London Dry, Plymouth, Old Tom, Genever: Gin Styles Explained

Most articles about gin styles read like glossary entries. This one is meant to be useful: what each style actually is, what the differences mean for what’s in the glass, and which style fits which drink.

The five styles worth knowing

Gin is a juniper-flavoured spirit. Beyond that single requirement, the category contains genuinely distinct sub-styles with different production methods, flavour profiles, and historical origins. Five matter:

• London Dry - the dominant modern style
• Plymouth - geographically protected, distinct from London Dry
• Old Tom - the slightly sweetened style, historical and revived
• Genever - the malted Dutch ancestor of gin
• Contemporary (sometimes called New Western or New Wave) - the late-20th-century reinvention

Each is described below with the production technique, the resulting profile, and the drinks each fits.

London Dry

The legal definition under EU regulation is precise: London Dry must be distilled from agricultural ethanol of at least 96% ABV, redistilled with natural botanicals in traditional pot stills, with no flavourings or colourings added after distillation, and a minimum bottling strength of 37.5% ABV. A maximum of 0.1 grams of sugar per litre is permitted, which is effectively none. The word “London” in the name has no geographic meaning - any distillery anywhere in the world can produce London Dry if they meet the technical standard.

In practice, London Dry is defined by what isn’t allowed: no post-distillation sweetening, no added flavouring, no colour. The flavour has to come from the redistillation itself. This forces the distiller to put everything into the still and produce a clean, dry, juniper-forward spirit.

The profile is typically dry, juniper-led, with citrus and coriander as the most common supporting botanicals. Tanqueray, Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, Sipsmith, and most other major modern gins are London Dry.

When to reach for it: classic gin cocktails (Martini, Negroni, Gimlet), where you want the gin to deliver a clean, recognisable gin signal without any sweetness or distracting notes. The default gin for most contexts.

Plymouth

Plymouth Gin is its own legal category, protected under a geographical indication: only gin distilled at the Black Friars Distillery in Plymouth, England, can use the name. Production has been continuous at the same site since 1793, making it one of the oldest gin distilleries still operating.

The style differs from London Dry in a few specific ways: it uses no bitter botanicals (no orris root, no angelica root in the dominant proportion), it includes a slightly higher proportion of sweet roots, and it’s bottled at 41.2% ABV rather than the typical 40%. The result is a softer, slightly earthier gin than a classic London Dry, with the juniper sitting in a rounder context.

The flavour profile is gentle juniper with a noticeable earthiness from the roots, light citrus, and a smooth finish that distinguishes it from the more austere London Drys. Plymouth Navy Strength (57%) is the higher-proof expression.

When to reach for it: Martini drinkers who find traditional London Dry too austere often prefer Plymouth. It also makes a more forgiving Negroni than juniper-heavy London Drys. The historical home of the gin gimlet, where Plymouth’s slight sweetness balances the lime cordial.

Old Tom

Old Tom is the historical bridge between genever and London Dry. Popular in 18th and 19th century England, it was a slightly sweetened gin (the sweetening originally added to mask the rough character of poorly distilled spirit; later, kept as a stylistic preference). The name’s origin is disputed - some attribute it to a barrel sign featuring a black cat, others to a specific publican or distiller called Old Thomas.

The style nearly disappeared in the 20th century as London Dry came to dominate, but it was revived around 2007 as cocktail historians and craft distillers became interested in pre-Prohibition cocktail recipes that called for Old Tom specifically.

Production varies by distiller. Some Old Toms are sweetened with cane sugar; others are botanically richer, with sweeter herbs and spices in the recipe; some are barrel-rested for additional roundness. Modern examples include Hayman’s Old Tom, Ransom Old Tom (barrel-aged), and Jensen’s Old Tom.

The flavour is rounder and sweeter than London Dry, with the juniper softer and the supporting botanicals more prominent. Sugar content varies widely but is always perceptible.

When to reach for it: classic cocktails that specifically call for Old Tom, particularly the Tom Collins (originally an Old Tom drink, not London Dry as commonly made today) and the Martinez (a precursor to the Martini that uses sweet vermouth, maraschino, and Old Tom). The Improved Gin Cocktail. Hot Toddies and other warm gin drinks. Less suited to dry classics where the sweetness disrupts the balance.

Genever

Genever (sometimes spelled jenever) is the Dutch and Belgian ancestor of gin, and it tastes quite different from anything most gin drinkers would recognise as gin. Where modern gin is distilled from a neutral grain spirit and then flavoured with botanicals, genever starts with a malted grain base (similar to whisky’s wash) that’s then redistilled with juniper and other botanicals.

The result is a spirit that’s malty, soft, with juniper as one note among many rather than the leading character. Old genever (“oude” in Dutch) is the traditional malted style; new genever (“jonge”) is lighter, with more neutral spirit in the blend and less of the malted base.

Modern production is concentrated in the Netherlands and Belgium, with the term genever itself protected under EU geographical indication. Bols, Boomsma, and Diep 9 are the brands most likely to be available internationally.

The flavour profile is genuinely distinct: malty sweetness, soft juniper, sometimes a slight smokiness from the malted grain. Old genever is closer to a light whisky than to a modern gin.

When to reach for it: traditional Dutch and Belgian drinking culture (kopstootje - a small glass of genever with a beer chaser), classic cocktails that specifically call for it (Holland Gin Fizz, Improved Holland Gin Cocktail), and curiosity. It will not substitute well for London Dry in modern gin cocktails - the malty character disrupts the balance of drinks designed around dry juniper-forward spirits.

Contemporary (New Western)

Contemporary gin is the broadest category and the hardest to define. The label describes any gin that doesn’t fit the classical styles - typically gins where juniper sits in the background rather than leading, where signature botanicals (cucumber, citrus, herbs, exotic spices) become the dominant character, and where the production technique may use vapour infusion or vacuum distillation rather than traditional pot still redistillation.

Hendrick’s, launched in 1999 with cucumber and rose as its signature, is often credited with starting the contemporary movement. The Botanist (with 22 hand-foraged Hebridean botanicals), Hendrick’s variants, Monkey 47 (with 47 Black Forest botanicals), Gin Mare (with Mediterranean herbs), Roku (with six Japanese botanicals), and Ki No Bi (with Kyoto botanicals) are all contemporary gins.

The legal definition is loose: as long as the spirit is distilled with juniper among its botanicals, it can be called gin. Contemporary gins exploit this latitude to produce spirits where juniper might be the third or fourth most prominent flavour rather than the first.

The profile varies enormously by bottle. The unifying feature is that juniper does not dominate; instead, a signature botanical or set of botanicals defines the gin’s character.

When to reach for it: when you want a gin with a specific flavour story (a cucumber gin and tonic with Hendrick’s; a Mediterranean herbal Negroni with Gin Mare; a Japanese citrus martini with Ki No Bi). Less suited to classical cocktails where the recipe assumes juniper leadership; a contemporary gin in a traditional Negroni often produces an unbalanced drink because the bitter Campari has nothing to fight against.

How to think about the styles

If you’re building a small home bar, the practical hierarchy is:

1. A London Dry is essential. It handles most cocktails and gin and tonics. Sipsmith, Tanqueray, Beefeater, or Plymouth (technically a different style but functionally similar) are all reasonable choices.

2. A contemporary gin is the second bottle, chosen for its specific signature. A cucumber gin if you like cucumber drinks, a Mediterranean herbal gin if you cook with rosemary, a Japanese gin if you want something distinctive.

3. An Old Tom is the third bottle, only if you make classic cocktails from the pre-Prohibition era. Useful for Tom Collinses and Martinez variants; underused for anything else.

4. A navy strength gin is the fourth bottle, only if you make a lot of spirit-forward cocktails (Negronis, Last Words, navy strength martinis). See the navy strength guide for more.

5. A genever is the fifth bottle, only if you have a specific interest in Dutch drinking traditions or pre-Prohibition Holland Gin cocktails. Otherwise skippable.

Most home bars don’t need to go beyond the first two. The styles exist for a reason, but the reason isn’t “you should own one of each.”