus personally approves each share of Reserve before it is bottled in order to guarantee the family’s highest standards are being upheld, this is extravagance in the very best of taste.

Drake’s latest whip is even more extravagant than his $400,000 iPhone case. 

The “God’s Plan” Grammy winner now owns an ultra-rare Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet, the only convertible version of the G-Wagen in production. 

Tony Bet, CEO of Toronto-based custom auto shop Driving Emotions Motorcar, posted photos of the rapper’s luxe ride adorned with “Papi” balloons to Instagram. 

“Price tag: $$$$$$$
,” Bet captioned another post, adding that it’s one of only 99 in existence and “not available at your local Mercedes dealer.”

As Robb Report notes, location tags indicate that Drake sent his Landaulet to Brabus for unspecified upgrades. 

Given that the German tuning house’s past G-Wagen overhauls cost around $100,000, it almost certainly ran Drake north of $600,000 based on the truck’s estimated $550,000 base price. 

If you get one stock from the German marque, the luxury SUV boasts a turbo-charged Mercedes-AMG V12 that produces 630 horsepower, 22-inch light-alloy wheels and 17.7 inches of ground clearance. 

The seriously swanky interior is decked out in designo leather upholstery and matching finishes, and that’s only the beginning. 

Mercedes-Benz has further details: 

The active multicontour seats with ENERGIZING massage function have inflatable air chambers to provide high seating comfort and excellent lateral support. Massage programs make for enhanced well-being – according to the principle of a relaxing hot-stone massage.

To afford the rear passengers the optimum in comfort, there is a large business console with thermal cup holders between the individual seats. These allow beverages to be cooled or heated over a lengthy period of time. The controls for opening or closing the glass partition are integrated behind the cup holders.

The rear passengers can revel in a maximum of comfort: at the press of a button, a large folding top opens electrically to offer a view of the blue sky.

And here we thought Lamborghinis were the ultimate hip-hop rides. 

If you don’t already have a short-barreled 12 gauge shotgun—or even if you do—this badass boomstick from Black Aces Tactical (BAT) could make a striking addition to your home armory. 

Based on the Mossberg 590 Shockwave, the new BAT Pro Series Shockwave boasts upgrades like a nickel-plated bolt, charge handle and release button, optional walnut grip and forend, and a lightweight aluminum receiver chambered for either 2 3/4-inch or 3-inch shells packed with light or heavy loads. 

Though barrel length is just 14 inches, the lack of a buttstock exempts the weapon from prohibition under the National Firearms Act, making it legal in every state except California and Massachusetts. 

Gunivore reviewed the BAT Pro Series Shockwave and reports that it’s affordability doesn’t conversely affect reliability: 

I want to make it clear that you shouldn’t let its affordable price tag lead you into thinking that they cut down on its durability or reliability.

In reality, these are capable of handling plenty of abuse and are not known to experience any functionality problems.
In fact, their 6061 T6 aluminum receiver is well-built and plenty reliable.

It’s also worth noting that they incorporated a cross-bolt safety behind the trigger guard and a bolt release on the right of the aluminum receiver.  

The Florida-based firearms company also offers a plethora of accessories. Gunivore recommends their combination quad rail/shell holder, as well as this super gnarly anodized magazine spike.

Available with a four-plus-one mag capacity, the BAT Pro Series Shockwave retails for $574. 

Hot off the heels of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Morocco tour, Kate Middleton and Prince William are currently on a mini royal trip of their own. The couple made a surprise arrival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Wednesday, where they spent time with kids at Windsor Park Stadium and the Roscor Youth Village.

The agenda for the first part of the visit included soccer, canoeing, and archery, so it’s no surprise the Duchess of Cambridge opted for skinny jeans and sneakers. She wore a Barbour Longshore Quilted Jacket ($212), which she layered over a Ralph Lauren Cable-Knit Cricket Sweater ($95, available in yellow and black stripes). As for her shoes, she opted for New Balance Fresh Foam Cruz Running Shoes ($52), which are available to buy on Amazon and boast plenty of good reviews. It’s not every day that a royalty-approved item can be purchased on Amazon, so you might want to get clicking before they sell out.

On the same day, Middleton also had two other outfit changes: a red Carolina Herrera coat with L.K.Bennett Marissa Suede Booties ($347) and a mint green Missoni Metallix Lurex Midi Dress ($2480) with sheer sleeves that’s still available on Net-a-Porter. Scroll down to see every single outfit she’s worn in Northern Ireland so far. 

Next, see how Meghan Markle made leggings look chic at the airport.