10 Best Seagrams Flavors Ranked From Worst To Best
Seagram's is one of the top-selling gin brands in the United States. It was founded in 1883 by Joseph E. Seagram in Waterloo, Ontario. After its founding, it would take another 40 years for the brand to be popularized across Canada's borders. When Samuel Bronfman bought the company in 1928 and put his marketing and entrepreneurial skills to use, the brand took off. Clever ads in large publications along with an expanded product line made Seagram's the top spirits marketer in the United States in the 1950s.
Seagram's Extra Dry Gin was introduced in the 1960s, and it became an instant success story. Seagram's gin is highly versatile: It's great on its own or as a mixer. The sales of the Seagram's Extra Dry Gin helped lift the brand to a new level. Today, Seagram's line of Twisted Gins makes up the bulk of the company's alcoholic offerings.
Seagram's Twisted Gins are mixed with flavored liqueurs. But Seagram's offers a whole range of flavors, and not all are created equal. Seagram's has eight flavored gins and two standard gins in its portfolio, and each has its own tasting notes and characteristics. These gins are popular among cocktail lovers, although some flavors deserve this love more so than others.
Melon
In the range of flavors that Seagram's offers, the Twisted Melon Gin may be the hardest to wrap your head around. The notes are mostly fruity and sweet, as expected from melon, but it's hard to make out exactly which type of melon flavor Seagram's was going for with this gin.
Of course, there are many types of melon, and the bottle depicts two different melon varieties: Honeydew and cantaloupe. According to The GIN is IN, the botanicals in this gin are aggressively pushed into the background by the sweet melon aromas. The gin packs far too much sweetness to be enjoyable. You can't mix it with juices; otherwise, it quickly turns into a sugar overload.
The flavor of this gin, if enjoyed on its own, may actually surprise you with its intriguing finish. You may taste other notes, although the melon flavor stays dominant and lets you easily forget that you're actually drinking gin. But if you mix this melon twisted gin with soda water, tonic water, or ginger beer, it creates a rather balanced combination that helps make this flavored spirit much more enjoyable.
Grape
Grape isn't exactly the flavor that comes to mind when you think of flavored gins. That's why Seagram's Grape Twisted Gin is rather unexpected. This flavor, along with other Seagram's Twisted Gin varieties, is accented with natural flavors in the hope that it transforms the gin. And Seagram's may be onto something, although not in the way that it hoped.
According to Summer Fruit Cup, if you take one whiff of this gin, you may be reminded of brandy. Grapes, with their sweet and sour notes, are rather potent, and they're the driving force behind many other alcoholic drinks such as brandy, wine, etc. So, pairing grape flavor with gin does not really complement it; rather, it counters the botanical flavors that are naturally found in gin. The grape flavor would probably be much more successful in a more neutral spirit like vodka.
The biggest issue, though, is that using this gin in a cocktail simply does not work. If you add a sour or a sweet note, it emphasizes the grape flavor and puts the gin even further into the background, which makes you forget that you are drinking a gin cocktail to begin with. And one thing's for sure about gin lovers: They want to taste gin! If you try this gin with just some soda water, you might get a feel for its true flavor. This is a gin that you either love or hate, so try it and find out which side you are on.
Pineapple
Mixing spirits is, in general, quite complicated. The end product should either highlight a flavor or demonstrate the perfect balance of complementary notes. Seagram's Pineapple Twisted Gin is the brand's attempt to deliver a mixer that can complement other spirits in a cocktail. The brand's website states that the gin is intended to be enjoyed as a mixed drink.
Pineapple has some sweet and juicy flavors; however, it requires some deep and creamy notes as an underlayer to keep it from becoming cloyingly sweet. That's why cocktails like the Piña Colada, for example, work so well. In our humble opinion, gin is not the best partner for the sweet and strong flavor of pineapple. Juniper, the primary botanical in traditional gins, has a rather herbal aroma. The flavors in gin are too far a departure from pineapple, so this drink results in one big disconnect.
You may find yourself searching for the missing piece to make this gin more balanced. According to a review on Internet Wines, this spirit is not enjoyable on its own. Since Seagram's suggests mixing this gin into a cocktail, you might have better luck with a recipe. But if you're looking to drink gin neat, then this is one spirit that you might be better off skipping.
Peach
Seagram's Peach Twisted Gin is an interesting offering from Seagram's range of flavored gins. This gin has peach liquor, and like every Seagram's gin, it has no color. Peach is a rather sweet fruit, and it has hints of citrus that are pretty noticeable in the spirit. But although the peach notes are prominent, the taste and smell lean more towards the artificial side. In fact, according to a review by The GIN is IN, this gin tastes more like candy.
This spirit is bursting with peach flavor that plays well with the herbal notes of the gin. This gin will make you feel like you're drinking peach schnapps instead of gin. Although lemon and lime flavors are more suited to gin, this Peach Twisted Gin flavor kind of works, especially if you have a sweet tooth. It's certainly worth a shot for those who like their drinks sweet, although everyone else may be overwhelmed due to its over-the-top syrupy peach essence.
Lime
What would a gin and tonic cocktail be without the lemon oil from the zest emphasizing the aromas of the gin? Or, can you imagine a Negroni without the orange peel? It's clear that gin and citrus are complementary flavors. So, Seagram's Twisted Lime Gin is a promising offering that fits well into its line of flavored gins.
The flavors in Twisted Gins, though natural, seem very concentrated, which makes them taste rather intense. And unfortunately, this lime twisted gin is no exception. A few Distiller reviewers recommend mixing it rather than drinking it. And that's because it lacks balance.
The lime is overpowering, and it drowns out the taste of the gin. You could try balancing this spirit with something spicy, like a ginger beer or an ale, to tone down the intense aromas of the lime liquor used in this spirit. But if you're on the hunt for a lightly-scented lime gin, then we suggest you keep looking!
Watermelon
If you're inviting friends to a summer BBQ, you can almost bet that someone will bring a watermelon. Watermelon is highly versatile, and it makes for the perfect snack. It can be eaten grilled in salads or mixed into cocktails: Watermelon checks all the boxes. Seagram's Twisted Watermelon Gin combines sweet watermelon flavors with dry and herbal notes.
Watermelon is more on the sweet side, but its most distinguishing characteristic is how refreshing it is, and this plays well into the profile of Seagram's Gin. Unlike other Twisted Gin flavors, Seagram's recommends drinking this one neat.
One Facebook user even referred to it as the best gin they've ever tried! The watermelon is sweet but not overpowering, and it goes well with the juniper from the gin. Topping this drink with soda water and garnishing it with a cucumber could transport your senses right to a sandy beach.
The flavor is slightly artificial, but overall, this is one of Seagram's tastier twisted gin offerings. Seagram's Twisted Watermelon Gin is one that you'll want to keep handy during the summertime to make quick martinis while you're watching the grill.
Apple
Seagram's has developed many flavored gins over time, and the Apple Twisted Gin is perhaps one of its most surprising offerings. Mixing apples with liquor isn't exactly a new idea. In fact, there are plenty of liquor producers that mix apple flavoring into spirits. And, of course, apples are also used in applejack brandy. So, for quite some time, apples and spirits have lived together quite harmoniously.
Seagram's Twisted Apple Gin is a fantastic flavor because you can almost taste the sweetness of the apple. It's reminiscent of apple juice and apple candy. According to The GIN is IN, the most exciting aspect of this gin is the endless cocktail-making possibilities that it offers. It works well with classic drinks like a gin and tonic or a Negroni.
Or, simply topping this gin up with some ginger beer or elderflower syrup also creates an enjoyable drink: The bold apple flavors will take a backseat, and your drink will have a nice, round finish. This flavor is definitely worth a try, and it makes for a wonderful addition to your bar.
Extra Dry
In the 1960s, after the company was acquired by entrepreneur Samual Bronfman, Seagram's introduced the Extra Dry Gin. This is the brand's standard gin that is used as a base for all the flavored gins. According to the brand's website, this gin is perfect as your new go-to gin, and it fits nearly all events.
We like that this spirit is quite mellow compared to other gins. According to Honest Booze Reviews, Seagram's may have tried to counter the overtly intense taste of the gin with juniper and sweetness, which makes the gin taste a bit off. You can taste and smell the extra notes of sweetness in the gin, which contradicts the juniper flavors. This gin sometimes feels like a rather tasteless spirit with some mild botanical aromas.
Seagram's Extra Dry Gin has a much more enjoyable feel after the sweet tasting notes fade away and the traditional gin flavors come through. In a good gin, you can often sniff out a potpourri of botanicals starting with the juniper, angelica root, and spices like coriander; however, this is where Seagram's Extra Dry Gin is a little bit lacking. It's a decent gin, and it is one of the best spirits in Seagram's portfolio. Try it in mixed drinks rather than on its own, and you will find endless uses for this spirit
Distiller's Reserve
Seagram's produces only two non-flavored gins. While its flagship gin, the Extra Dry, is pretty good, we're fanatics of the Distiller's Reserve Gin. It's a higher proof gin that clocks in at about 94, with intense aromas and undeniable botanical notes.
According to Booze Basher, this gin smells and tastes like a whole forest (rather than just one tree), along with notes of smoke. The taste is on the stronger side due to the higher proof: While the 47% ABV of the Seagram's Distiller's Reserve gin is not the highest out of all gins in the world, the high alcohol content sure does eliminate the sweetness, leading to a sharper aftertaste.
It's a bona fide fan favorite, with several Total Wine reviewers touting it as the perfect addition to gin and tonics. It costs about $19 per 1.75-liter bottle, making it a gin that is high in both flavor and great value for money, which is why it's the best that Seagram's has to offer.