What is London Dry Gin? Read on to find out which botanicals make up our award-winning London Dry Gin; Purist Art.

Firstly, the big misconception about London Dry Gin is that it has to be made in London! This is not the case, it originated in London but now it’s simply the name of the style.

There are rules however, as to what can be called a London Dry Gin.

It must be distilled and all flavour must be extracted from botanicals. There mustn’t be any artificial flavourings or colourings added after distillation. This is perhaps the most definitive difference between a London dry and other distilled gins. Finally, the gin must be a minimum of 37.5% ABV (alcohol by volume) and the predominant flavour must come from juniper.

Juniper

Every London Dry begins with juniper, and ours is no different. Our Purist Art Gin is traditionally juniper-forward, clean, smooth and classic. We source our juniper from Italy to ensure the most classic and traditional taste possible.

Yuzu

One of the botanicals central to our Purist Art Gin is Japanese Yuzu. Sharp, tart and intensely citrusy, Yuzu is most like a hybrid of a lemon, a lime and a grapefruit. Lending itself immensely to gin distillation due to its ability to maintain its sourness even at high temperatures, Yuzu brings a unique citrus flavour to our gin and plays wonderfully against the core flavour of the juniper.

Coriander

We think most true London Dry drinkers will be very familiar with this next botanical! Coriander is one of the most used botanicals in gin distillation and for good reason! The herb adds an interesting nutty, almost spicy flavour once distilled and is a tremendous follow-up once the Juniper and Yuzu notes have raced to the palate. 

Chinese Cassia

Chinese Cassia is a spice closely related to Cinnamon. Originating in southern China and cultivated throughout Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, Chinese Cassia brings a warming heat and earthy undertones to our Purist Art gin! 

Almond Powder

Almonds add a sweet and nutty flavour to our gin, as well as mellowing out and binding the other botanicals together. Almonds also enhance the overall mouthfeel of the gin!

Angelica root

Similarly to Almond powder, Angelica root assists in binding the botanicals together and provides some complexity and substance to our Purist Art gin! It also provides some musky, nutty and woody flavours that act as a perfect backdrop to the much sharper, forward citrus and juniper!

Citrus peel - (Lemon, Orange, Lime)

Citrus peel has been a key ingredient in gin distillation for centuries, and we are no exception. Citrus peel is always used to flavour gin rather than the flesh of the fruit due to the oil in the skin containing almost all of the fruit’s flavoursome oils. 

We used four different types of citrus peel in our award-winning London Dry, Yuzu, Lemon, Orange and Lime. The gentler yuzu and orange play brilliantly against the tartness of the lemon and lime, resulting in “sherbetty citrus notes”.  Described by Great Taste Awards judges, “the refreshing bitter and sweet citrus notes dance beautifully on the gin aromatics”.