Plymouth Gin is the only gin with a ;Geographic Designation, meaning that it can only be made in Plymouth, England. This gives it distinction in its own right. It also uses the same 18th century recipe that has been handed down from one generation of master distillers to the next. The botanicals for Plymouth Gin are gathered from all over the world and they include juniper berries, angelica root, orange peel, lemon peel, cardamom pods, orris roots and coriander seeds. They are combined with crystal clear water from the surrounding region of the Dartmoor and then placed in Englands oldest pot still that dates back to 1855.

Dutch or Geneva Gins are starting to come back to the mainstream in a big way. This style of gin is usually a little heavier because of the way it is made. The product is produced by compounding juniper berries with a style of malt wine called moutwijn. The two versions of Geneva are usually oude (old) and jonge (young), with oude containing a higher percentage of moutwijn. This style of production makes a much more aromatic, pungent gin. The rarest gin to find on todays market is Old Tom. It is a sweetened gin and credited to a Captain Bradstreet who used a carved container in the shape of a tom cat to dispense the gin to sailors. Haymans Old Tom from the UK is one recommended brand.With all these different styles out there then it is only necessary to taste all of them to come to the right conclusion. What gin goes with what style of martini?