I have tried several different kinds of gin in the past and liked none of them. Some of them were highly regarded and popular but I just did not like them. However my family got us a tour at a local craft distillery that does gin. I was not expecting to like it at all, but it was actually good. So I went in with negative expectations and enjoyed it. It was good stuff. So I know a very small amount about what a local craft distillery does, but I know nothing about the big brands. What does a craft distillery or small scale or local or something do different than the big popular name brands that I can look for in a gin?
Gin is basically alcohol flavored with various botanicals. Juniper berries are most prominent in the traditional gin flavor profile, so that may be what you don’t like. Some craft distilleries now make gin with other flavorings. For example, there’s one around here (Vikre) that makes a spruce gin which I quite like.
Check with the craft distillery, and find out what botanicals they use, then look for gins flavored similarly.