Mixologist Wayne Collins serves up a martini to Kevin Brauch, host of The Thirsty Traveler.

It’s been several decades since bathtub gin caused a stir, but its inspiration is still mixing it up in cocktails all over. Here’s the lowdown on the flappers’ all-time favorite, poured out of a bottle, of course.

Gin can be divided into several styles:

1. London dry gin
   
2. genever or jenever (Dutch-style gin)
   
3. Plymouth Gin (made the same way as London dry
   but in Plymouth, England.)

The United States remains the world's largest gin market.

The most popular gin drinks are:

1. Gin and tonic
   
2. dry martini
   
3. Gibson
   
4. gin gimlet

Gin can be served neat and at room temperature, but gins such as London dry and Plymouth taste much better chilled and/or diluted.
Pour the gin over ice and stir it for up to 30 seconds, and then strain it into a chilled glass.

The drier, more herbal blends of gin, such as Beefeater and Tanqueray, work wonders for making dry martinis like this one:
Pour 2 ounces of gin and 1/2 ounce of vermouth over ice and stir 30 seconds. Strain over ice or into a chilled glass. Garnish with olives or a twist.

Seagram's, a fruitier gin, works well for fruit juice concoctions like the Screwdriver.

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