Updated September 2026 by Lydia Martin
Gin is defined by one ingredient and almost nothing else. If juniper is not the dominant flavor, it is not gin. Everything past that — the other botanicals, the base spirit, the still, the strength — is open, which is why the category ranges from austere and piney to floral, citrus-led, or barely juniper-flavored at all.
The style names on the label do mean something, but not always what people assume. Two of the most common are widely misunderstood, and one of them was invented by a marketing agency.
London Dry is a method, not a place
This is the misconception worth clearing first. London Dry gin does not have to be made in London. It never did. The term describes a production standard, and gins made in Scotland, Spain, Kentucky and Japan carry it legitimately.
What the standard requires: all flavor must come from botanicals distilled with the spirit, with nothing added afterward except water and a negligible amount of sweetening. No flavoring extracts, no coloring, no post-distillation additions.
That constraint is why London Dry tastes clean and precise. The distiller gets one chance to get the botanical balance right, in the still. There is no correcting it later.
In the US, a spirit must be bottled at 40% ABV or higher to be labeled gin. Most London Dry sits between 40% and 47%.
Buy it for: martinis, negronis, gin and tonic, and essentially every classic gin cocktail ever written. This is the default and it deserves to be.
Plymouth — and a legal status most sources still get wrong
Plymouth Gin is made only at the Black Friars Distillery in Plymouth, England, where distillation has run continuously since 1793. The style is softer and earthier than London Dry, with a higher proportion of root botanicals — angelica and orris — giving a rounder juniper and an unusually long finish. Original strength is 41.2% ABV.
Here is the part almost every published guide has wrong. Plymouth Gin held Protected Geographical Indication status in the EU from 2008, but that designation lapsed after it was not renewed in 2015. You will still find retailers and gin guides stating that Plymouth gin “by law can only be produced in Plymouth.” That has not been accurate for a decade.
In practice nothing changed — Black Friars remains the only producer — but the legal protection is gone, and a page that claims otherwise is repeating outdated copy.
Buy it for: martinis, if you find London Dry too sharp. It is a softer landing.
Navy Strength — 57% ABV, and the name is from 1997
Navy Strength gin is bottled at 57% ABV, or 114 US proof. The number comes from the gunpowder test: spirit at that strength, spilled on gunpowder in a ship’s hold, would still allow the powder to ignite. Weaker spirit would ruin it. Gin and gunpowder were stored together, so the test mattered.
The history is genuine. The category name is not old. By the account of the Plymouth Gin team, “Navy Strength” was coined during a marketing meeting in 1997, when branding consultants were deciding how to describe the 57% bottling on the label. It stuck so thoroughly that it now reads as centuries-old tradition. It is younger than the internet.
This is also the number that debunks a claim you will see across the spirits aisle. Any product marketed as “navy strength” below 57% ABV is borrowing the language without meeting the definition. Sailor Jerry rum at 46% is a common example — a good spiced rum, but it would fail the gunpowder test comfortably.
Buy it for: cocktails where the gin keeps getting buried. A Negroni made with navy strength is a genuinely different and better drink. Also excellent in anything with fruit juice.
Old Tom — the missing link
Old Tom is a sweetened gin, historically the bridge between Dutch genever and modern London Dry. It fell out of production almost entirely in the twentieth century and returned with the cocktail revival, because a number of pre-Prohibition recipes simply do not work without it.
Rounder and softer than London Dry, with the sweetness balancing the juniper rather than masking it.
Buy it for: a Tom Collins, a Martinez, and any nineteenth-century recipe that specifies it. If a vintage cocktail tastes harsh made with London Dry, this is usually why.
Genever — the ancestor, and not really gin
Dutch and Belgian, and the spirit gin descended from. Genever is built on a malt wine base — distilled from grain much like a young whisky — rather than a neutral spirit. The result is maltier, heavier and rounder, closer to a light whiskey with juniper than to anything in the gin aisle.
Oude (old) genever carries more malt wine; jonge (young) carries less. Neither term refers to aging.
Buy it for: a Holland gin cocktail, or curiosity. Do not substitute it into a modern gin recipe expecting the same drink.
Contemporary gin (also New Western)
The modern category, where juniper is present but no longer dominant. Producers push citrus, floral, herbal or savory botanicals forward — Hendrick’s with cucumber and rose, Monkey 47 with its enormous botanical list, and hundreds of craft distillers besides.
Purists complain that some of these barely qualify as gin. They are not entirely wrong, but the category has produced genuinely good spirits.
Buy it for: gin and tonic, where the botanicals get room to show. Be careful in a martini or a negroni — those drinks were built around juniper, and removing it changes the structure.
Sloe gin is not gin
A liqueur, not a gin. Sloe berries are steeped in gin with sugar, producing a red, sweet product usually around 25% ABV — far below the 40% required to be labeled gin in the US.
Buy it for: a Sloe Gin Fizz, or topping sparkling wine. Not a substitute for gin in anything.
Which gin should you actually buy?
For a martini — London Dry at 45% or above. The drink is gin and vermouth and nothing else; there is nowhere for a weak gin to hide.
For a negroni — London Dry or navy strength. Campari and sweet vermouth are both assertive, and the gin has to push back.
For a gin and tonic — anything, and this is where contemporary gins shine. Tonic is sweet and bitter and gives botanicals room to be interesting.
For a Tom Collins or a Martinez — Old Tom.
For a first bottle — one good London Dry covers more ground than any other single purchase in the category.
More in our Gin Guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does London Dry gin have to be made in London?
No. It is a production method, not a geographic designation. All flavor must come from botanicals distilled with the spirit, with nothing added afterward.
What proof is navy strength gin?
57% ABV, or 114 US proof — the threshold at which spilled spirit will not prevent gunpowder from igniting.
Is Plymouth gin legally protected?
Not any longer. It held EU Protected Geographical Indication status from 2008, but the designation lapsed after non-renewal in 2015. It is still made only at Black Friars Distillery.
What is the difference between gin and vodka?
Both start from a neutral base. Gin is redistilled with juniper and other botanicals so that juniper dominates. Vodka is deliberately neutral.
Is sloe gin a gin?
No. It is a gin-based liqueur, typically around 25% ABV, below the 40% minimum required to label a spirit as gin in the US.
What is the difference between gin and genever?
Genever uses a malt wine base rather than neutral spirit, making it maltier and heavier. It is the spirit gin evolved from.
Does gin go bad?
Unopened, effectively no. Opened, the botanical character fades over a year or two — noticeable, but not spoilage.
Why does gin taste like pine?
Juniper berries contain pinene, the same aromatic compound found in pine needles. That is the defining flavor of the category.
For how other spirit categories get defined — and mislabeled — see our rum guide.
Sources and method
Category definitions reflect US federal standards of identity and EU spirit drink regulations, including the 40% ABV minimum for gin in the US and the London Dry production requirements. Plymouth Gin’s PGI status lapsed following non-renewal in 2015. The “Navy Strength” designation was coined as a label term in 1997 per the distillery’s own account; the 57% ABV gunpowder threshold is the historical standard. No prices, ratings, or rankings are invented on this page.