The great gin boom of the 21st century shows no sign of slowing as the world remains thirsty for juniper. At the Whisky Exchange, we’ve always prided ourselves on finding the best spirits for our customers, so we’ve assembled a panel of experts to determine the Gin of the Year 2023.

This year’s shortlist contains modern interpretations of classic styles and boundary-pushing new innovations. The winner is Stranger & Sons Gin, offering an aromatic and exotic take on the classic spirit, utilising locally-sourced botanicals to create a fragrant Indian gin.

Founded in 2018 by Sakshi Saigal, Rahul Mehra and Vidur Gupta, Goa’s Third Eye distillery is shrouded in light-humoured myths and legends, embracing the area’s reputation as a hippie mecca. Dedicated to making truly Indian gins, Third Eye distillery uses herbs and spices from farms along the Konkan and Malabar coasts, from Goa to Kerala, as well as four kinds of Indian citrus peels: Gondhoraj lemon, bergamot, Nagpur orange and lime.

From the beginning, Third Eye distillery’s founders have been working hard to reduce their environmental impact. Local women help the distillery team to peel the citrus used in their gins and take the leftover fruit home to make traditional jams and pickles which are sold at the local markets. There is no plastic used in their packaging, not even a dash of tape, and the botanicals are used whole, with no part is discarded as waste.