So you think you don't like gin?
There's something I need to get off my chest, OK? Here goes: I have never liked gin. It feels good to admit that, because the assumption is that, being a drinks writer, I should adore any and all forms of inebriation. But I (shock!) have things I loathe just as any other person does, even when it comes to booze. I don't like cardio or jobsworths, either, and that will never change. I do, however, want to change the gin thing.
I've abstained from the expansive world of gin with my philistine resistance to garnishes, tonic water and any glass that requires both hands to drink from. So, in a bid to get over my irrational fears, I put out a call for gin experts to prescribe me a failsafe drink. 'If someone says they don't like gin, I ask if it's just London dry gin that they don't like, which tends to be most people's association with the category,' says Alexander Watson, founder of Renais. 'I'd invite them to try something with a softer profile, because there's just so much variety nowadays. With this kind of gin, I'd recommend a dry martini with a twist of lemon, where the heat of the liquid is taken out a little by the temperature of the drink, and there's also a small bit of dilution.'
As several gin advocates I've dated have pointed out, it might also be that I just don't like tonic, a point picked up by spirits writer and gin expert Sarah Miller: 'Try different mixers – soda water, lemonade, ginger ale, even cola. And if it's the juniper you don't like, go for less traditional gins that lean towards different flavours.' Damola Timeyin, co-founder of Spearhead Spirits, a premium African spirits company, agrees: 'I'm a sucker for anything sweet, so for me the perfect gin cocktail is a gimlet. We make a palm and pineapple gin that goes great in a gimlet, especially when garnished with a slice of grilled pineapple.'
That's probably one to consider when summer finally returns, but what if you want something classic that's not a gin and tonic? 'A Tom Collins made with a good entry-level gin such as Martin Miller's or Hendricks is a good gateway drink,' Sarah Miller tells me. 'Gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and soda water.'
No tonic water? Say no more. I head to the supermarket to gather the ingredients, the result froths in the glass and I feel the cold water of redemption rush over my palate. I need just the one hand to drink it, too (I use the other for crisps).
Martin Miller's Gin £30 Waitrose, 40%. A good staple to have in your arsenal. Blended with Icelandic spring water, it's pure but earthy.
Bayab African Grown Gin £35.93 (on offer) Master of Malt, 43%. A citrus-focused gin, with flavours from the baobab fruit complemented by African botanicals.
Decem Light Spirit £29.95 Berry Bros & Rudd, 10%. If it's the high alcohol level you're avoiding, try this flavourful, traditionally styled blend.
Renais Gin £48 Renais, 40%. Inspired by the terroir of Chablis and Burgundy, with a base of salvaged grapes, this is a softer blend. Subtle spice balances citrus and juniper.
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