Over the years the gin industry has developed jargon that can be hard for gin newcomers to understand. Use our guide to the most common terminology and sound like a pro next time you order gin!

Gin Terminology

Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
The alcohol content of a spirit

Aged gin
Gin that rested in it’s barrel for a certain amount of time post distillation

Base Spirit
Organic materials that have been fermented and distilled; the spirit without botanicals

Basket
A vapor distillation tool that suspends botanicals above the spirit

Bathtub Gin
Homemade gin that doesn’t go through a distillation process

Botanical
A natural ingredient, such as a fruit or herb, whose purpose is to infuse flavor in the gin

Ethanol
The type of alcohol that is the base of gin and all other alcohols

Finish
The flavors that are brought out as the drink is finished; essentially the aftertaste

Juniper
A citrusy, woody berry that is typically used in gin distilling

London Dry Gin
A type of gin that’s base spirit contained 96% ABV before it’s botanicals were added

Nose
The scents evoked by a gin