Gin is the liquor everyone loves to hate. You certainly can’t deny it doesn’t have a distinct juniper flavor—there is no masking it. Even the cocktail ingredients with gin defer to the gin taste.

Which, honestly, is kind of what I like about it. Love it or hate it, gin is here to stay AND makes a great book pairing. Here are a few I think pair well:

Gin & Tonic

This was my go-to drink for a while—it’s the perfect combo of drinkable but doesn’t taste like you’re drinking nothing (looking at you, vodka soda). Maybe I should pick it back up again…

Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon (out 10/29) is a great gin & tonic-type book. See why in my review out next month! I would also pair a gin and tonic with The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White, classic yet unique.

Gin Martini

Okay so I like gin, but these are gross. I once ordered an “Ernest Heminway” at a martini bar (RIP Swig!) because I was feeling high and mighty that I liked gin. Then I took a sip. And gagged. I had to ask my bartender friend to basically turn it into a gin and tonic so I could get it down. It was embarrassing. BUT I learned my lesson.

Based on the above description, these are basically books I couldn’t get down. Which, I’ve recently learned it’s OK not to finish a book you’re not enjoying! Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan being a prime example and The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick. I did finish the latter, but I definitely wasn’t happy about it—it was for a readathon.

Gimlet (and similar)

CLASSIC. Like I’m talking old Hollywood classic. Basically this cocktail comes down to a mix of gin, lime, and soda. 

Classy pairings include Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCouer and The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman.

French 75

For when just a sparkling wine won’t do, add gin and make it a French 75 cocktail. And other stuff, idk I’m not a mixologist. Pairs well with books that have that sparkling touch, but go the extra mile, or have that 20s flair. 

Like City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert or The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Loved the former, less so the latter. 

Consistently drunk (but not like right this sec),

Minda

Comment below: What’s your favorite (or least favorite) gin beverage?