Distilled gin is produced in a very similar way to London Dry gin, but the main difference is that aromas can be added after distillations and these aromas can be natural or artificial. All London Drys are distilled gins, but not all distilled gins are London Drys. Both are the product of double distillation. In simple terms, this is when distillers start with distilled agricultural alcohol with an alcohol content of at least 96%, a very high level of purity.
This liquor is then re-distilled with added flavors, the key ingredient being, of course, the key ingredient in juniper berries. The biggest difference between distilled gin and redistilled gin has to do with base alcohol. The first distills a fermented alcohol with a low alcohol content, which can be derived from grains, sugar beets, potatoes, sugar cane or grapes. The latter uses an already distilled liquor (usually neutral grain) as a base.
Dry gin is a distilled gin that does not contain more than 0.1 grams of sugar per liter in the final product. To be called London gin, all botanical ingredients must be distilled in the same process with 96% alcohol of agricultural origin and cannot be a mixture of similar distillates. In addition, the amount of sugar should be less than 0.05 grams per liter. In this blog post we'll share a guide to the types of gin available to buy and what makes each one different in the end.
With more and more new and exciting craft distillers on the market, there are plenty of non-London varieties of dry gin to sample. Navy Strength gin is anything bottled with 100% old British grade, that is, with a strength between 57 and 58%. Bush gin has a bold and tasty character, often accompanied by flavor profiles of citrus leaves or spicy menthol. Distillers and gin brands began experimenting with different flavor profiles and locally available botanicals.
Known as the original style of the 4 types of gin, the robust flavor of Genever gin is mainly due to the fact that its base grains are malted. Fruit gin is incredibly popular today, and these sweeter flavors made gin a more accessible beverage for people who didn't appreciate the pronounced juniper flavor of classic gins. According to Sam, the EU's legal definition of gin means that it must be a spirit drink dominated by juniper, with an agricultural origin and 37.5% alcohol. The label “New Western”, or sometimes “New Age”, comes from the United States, where these gins began to emerge.
Popular in countries close to the Alpine mountain range, such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland, this style of gin is characterized by its strong notes of pine and juniper, herbaceous woody flavors and floral touches. Sometimes called London Dry Gin, this type of gin can only be produced in a certain way and has nothing to do with London being the origin of gin. And yes, it's always best to drink Old Tom Gins with sparkling water, since the sugar in the tonic could beat the sweeter style of gin. When alcohol vapors pass through the botanical ingredients in the distillation process, they capture the flavors and give the distillate a unique flavor.
If you're having trouble with the pine and juniper flavor of some gins, you might prefer this modern style of gin. Whether Distilled or London Dry, both gins make an excellent cocktail or a delicious Gin Tonic.
