“Have we reached peak gin yet?” a leading food writer asked plaintively on social media a few weeks ago. Kicked off by the relaxation in distilling laws in 2009, combined with renewed interest in the cocktail scene, the gin boom just kept on booming, with ever more outlandish “twists” on this noble staple of the drinkers’ armoury cluttering up our shelves, often at really punchy prices that belied a triumph of marketing over quality. Well, I am happy to report that, yes, according to industry stats, we reached the gin summit late in 2022, since when sales have been steadily declining and retailers are finally cutting back on their unwieldy ranges. Amen to that, I say.
What most of us actually want is a gin that tastes of gin, and London dry, which dates from the first gin craze in the 18th century, is the style we like best. It doesn’t even have to be made in London, but the botanicals have to be redistilled with the base spirit, rather than just infused, and juniper must be the predominant flavour, usually alongside citrus, spicy and herbaceous notes.
Despite much bandying of terms such as “craft” and “artisan”, most gin is produced by a small handful of huge industrial distilleries that make any number of branded gins, as well as bespoke, own-label contract bottlings for large retailers. Some are definitely better than others – and price is not always an indicator of quality.
My benchmark is Beefeater London Dry (widely available for around £18, but keep your eyes open for supermarket offers). Juniper-heavy, and with only a few other classic botanicals including angelica, liquorice, coriander seeds and lemon peel, it’s pure but punchy and perfectly balanced. Beefeater is bottled at 40% ABV, although most own-label London drys come in at 37.5%, which is the lowest legal limit for the style and which attracts the lowest duty rate. Considering that duty on a 37.5% ABV bottle is £8.31 (and that doesn’t include VAT), once packaging, transport and profit are accounted for, there isn’t very much left over for the actual liquid itself. A higher ABV means even more duty, but also tends to give better texture and balance to the boozy heft, which is why premium gins are bottled at 40% or more, and why their prices are correspondingly higher.
Most supermarkets have an entry-level London dry, as well as more costly premium bottlings, which are sometimes worth the extra money, but often not. I scored Waitrose and M&S London drys the highest in a blind tasting, while Tesco and Sainsbury’s were my least favourites. Cin cin to Aldi, too, for consistently high quality across its own-label range, including the 40% Beefeater-alike Haysmith’s London Dry at £15.99 and the £14.99 Haysmith’s Seville Orange & Persian Lime Gin in today’s pick. Although I’m not generally a fan of gins that veer too far away from their juniper roots, this scooped the UK’s best flavoured gin gong at the World Gin awards, so it seems churlish not to mention it here.
Five own-label gins that are just the tonic
Waitrose London Dry £14 37.5%. Lots of bright, refreshing, citrus notes with a warming, spicy finish.
M&S London Dry Gin £14 Ocado, 37.5%. Plenty of juniper nicely balanced with zesty grapefruit and bracing, savoury herbs.
Aldi Haysmith’s Seville Orange & Persian Lime £14.99, 40%. Knocks spots off others that are twice the price; try it in a negroni.
Co-op Irresistible London Dry £19, 40%. Slightly outre botanicals (lemon verbena, rowanberry, cumin) complement rather than overpower the juniper base. Worth trading up to.
Aldi Greyson’s £11.95 37.5%. The best of the cheapies. Slightly floral, with well-judged botanicals – one for lovers of Gordon’s London Dry.
