Best Breakfast Gins; and a Bonus Recipe*

Among gins that actually evokes breakfast flavors—citrus marmalade, tea, toast, and brunch cocktails—there are a few standouts:

Best Overall Breakfast Gin

FEW Spirits Breakfast Gin

• Specifically designed as a "breakfast" or brunch gin.

• Botanicals include Earl Grey tea, lemon, juniper, and citrus peel.

• Excellent in a French 75, Ramos Gin Fizz, or simply with tonic.

Best British-Style Breakfast Gin

Marmalade Old Tom Gin

• Built around Seville orange marmalade.

• Slightly sweet Old Tom style.

• Tastes like quality marmalade on toast translated into gin.

Best Easily Available UK Option

Hendrick's Gin

• Not marketed as a breakfast gin, but it is superb in a Breakfast Martini (gin, marmalade, orange liqueur, lemon juice).

If You're in Southern England Right Now

Look for:

• Marmalade Old Tom Gin

• Slingsby Marmalade Gin

• Sipsmith Zesty Orange Gin

• Any quality Old Tom or citrus-forward gin paired with a good Seville orange marmalade.

My Recommendation

For a gin enthusiast, I'd choose FEW Breakfast Gin because it genuinely captures breakfast notes through Earl Grey tea and citrus. For a more traditional British palate, I'd choose Marmalade Old Tom Gin and make a Breakfast Martini with it.

And if you're asking what gin I'd pour at an actual breakfast table with smoked salmon, eggs, or kedgeree: a French 75 made with FEW Breakfast Gin would be hard to beat.

Bonus Recipe: Breakfast Martini

Ingredients

• Gin: 1 1/2 oz (or 50 ml) London dry gin
• Orange Liqueur: 1/2 oz (or 15 ml) Cointreau or Grand Marnier
• Lemon Juice: 1/2 oz (or 15 ml) freshly squeezed
• Marmalade: 1 heaped teaspoon of good-quality orange marmalade
• Garnish: Orange zest/twist or a small piece of cinnamon-sugar toast

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients: Add the marmalade and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker.
2. Dissolve the marmalade: Use a bar spoon to stir the mixture briefly so the marmalade liquefies and blends with the citrus.
3. Add spirits and ice: Pour in the gin and orange liqueur. Fill the shaker with ice.
4. Shake: Shake vigorously for about 10 to 15 seconds until the outside is very cold.
5. Strain: Double strain the drink into a chilled coupe or martini glass to keep out any orange pulp or ice chunks.
6. Garnish: Squeeze the orange zest over the top to express the oils, drop it into the drink, and enjoy.

*or, Sometimes You Ask a Facetious Question and Discover You've Entered a Very Serious World...