There’s an art to creating gin – a delicate dance between tradition and innovation, between strength and subtlety. It’s also about choosing whether to meet an expectation or break from convention. To do so, one must first understand the expectations and nuances associated with different gin styles.
Whether it’s the bold, botanical richness of Navy Strength Gin, the sweetness and complexity of Old Tom, the juniper-forward journey of London Dry, the harmony of heritage and innovation in Cask-Aged Gin, or the delicate balance of fruit, sweetness, and strength in Sloe Gin – each style has unique characteristics and consumer expectations.
By honing your understanding of these styles and their inherent intricacies, you can craft gins that don’t just satisfy, but captivate drinkers irrespective of if you choose to be a quintessential representation or an iconoclastic outlier.
A bold and invigorating category, Navy Strength Gin is defined by its robust ABV, typically landing at 57% or above. But it’s a misconception to believe that this style is all about strength alone.
A great Navy Strength should echo with a resonant botanical chorus, amplifying the spirit’s flavour while balancing the heightened alcohol level. It’s real power comes in many guises.
How to excel when making this gin style:
Strive to enhance your botanical bill, amplifying flavours that can withstand and complement the increased ABV. Consider increasing the grams overall, so that your grams per LPA are higher compared to an offering in the mid 40% ABV. Look to bold botanicals such as coriander, juniper cardamom and other spices to do a lot of the heavy lifting here.
The result is a botanical profile which will stand tall amidst the strength, delivering a gin that doesn’t just pack a punch, but leaves a lasting impression.
Take a moment to really test out how the flavour changes as the ABV drops once in cocktails. Many Navy Gins are delicious neat or in some cocktails, but are a mess when used in simple serves like G&T’s. Have a look at this article for more on Testing in Context.
Old Tom Gin: The botanical ballet, not just the sweet waltz
Old Tom Gin is celebrated for its unique sweetness, sometimes introduced by using liquorice root as part of the botanical mix, but now often achieved through the addition of sugar post-distillation.
To deliver an exceptional Old Tom, you need to look beyond the sweet simplicity. A spectacular Old Tom should be botanically intense too.
Historic recipes had to use botanicals and sweeteners to mask the rough base spirit. Even though the sweetness is focus for those with a slight sweet-tooth today, domineering flavours are still an expected part of the profile.
How to excel when making this gin style:
Balance the sweetness with a more substantial botanical profile.
Adding sweetness on it’s own is a missed opportunity. Experiment with botanicals that can deliver both flavour and perceived sweetness (like chamomile, meadowsweet, liquorice root or star anise). Using infused syrups or honey instead of sugar can also add to the amount of flavour while bringing in the sweetness.
These will create a captivating layering effect that weaves sweetness with exciting flavours, elevating the consumer’s experience from a sweet waltz to a grand ballet.
London Dry Gin: The juniper journey
The iconic London Dry Gin, adored globally for its unadorned and often direct juniper profile, remains a constant favourite among gin enthusiasts.
Most of the trade know the term is all about meeting production specifications. Or at least, you should. A London Dry Gin could technically be as contemporary you wish so long as you follow the distilling rules. More on that can be found here – London Dry Gin, or Classic Vs Contemporary
That said, there is is an expectation of classicism involved in making a London Dry Gin. To make a great version, do more than merely meet this expectation — embolden the juniper journey.
How to excel when making this gin style:
To make superb London Dry Gin highlight the pine forward nature of the spirit but also think about how the overall profile echoes classism. Traditional gin is more than about just juniper. There’s a typical sequence to it too. Big on citrus upfront, followed by juniper and coriander seed booming at its core and onto spice.
Beyond delivering the archetypal journey, look at ways your secondary botanicals can underscore the gin’s piney freshness. Test it against the classic cocktails, but in particular, how it performs in a Gin & Tonic.
Cask-Aged Gin: The harmony of time and innovation
Walking the tightrope between heritage and innovation, Cask-Aged Gin provides an opportunity for distillers to bridge the gap with other categories, from whisky to fruit brandy and wine.
But the expectation of a well-crafted cask-aged gin remains the same it always has. The oak influence adds an interesting layer, but it must never forget its juniper roots.
How to excel when making this gin style:
Choose your casks wisely. Whether it’s American oak that imparts vanilla notes, or ex-sherry casks that add a dried fruit complexity, your choice will significantly influence the final profile.
Don’t let the cask character overshadow the gin.
Remember that while you like to drink it neat, most gin drinkers still don’t do that at home, even for cask aged products. It’s got to work in cocktails. Less ageing is more here and the best received and most enduring cask aged gins are still easily within the cannon of gin; not a hybrid category somewhere between spirits.
Sloe Gin: A balance of fruit, Gin, and sweetness
Sloe Gin is an inviting blend of fruit, gin, and sweetness. It is a tantalising triad that should be deftly balanced in any notable Sloe Gin. This balance, however, is just the baseline expectation.
To truly shine in this style, distillers must also perfect the pitch of the alcohol content and understand who their target audience is. Are you predominantly targeting the cosy, home drinker or the creative bartender? They have different needs and your route to market should define your approach.
How to excel when making this gin style:
If you’re crafting for the home drinker understand that when most make it at home, the level of sugar added is often huge by comparison to commercial Liqueur norms. Aim for a lower ABV around 20%, coupled with an enticing sweetness to create a ready-to-sip libation that can be enjoyed straight or on the rocks.
On the other hand, if you’re targeting bartenders, consider aiming for a higher ABV above 30% with a dryer profile. This provides a more versatile spirit that can stand up to a variety of mixers and cocktail ingredients. It provides them with a pliable ingredient and might have more longevity through the seasons.
If you are a distiller or brand owner looking at Gin NPD, take the time to truly understand the expectations associated with different styles. The above is a summary of some of the ways to do it well – but there are more nuances for each. (Reach out if you’d like a consult on this!).
Explore each sub-category and look at the similarities between successful brands. You’ll see that most go beyond the obvious associations to build in extra elements that elevate their flavour journey and harness the unique opportunity that each genre brings.
You can create gins that resonate with consumers and be one of those bottles that they’ll return to time and time again.
