The market · Spirits · France and the north-west

London dry gin

Gin where every botanical goes in during distillation and nothing but water and a trace of sugar is added after — juniper-led and dry, and the gin classic recipes mean.

juniper · piney · citrus peel

What to do with it

Classics built on it
The cocktail barNegroniGin, Campari and sweet vermouth in equal parts, stirred: bitter, sweet and strong at once.No one here has made it yetThe cocktail barMartiniGin and dry vermouth, stirred until very cold: the drink where dilution and temperature are most of the recipe.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

London dry
Juniper first, then citrus peel and coriander seed. The default.
Plymouth
Softer and earthier, with less juniper bite.
Old Tom
Lightly sweetened — the gin of the Martinez and the Tom Collins.
Contemporary
Juniper takes a back seat to cucumber, rose, citrus or local plants.

Goes with

dry vermouthtonic waterlime juicecampari

Knowing it

Where to buy
A 43–47% bottle holds up to dilution in stirred drinks better than a 37.5% one.
A little history
Gin came out of Dutch genever. The dry, unsweetened London style took over in the 1800s, once column stills gave a clean enough base spirit.
Worth knowing
Olive oil washes gin well: 60g good extra virgin olive oil to 750ml gin, shake, leave a few hours, freeze until the oil sets, then strain the gin out through a coffee filter. It comes out silky and grassy — for a martini.

Kitchens that keep it in

New York, Mexico City, London, BarcelonaThe cocktail barSpirit, acid and sugar balanced to the gram — and lately a lab's worth of technique: clarifying, fat-washing, infusing, carbonating, until a drink can taste of a whole dish.9 classics · 4 cooked here

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