Welcome to a discussion on the differences between Classic and Contemporary Gins. They are two terms that signpost two different styles of gin. Each neatly showcase the evolution of gin as a spirit.
Classic Gin, steadfast and faithful, revels in its juniper-centric nature, offering a taste of timeless heritage. In contrast, Contemporary Gin is the audacious explorer, venturing into uncharted flavour territories and accentuates diverse botanicals.
This dance between the old and new, the established and the novel, creates the captivating diversity that we all love about gin.
Neither term is an “official” category, nor defined in law. But they come up time and again however, especially in Spirits Competitions. By using them as part of a three-part umbrella – Classic, Contemporary and Flavoured, you can map gin’s profiles and sub-styles beneath them quite easily.
When you see them on labels, you also get a sense of what you can expect to taste. From juniper forward to, well, not really gin anymore but still potentially delicious to drink.
Classic Gin
When enthusiasts talk about “Classic Gin”, they are referring a flavour profile that’s heavy on juniper. You can expect a gin with a distinctive, piney core.
But it doesn’t end there! The beauty of classic gin comes from the delightful harmony between juniper and a symphony of other botanicals. Think coriander seeds, angelica root, and citrus peels, among others. Juniper leads the way, but the others join in to create archetypal flavour journeys that you can find in historic brands.
Gordon’s, Beefeater, Hayman’s, Sipsmith, Plymouth, Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray all have classic gins.
While we’ve covered that the term London Dry isn’t about a flavour profile in that article, it’s about a set of production rules – many of the gins that have the London Dry label are also classically styled in their flavour.
Classic gins are crisp, dry in character. They make for an indispensable component of many time-honoured cocktails, such as the Martini or the Negroni.
If you’re looking to understand gin in its most historic, and dare we say it authentic and untouched form, Classic Gin is your gateway.
Contemporary Gin
Progressing towards the other side of the gin universe, we have “Contemporary Gin”.
Contemporary is a term used to imply there has been a little more artistic licence around the idea of how predominant juniper is. While juniper still plays a role, it often shares the stage with an ensemble of other botanicals.
Contemporary gins are often characterised by their inclusion of regional botanicals that help give the profile a unique signature to reflect their provenance. Many and more experimental in the way they approach distilling too. You’ll even see the use of non-neutral base spirits too.
In this way, Contemporary Gin can be a beautiful expression of a specific time and place, or even the vision of the distiller and their innovative approach to the art of gin making.
Another term for a contemporary flavour profile that often gets used in American media is New Western Gin.
In this light, Contemporary Gin style is an umbrella term that encompasses all gins that deviate from the traditional, juniper-heavy flavour profile of Classic Gins. So, in essence all New Western Style Gins can be considered Contemporary Gins. So too, can a multitude of other experimental and regionally-specific styles like coastal gins, barrel aged gins, grape-infused ‘wine’ gins and those with a mixed base spirit.
(See article Sub-styles explained for more)
A note on contemporary gin vs flavoured gin
Both styles are marked by their creative and imaginative use of botanicals, but it’s worth noting that they differ quite significantly.
Contemporary Gin, as we’ve discussed, is a category that veers away from the juniper-forward taste of Classic Gin. The crucial point here is that Contemporary Gin still maintains a balance among its botanicals. Juniper may not dominate, but it’s a noticeable part of the ensemble.
On the other hand, Flavoured Gin is a different beast entirely. In flavoured gin, a particular flavour or combination of flavours other than juniper is intentionally made to dominate the profile.
Often achieved through post-distillation infusions of fruits, spices, or other flavourings, Flavoured Gins can have an entirely different taste, with juniper sometimes fading into the background or disappearing altogether.
It’s absolutely fair to suggest that by definition, Flavoured Gins aren’t or shouldn’t be considered gin. By law, they shouldn’t as juniper is not by any consideration the predominant flavour.
However, the genre has now been in existence for over decade. Given the earliest examples are older than 80% of the gin distilleries in the UK, international spirits competitions readily accept them and there are thousands of Flavoured gins in existence – it’s now a part of the category.
We accept it and have written more about what Flavoured Gin is about here, and why you should embrace it too.
Three umbrella terms to help frame flavour expectations
Whether you find yourself captivated by the allure of tradition or the thrill of modern, innovative expressions, there’s a gin out there waiting for you to discover and enjoy.
If there are just two key facts to remember about the difference between these terms it’s this:
Gin’s heart beats with juniper.
Regardless of whether a gin is classic or contemporary, remember that at the core of every gin, there’s juniper. It’s simply a case of how pre-dominant the botanical is.
Classic vs. Contemporary is not about quality.
The difference between Classic and Contemporary Gin is not about one being better than the other. It’s about how the spirit expresses itself and how it now encompasses such a broad spectrum of ideas. Classic Gin sticks to tradition, maintaining a juniper-forward profile backed by predicable set of botanicals and a clean base spirit.
Meanwhile Contemporary Gin explores new horizons of flavours, highlighting a wider range of botanicals and takes risks with progressive ideas around base spirit and production techniques.
