Types of Gin

All gins sold on the global market are one of two types: English-style dry gin and Low Countries–style genever.

English-style gins can be further broken down into London dry gin, Plymouth gin, and other dry gins produced outside of England.

The king of English gins, London dry gin dominates the gin market in English-speaking nations and in Spain, which has more gin drinkers per capita than any other country. Sharp and dry, London dry generally tastes of juniper with notes of pine, spice, and citrus peel. It’s also considered the all-around best gin for mixed drinks because its flavors and aromas are subtle enough to combine well with the other ingredients. Gordon’s London Dry is the classic, with Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, Gilbeys, Tanqueray, and other distillers putting their own twist on London dry. British distilleries including Gordon’s and Gilbey’s manufacture and bottle “soft” London dry gins in U.S. plants to suit American tastes.

Plymouth gin, which is fuller-bodied, fruitier, and more aromatic than London dry, was the gin of choice until the mid-19th century. Today the only remaining brand of Plymouth gin is Plymouth English Gin, which is manufactured by the Coates & Company distillery, the original maker.

Scotland puts its own stamp on dry gin with the Hendrick’s brand. The Hendrick’s distillery hand-crafts small-batch gins that taste of cucumber and rose petals as well as juniper. Outside of the United Kingdom, Germany produces Schlichte Steinhaeger dry gin, which uses juniper berries alone as a flavoring. The following table lists other notable makers of dry gin from around the globe.

Though a few Dutch distilleries such as Leyden and Zuidam manufacture dry gin, the great majority of Dutch gin is genever (spelled jenever in Belgian Flanders). This intense, sweet, and thick spirit harks back to the original gins of the mid 1600s—until the mid-19th century, countries around the world imported more genever than dry gin.

Genevers are more robust in taste because they are made with malt liquor, not neutral spirit, as a base. They are drunk straight up and very chilled, and are rarely used in mixed drinks because of their intense flavor. Dutch distillers of genever include Bols and Boomsma. Notable Belgian jenever distillers, of which there are more than 200, are Filliers, de Poldenaar, and van Damme.