Spirits

London Dry Gin

London Dry gin is a legal grade of distilled gin under the retained Regulation (EC) 110/2008, not a place. Regulation 110/2008 requires every flavour to come from redistilling neutral spirit with juniper and its fellow botanicals; afterwards nothing may go in except water, more neutral spirit and at most 0.1g of sugar a litre, and no colouring at all. The floor in 110/2008 is 37.5% ABV, our recipes count it at 40%, and it is the style behind our recipe lines that ask for clear juniper.

Quick Facts

ABV40% ABVThe retained Regulation (EC) 110/2008 sets a 37.5% minimum; our recipes count it at 40%.

Legal categorySpiritSold as London gin, a grade of distilled gin; it can be made anywhere

OriginA method, not a place: made in many countries

Flavour Strengthmedium bold

Our keeping timeIndefinitely unopened. Once opened, years if kept sealed and upright out of the light, though the aroma fades slowly.

Storage

Sealed, upright, out of light. The strength preserves it indefinitely; no refrigeration needed.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Often distilled from grain, but distillation removes gluten, so it is not labelled as a gluten allergen.

The ingredient

About London Dry Gin

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

JuniperCitrus peelCorianderDry finish

Tasting Notes

Juniper up front, bright citrus and coriander in support, and a bone-dry finish. The structure the rest of the gin family measures itself against.

London is the name of a method, not an address

GB spirit drink law defines London gin as a type of distilled gin made in a particular way, and lets the word dry be added to it. The definition names no city, region or country. A London Dry can be distilled anywhere, and a gin distilled in London that adds a flavouring after the still cannot use the name.

Everything happens in the still, and almost nothing after it

The botanicals, juniper first, go into a traditional still with high-strength neutral spirit and are distilled together; whatever flavour the spirit has, it has from that run. Afterwards the rules allow only water, more of that spirit and sugar up to 0.1g a litre. The table sets the rules beside the two looser grades.

The three legal grades of gin compared, from the retained Regulation (EC) 110/2008, Annex II, categories 20 to 22.

Flavour from

Gin: Flavourings added to spirit
Distilled gin: Redistillation, then flavourings if wanted
London gin: Redistillation only

Added after the still

Gin: Flavourings, colour, sugar
Distilled gin: Flavourings, colour, sugar
London gin: Water, neutral spirit, up to 0.1 g/L sugar

Colouring

Gin: Allowed
Distilled gin: Allowed
London gin: Not allowed

Called dry

Gin: At 0.1 g/L sugar or less
Distilled gin: At 0.1 g/L sugar or less
London gin: Always eligible

Minimum strength

Gin: 37.5%
Distilled gin: 37.5%
London gin: 37.5%

Rule	Gin	Distilled gin	London gin
Flavour from	Flavourings added to spirit	Redistillation, then flavourings if wanted	Redistillation only
Added after the still	Flavourings, colour, sugar	Flavourings, colour, sugar	Water, neutral spirit, up to 0.1 g/L sugar
Colouring	Allowed	Allowed	Not allowed
Called dry	At 0.1 g/L sugar or less	At 0.1 g/L sugar or less	Always eligible
Minimum strength	37.5%	37.5%	37.5%

Clear juniper is what our recipes ask of it

Twenty of our recipes name London Dry by style. The common thread in their lines is juniper strong enough to stand among louder ingredients: violet and maraschino in the Aviation, green Chartreuse in the Last Word, blackberry in the Bramble. In plainer builds the gin is the drink; the Tom Collins adds only lemon, sugar and soda water, so the bottle decides it.

Where a drink wants softness instead, the recipe names Old Tom or Plymouth, and the gin page sets out every style side by side.

Using it

Using London Dry Gin

Usage

It appears by name in 20 of our recipes. The Last Word takes the least, 22.5ml; the Left Bank Martini and the Tom Collins take the most, 60ml each. Where it is half the volume or more, as with the Bee's Knees at 52.5ml, the bottle decides the character; at smaller measures it gives a dry frame for louder liqueurs.

Pro Tip

To compare two London Dry gins, make two small Gin and Its next to each other instead of tasting them neat. At full strength the alcohol hides the botanicals; diluted and sweetened by the vermouth, the balance of juniper and citrus in each shows.

Top Tips

Look for London Dry or London gin on the label rather than a London address. Under Regulation (EC) 110/2008 the words describe the method, and a gin made in London may not qualify.
Pick a juniper-led bottle for sours and stirred drinks. Many of our recipe lines say so, because soft, floral gins get lost under vermouth, liqueur and citrus.
Check the strength. The recipes here are written for 40%; a 47% bottle makes a firmer drink, and its units run higher than the recipe states.
Chilling the bottle does nothing for shaken drinks: ice chills the drink, and its meltwater is counted in the balance.

Possible Substitutions

Gin: Any quality dry gin holds the structure
Old Tom Gin: Where a Victorian recipe wants softness back

Production Method

Under Regulation (EC) 110/2008, neutral spirit of at least 96% is redistilled in traditional stills with juniper and every other botanical used; the distillate comes off at 70% or more and is cut with water. Only water, more neutral spirit and up to 0.1 g/L of sugar may be added after distillation, and no colouring.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

Does London Dry gin have to be made in London?

No. London gin is a production method in the retained Regulation (EC) 110/2008, with no place attached, so a London Dry can be distilled in Scotland or another country altogether. The name tells you how the gin was made: all its flavour from the still, nothing but water and a trace of sugar afterwards.

What makes a gin a London Dry?

Five rules in Regulation (EC) 110/2008: the flavour comes only from redistilling neutral spirit with all the botanicals in a traditional still; the distillate leaves the still at 70% ABV or more; the spirit must be very pure, with little methanol; no colouring is added; and nothing follows distillation except water, more of that pure spirit and at most 0.1g of sugar a litre.

What is the difference between London Dry and distilled gin?

What may happen after the still. Distilled gin is also redistilled with juniper and botanicals, but flavourings can be added afterwards, and it may be coloured. Regulation (EC) 110/2008 allows London gin neither. Both start at 37.5% ABV, and both may call themselves dry only if their added sugar stays at 0.1g a litre or under.

Is London Dry gin sweetened?

Barely, if at all. Regulation (EC) 110/2008 caps added sugar at 0.1g a litre, a trace you cannot taste. That is the clearest difference from Old Tom, a sweetened gin, and the reason our recipes keep the two apart: a drink balanced on Old Tom's sugar turns sharp with a London Dry.

How strong is London Dry gin?

At least 37.5% ABV under Regulation (EC) 110/2008, which sets no ceiling. Our recipes are written for 40%. A navy-strength gin can also be a London Dry if it is made by the method; strength and grade are separate questions, and a stronger bottle makes a firmer drink.

Which cocktails need a London Dry gin?

Any drink where juniper must stand up to something loud. Our Aviation sets it against violet and maraschino, the Bramble against blackberry, the Last Word against green Chartreuse, and the Martinez, the IBA's version, against as much sweet vermouth as gin. A soft gin gets lost in all four.

Can I use another gin instead of London Dry?

Yes, with a change in the drink. Plymouth gives a softer, earthier version. Old Tom adds sugar, so trim any syrup by about 5ml. A floral contemporary gin can blur a drink with liqueur in it. Navy strength works at about 70% of the measure.