The short answer is that London Dry Gin is the world’s most popular type of gin, accounting for around half of the consumption of gin consumed. The longer answer is that London Dry is a type of gin that originated in the eponymous city although it can be made anywhere. It has legal production stipulations, and the base spirit must be distilled from fermentable agricultural sources, for instance, wheat, barley, grapes, and flavoured with botanicals during distillation not afterwards with juniper being the dominant flavour. After distillation the only substances that may be added are a tiny amount of sugar and water for diluting it to the required strength. The minimum ABV must be 37.5%.
Curious to Try Something Else Ginny?
If you are eager to try something other than London Dry, here are a few options.
- Plymouth Gin: fruitier, more aromatic, earthier and fuller bodied than London Dry. It is a legal definition and can only be made at Blackfriars’ Distillery, Plymouth, UK which is England’s oldest working distillery and dates from 1793.
- Old Tom: similar to London Dry but sweeter. It dates from 18th century Britain and it would have been flavoured with aniseed or lemon to mask the harshness of the spirit. Now producers use sugar, honey or liquorice for sweetening.
- Navy Strength: Any type of gin can be defined thus because the name signifies the amount of alcohol (57% ABV). In the centuries when spirits were routinely carried on board British naval ships the Navy required distillers to supply gin and rum at high ABVs. To ensure that the spirit was the strength the producer claimed and the Navy was not being swindled, the ship’s pursers (pussars in naval lingo) tested it by dousing a tiny amount of gunpowder in gin (or rum) and lighting it. If the gunpowder ignited then the spirit was at least 100 % proof, or 57% ABV.
- Pink Gin: This is not an official style but rather it’s a fairly modern iteration and refers to the colour that results from infusing the spirit with botanicals such as raspberries, strawberries, rose petals. These ingredients also bestow subtle flavours. You might be familiar with a classic cocktail of the same name. Pink Gin is gin and bitters (which add a delicate pink hue). The cocktail was devised by British mariners in the early 19th century as a medicinal infusion when bitters, which were taken to relieve seasickness, were added to gin. Among the first commercially produced bitters originated in the Venezuelan port of Angostura, now known as Ciudad Bolívar.
- Flavoured Gin: Any gin that has been infused or flavoured with fruits, herbs, spices, and other additional botanicals for instance rhubarb, ginger, blood orange.
- Sloe Gin: This is technically a liqueur due to the amount of sugar added to the gin and its alcohol level (around 25-30% ABV). It is simple to make. Pick a bundle of sloes from the blackthorn bush, prick them with a thorn from the bush then place them in a large glass jar and add sugar. Pour gin over the fruit. Close the jar and shake vigorously. Store in a dark cupboard and shake the jar every day for a week to dissolve the sugar. After that shake it every week for three months. Strain the liquid into a bottle. It is now ready to drink on its own, with tonic, or in a cocktail.
- Genever, also spelled as jenever. The name derives from jeneverbes, the Dutch word for juniper. This is not a type of gin, but it is a spirit that originated in the 16th century in the Low Countries (modern-day Netherlands and Belgium) and from which gin evolved in 17th century England. Genever is distilled from malted cereal and flavoured by juniper berries and sometimes aniseed and caraway. It has a full body and malty character. The juniper character is not as pronounced as London Dry Gin. Genever is usually consumed neat, rather than in cocktails, and it is common to drink it alongside a glass of beer.
About Jane Peyton
Jane Peyton is the founder of School of Booze, the UK’s drinks education and events company she established in 2008. She was Britain’s first accredited Beer Sommelier of the Year and the UK’s first accredited Pommelier (cider sommelier), and held a Guinness World Record for hosting the world’s largest beer tasting tutorial. Jane has written fourteen books on drinks history and culture and is a regular broadcaster on BBC and commercial radio. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Parliamentary Beer Group for her contribution to the UK drinks industry, and has spent her career creating accessible, engaging education and seminars for the public, the trade, and the media.
Jane writes books about alcoholic drinks history and education. One of her best-selling titles is The Philosophy of Gin. It makes an excellent gift, which she thinks accounts for some of its popularity. More information (and signed copies) here.
