In the last decade there has been a gin explosion. There are an eye watering variety of gin styles and types to choose from. Like all other spirits, gin can be classified by different types or styles and their particular unique characteristics. So, to help you along a bit we have devised a quick gin guide with eleven of the most common types of gin.
Happy reading!
Distilled Gin
According to EU Law, a distilled gin requires a base alcohol with an “initial alcohol strength of at least 96% ABV”. There has to be at least the presence of juniper berries in the distillation process. Other botanicals can be added to the distillation process, but may be macerated later. The Distilled Gin category is mainly used to differentiate from cold Compounded/Bathtub Gin which are generally regarded to have a less clean taste. A Distilled Gin must be distilled at least once with juniper berries and the finished gin must be at least 37.5% ABV.
Dry Gin
The term “Dry Gin” is not regulated but is one of the most used terms to describe gin. Dry implies that these gins contain less residual sugar than others and these gins can not be sweetened. There are no other regulations which means that a Dry Gin can be coloured or flavoured using cold compounding methods. A Dry gin must not be sweetened and the finished gin should be at least 37.5% ABV.
London Dry Gin
London Dry Gin is the most popular type of gin with many of the market leaders being this type of gin. The myth to abolish is that London Dry Gin has to be made in London. The term relates to specific gin production methods and processes with the strictest rules. The gin has to be distilled from a spirit with an initial alcoholic strength of( at least) 96% ABV. This being made from ethyl alcohol from an agricultural origin that contains a maximum of 5 grams of methanol per hectolitre of 100% vol. The resulting distillate needs to contain at least 70%ABV but can be reduced by adding water. The ethyl is distilled in the still with natural botanicals which are all added at the same time.
The main botanical must be juniper berries, the finished gin must be clear and transparent adding only water after the distillation process to achieve the required A.B.V.with the addition of sugar and flavourings being prohibited. The total sugar content of the finished gin must be less than 0.1gr/l and the finished gin must have an ABV of at least 37.5%. The recipe must also include a citrus and coriander.
Plymouth Gin
Plymouth Gin is both a brand and a type of gin as there is only one distillery making it, as far as we know. This type of gin must have become very popular in the first half of the twentieth century as it was featured in 23 cocktails in the Savoy Cocktails book.
The flavour of the Plymouth Gin is often described as a little smoother than atypical London Dry Gin with a pronounced citrus note with the combination of seven botanicals giving it a spicy finish with distinctive earthy notes. Plymouth Gins must be made in the designated area of Plymouth and has a restrained juniper flavour with more pronounced earthy notes. The finished gin must be 37.5% ABV.
Navy Strength Gin
Gin has been referenced in British naval documents since the seventeenth century. It may not have been as abundant as rum or brandy, but it was there.
There wasn’t an accurate way to ascertain the ABV of gin and the other spirits taken aboard, so a rather explosive method was adapted. A tot of rum, brandy or gin was mixed with gunpowder then set alight. Yikes! If the gunpowder burned then the spirit was of sufficient strength (proof) for the Royal Navy. the gunpowder didn’t burn then it was known as under proof. When the gunpowder went off with a real bang and some smoke then it was known as over proof. Space on a Royal Navy vessel was at a premium. The spirits had to be strong enough to take a reduced amount of space but not so strong that it would potentially blow up the ship, never a good look.
At the start of the nineteenth century a far more accurate measure was developed, and the Navy chose to set the strength of the gin at 54.5% ABV. Interestingly, the inventor of the equipment read the data slightly differently and stated it should actually be 57.15 % ABV. The gin procured by the Royal Navy remained at 57.15 %ABV but as it was not a commercial product it did not have a particular name. Navy Strength Gin is a term coined in 1997 by Plymouth Gin who launched a 57% ABV gin and called it Navy Strength.
Genever
Genever is the original gin dating back to the sixteenth century with Dutch and Belgian origins. It’s actually a cross between gin and whiskey. Oude (Old) Genever is the original style and is relatively sweet and aromatic whilst Junge (young) Genever is drier and has a lighter body. The spirit is made from malted barley just like whiskey but is then flavoured with juniper berries and other botanicals to get a more robust and complex flavour profile. Genever is often cask aged for between one and three years. So, to be a Genever the gin must be at least 35%ABV, distilled from a malted grain mash, and predominantly flavoured with juniper berries.
Old Tom Gin
Originally Old Tom Gin was a sweetened style which was less heavy on the botanical flavour. It is often seen as the missing link between Genever, the Dutch forerunner of gin, and London Dry Gin. There are barely any regulations for making an Old Tom Gin. It can be aged or not, sweetened or not, and based on a neutral spirit or not! However, it should have juniper berries as the dominant botanical and be at least 37.5%ABV.
Aged / Reserved Gin
As the name suggests, the gin rests in wooden barrels or casks for an extended time to alter its taste. Gin does not have to be aged, but doing so can bring new unexpected flavours to it. Like other aged spirits, gin absorbs the notes of wooden barrels which influences the taste, softening its bite, making it more mellow and giving its colour a slight change. To be considered an Aged Gin then the gin has to be aged in wooden barrels or casks and have a minimum ABV of 37.5%.
New Western Dry Gin
New Western Dry Gin is a relatively new style of gin established when the boundaries in gin production were pushed in the distilling world at the turn of the Millenium. This new style needed its own name to allow it to grow and establish itself. Less juniper forward gins were created with more emphasis on the new and exciting botanicals they contained. They are also known as New Wave and Contemporary Gins which are names that are more geographically neutral.
A New Western Dry Gin is less juniper driven and often flavoured with unique and regional botanicals but must have an ABV of at least 37.5%.
Bathtub / Compound Gin
This type of gin is not distilled with botanicals as the more conventional styles above. A Cold Compound or Bathtub Gin is made with the botanicals added to a neutral spirit to macerate over time. This technique means that the gin is prone to changes in taste and colour and the gin needs to be carefully filtered after maceration to ensure all the tiny parts of the botanicals have been removed. Any remaining botanicals will continue to macerate, continually changing the taste and colour of the gin over time. To produce a Compound or Bathtub Gin all the botanicals need to be macerated in neutral spirit only and no distillation occurs. Of course, the gin has to be at least 37.5% ABV.
Sloe Gin
Slow Gin is technically not a gin but a gin liqueur as the alcohol content must be at least 25% ABV. Sloe berries are added to gin, with sugar to sweeten, and rest in jars for about three months. The sloes give the gin a deep and distinctive red colour and lovely taste.
We hope you liked our little guide has helped to debunk some of the mysteries surrounding gin and its interesting heritage.
