What Is a London Dry Gin?

As part of our Gin Essentials series, we continue with different styles of gin, starting what may be the most common - London Dry gin.

Despite the name, London Dry gin doesn’t have to be made in London — or even in the UK.
“London Dry” is a style of gin, defined by strict production rules rather than geography.

At its core, London Dry gin is about clarity, purity, and balance, with juniper always front and centre.

What Makes a Gin “London Dry”?

To legally be called London Dry, a gin must follow key rules:

• All flavour must come from natural botanicals
• Botanicals must be added during distillation, not after
• No artificial flavours or colours allowed
• No sweetening after distillation (beyond a tiny allowance)
• Juniper must be the dominant flavour

This makes London Dry one of the purest and most tightly regulated gin styles.

How London Dry Gin Is Made?

1. A neutral spirit (usually grain-based) is distilled
2. Botanicals like juniper, coriander seed, citrus peel, and angelica root are added
3. The spirit is re-distilled in a pot still
4. The final gin is diluted to bottling strength — nothing else added

Because nothing can be “fixed” after distillation, the quality of the recipe and distillation matters enormously.

What Does London Dry Gin Taste Like?

Typical flavour profile:

• 🌲 Bright, piney juniper
• 🍋 Fresh citrus peel
• 🌿 Dry, crisp, herbal finish
• ❌ No sweetness, no syrupy notes

This makes it the gold standard for classic cocktails like the Martini, Negroni, and Gin & Tonic.

London Dry vs “Dry Gin”

Not all “dry gins” are London Dry.
A gin labelled simply “dry” may allow post-distillation flavouring or different techniques.

London Dry = dry by law, not marketing.

Link to: Gin Essentials: Base Spirits and Botanical Profiles

Link to: 2. Gin Essentials: How Gin Extracts Its Flavour

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