The one conspicuous absence is Nolet’s Silver, which a recently visiting friend loved so much that I sent her home with it. It will not be missing for long.

The ones I really enjoy are the (missing) Nolet’s, the (new) Uncle Val’s, the (nearly drained) Tanqueray No. 10 and the Hendricks. Gotta have the Plymouth navy strength for the Last Word. 

When I began my cocktail journey, the only gin on my shelf was Bombay Sapphire. Now that one plus several others are mostly just taking up space. Count among those: the Empress (yes, I fell for the gimmick), the Broker’s (Wirecutter’s top pick 2025), the Citadelle Jardin d’Ete (which I wanted to love but didn’t).

I also really quite like the one in the unlabeled blue decanter — that’s where I keep my Kirkland’s London Dry from Costco (refilling from the monster-sized bottle that lives in the basement). It is highly respectable in cocktails (which is the only way I drink gin, anyway.)

The old tom (Hayman’s) is fun to experiment with. The Tanqueray is nice. The botanist is new and a little weird and I’m not sure what to do with it… it reminds me of something very green that I can’t quite put my finger on. The Beefeater (Wirecutter’s top pick 2024) is nice in a French 75, and I liked it a lot when I first picked it up as my standby, retiring the Sapphire — but by now I’ve mostly moved on from it.

The Tanq no 10 is really smooth in the martini-adjacent drinks I am fond of, like the Means of Preservation and the Webster F. St Layaway Plan. 

I’ve tasted Monkey 47, but haven’t bought a bottle. There are others I have in my sights — St. George in particular. 

I’ll be looking forward to your comments. :)

My Collection