Whether you enjoy your gin shaken into a martini or mixed with tonic water, there’s no denying that gin is one of the most versatile spirits there are. It appeals on a hot day by the pool as much as it is does on a sexy night out.

Over the years, its popularity has skyrocketed too, quickly saturating the spirits market with the fragranced botanicals that starkly stand gin apart from the malty whisky or tannin-esque cognac.

Along with its popularity also came a clear distinction, as most things do, between the good and not so good. Today, we look at the priciest of them all.

Morus LXIV

Hand-harvested and individually dried Mulberry (Morus Nigra) leaves take the lead in this very rare, finely crafted gin. Distilled from the leaves of a single, ancient Mulberry tree, a single batch of this exquisite cask-strength (64% ABV) gin takes more than two years of careful work to produce from the botanicals grown for generations, their soil nourished by the same age old, underground stream. Hand-made porcelain jars, embossed and polished to a diamond matt finish in distinctive crisp white are perfectly paired with an elegant porcelain stirrup cup present a fresh take on the traditional British drinking vessel.  The luxurious presentation is completed with a fine leather hide, hand embossed case to give a satisfying, organic feel. W morusgin.com

Truffle Gin

The world’s first digestif gin was created when founders William and Lucy were presented with an after-dinner drinks list which didn’t include any white spirits. This luxurious spirit is led by white truffle from Alba, Piedmont – an ingredient which is worth more than gold per gram. Innovatively distilled to preserve the full flavour of the truffle, Truffle Gin achieves a flavour profile more usually associated with mature spirits, and is a complex and well-balanced spirit of unparallelled depth and complexity. Winner of the Ultra Premium category of the Luxury Spirits Masters 2017, this deliciously decadent gin is best enjoyed neat, over ice, with a twist of orange. W cambridgedistillery.co.uk

KI NO BI Gin, Edition G

The Kyoto Distillery is proud to partner with Champagne Henri Giraud in this ground-breaking collaboration, which came about after the visit of 12th-generation owner Claude Giraud to The Kyoto Distillery. In what may be a world first, KI NO BI Kyoto Dry Gin has been aged in oak barriques sourced from the Champagne region’s Argonne Forest and previously used to mature Henri Giraud’s finest Champagnes. This gin has been regularly monitored by the distillery team and carefully matured to the point where the fruitiness and the vanilla from the oak are in perfect harmony with the original botanical blend. Recommended to be drunk in a highball or French 75. W kyotodistillery.jp

Comte De Grasse 44°N

Named for the geographic coordinates of Grasse, 44°N’s tasting notes read like a who’s who of local botanicals set to the full spectrum dreamscape of the South of France. The gin encapsulates the exquisite energy and flavour of the French Riviera, where Bitter Orange, Cade, Mimosa, Centifolia and Immortelle are distilled by combining modern gin distilling methods with cutting edge perfume extraction technology. It all comes together in what the distiller believes is a thoroughly revelatory experience in a gin imagined and distilled in Grasse. W 44gin.com

Watenshi Gin

Revered by gin collectors as the absolute pinnacle of modern spirits production, Watenshi is the “angel’s share” of Cambridge Distillery’s Japanese gin, normally lost to evaporation but preserved using its pioneering distillation processes – which yields just 15ml of spirit per distillation. The result is a gin of unparalleled intensity and complexity, an expression of refined elegance which has previously only been attainable by the finest single malts and significantly aged cognacs. Released in batches of just six bottles at a time, each one is presented in a hand-crafted feather nest. The liquid inside is just as exquisite, with notes of sweet citrus and spice, supported by bitter juniper and an incredibly long, complex finish. W cambridgedistillery.co.uk

Ferdinand’s Goldcap Gin

Named after the first local Royal Prussian district forester Ferdinand Geltz, Ferdinand’s takes its inspiration from the bountiful Saar region that sits in the tri-border region between Germany, Luxembourg and France. The herbs, spices and fruits used in its gin are delicately balanced and are handpicked and self cultivated. Of its many offerings, only the heart of the once-a-year distillation as well as some very special ingredients find their way into the Goldcap. This extra small batch has a remarkable character. Just the best of the vineyard is used for the infusion: Auslese Goldkapsel grapes make this distillation to a unique limited bottling. W ferdinandsgin.com