Drink: Gin

THE American historian Bernard De Voto was in excellent company when he penned his ode to the mighty martini. For though James Bond is best known for his penchant for the vodka version (shaken, not stirred, if you please), it is the Vesper martini – made with gin and named after his dead lover, Vesper Lynd – that is the original 007 tipple, first mentioned in Casino Royale.

The spirit's fans range from WC Fields – "I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast" – to Denis Thatcher – "I don't know what reception I'm at, but for God's sake give me a gin and tonic". But where it might once have been associated with pre-dinner cocktails on the terrace in the days of the Raj, gin is now the epitome of cool. "Gin was pretty much what your parents or your great aunt used to drink," says Craig Harper, UK head of Martin Miller's Gin and something of an expert on the spirit that was first created in Holland as a treatment for kidney disorders. "Then brands like Bombay Sapphire started to make it cool again. That blue bottle has become iconic."

And so, like vodka in the 1990s, when the creation of new flavours and celebrity-driven brands saw its popularity rocket, gin is the spirit of the new decade. "Everyone said rum was going to be the next big thing, but gin has taken over," says Harper. "There are gin bars across the country. There's a bar in Germany that has 90 different gins. And it's amazing how many micro distilleries are popping up. Last year 12 or 13 different ones were launched.

"Then you get series like Mad Men, where people see the characters drinking cocktails. People are enjoying that retro thing."

If you needed more persuading to try the drink, consider the fact that you could very well be supping on a home-grown product, as gins such as Tanqueray, Hendricks and Gordon's are made in Scotland. But, with hundreds of bottles to choose from, how can you tell which one will taste best in your humble G&T?

It's all in the mix, according to Harper, who was born in the Black Isle and began his career mixing cocktails in Edinburgh's Tonic bar. For, though all gins are based on the same ingredients – the flavour is derived from juniper berries – there's a delicate balance at play. "It's like beer," explains Harper. "They all have water, hops, barley and yeast, but it's how you use them to get the different flavours out."

Different gin brands combine other ingredients such as lemon and orange peel, as well as combinations of spices, including star anise, angelica, liquorice, cinnamon, saffron, frankincense and coriander. And which gin you choose depends on how you're planning to drink it. "I like a bigger taste when I'm drinking a gin and tonic, so I'd choose something like a Tanqueray Export," says Harper. "But if I'm making a cocktail I might want a lighter, citrussy gin."

And what of those purists who would never sully their gin with anything other than the very best tonic? "Apple juice is amazing with gin," he insists. "And I drink it with ginger beer and a slice of lime." He suggests mixing it with cranberry and apple juice for a winter tipple, and, of course, sloe gin is a traditional seasonal alternative. "There's also a drink called the bees knees," he adds, "which is gin, honey and lemon juice It's quite tart but it's absolutely delicious – another old-fashioned drink that people are drinking again."

And to those who claim they don't like gin? "I reckon 90 per cent of the people I know who don't like gin just don't like tonic, because that's usually how you first try it," says Harper. "So I'll make them a gin and cranberry or a gin and apple, not tell them what it is and see if they enjoy it. That usually does the trick."

In conjunction with Scotland On Sunday, Martin Miller's Gin (www.martinmillersgin.com) launches Masterclasses for the Gintelligentsia next month. Run by Craig Harper, sessions include a history of cocktails and tips on mixing and shaking at home. Masterclasses for the Gintelligentsia, 6.30pm, 1 March, at Bramble Bar, 16a Queen Street, Edinburgh. There are 12 places available to the first readers to e-mail [email protected]

Craig Harper's perfect G&T

"You want lots and lots of ice, high in the glass. People tend to think the more ice there is, the less flavour they're going to get, but that's not the case. The more ice, the colder it'll stay and the less it'll melt, so you end up with a stronger drink all the way down.

"I like a tall glass with a thinner top so that the tonic water stays bubbly," he adds.

Invest in a good gin and don't stint on the measure – "I'll tend to have a double" – but don't ruin it all with a cheap tonic. "It's no good spending 20 or 30 on a lovely bottle of gin, then getting a generic, not very good tonic water. At least two parts of your drink are going to be tonic, so you should invest in a decent one."

On the lemon or lime question, Harper says, "I actually do both – I like the tanginess of the lime and the aroma of the lemon. But some gins work well with orange, some with grapefruit, so it really depends on what you want."

Lastly, with a wedge of lemon in the glass, squeeze the lime round the rim of the glass to give you a zingy blast. Then just enjoy.

This article was first published in Scotland on Sunday on 07 February 2010