London Dry Gin

London Dry Gin

What is London Dry Gin? London Dry Gin is a rather misleading term for a style of gin that can be produced anywhere. All London Dry gins must taste predominantly of juniper, and only a very small amount of sugar may be added. It’s a classic style of gin that lends itself to Martinis and other iconic cocktails. A gin drinkers’ gin.

How is London Dry Gin made?

London Dry Gin is made like any other gin, but juniper is always the key botanical. Typically, a selection of botanicals will be used: juniper, coriander seed, angelica root and citrus peels are the most common. These will either be added to the spirit and distilled, or suspended above the spirit to allow the vapour to absorb the flavours before being condensed back into liquid.

How does London Dry Gin taste?

Juniper must be the main flavour in a London Dry gin – if you want weird and wonderful botanicals, you’re better off looking elsewhere. London Dry gin is a traditional, age-old style, and many gin connoisseurs are very keen to keep things that way.

Surge in gin distilleries

The past 20 years has seen an huge rise in the number of London gin distilleries, such as City of London, the London Distillery Company and Sacred. Gin is the spirit success story of the moment, and with London having such strong links to the world of gin, it was inevitable that the London gin scene would rise again.

Gin popularity

The 18th century saw a gin craze in England’s capital, so much so that swathes of Londoners became addicted, leading to Parliament introducing legislation to curb the alarming rise in gin consumption.

Famous distilleries in London

London gin distilleries are a combination of old and new. Beefeater, for example, dates to the 19th century, while one the capital’s more modern stars is Sipsmith, which set up in west London in 2009.