Gordon's Gin
Gordon's is a brand of London dry gin first produced in 1769. The top markets for Gordon's are the United Kingdom, the United States and Greece. It is owned by the British spirits company Diageo. It is the world's best-selling London dry gin. Gordon's has been the UK's number one gin since the late 19th century. A 40% ABV version for the North American market is distilled in Canada. History Gordon's London Dry Gin was developed by Alexander Gordon, a Londoner of Scots descent. He opened a distillery in the Southwark area in 1769, moving in 1786 to Clerkenwell. The Special London Dry Gin he developed proved successful, and its recipe remains unchanged. Popular with the Royal Navy, bottles of the product were distributed all over the world. In 1898 Gordon & Co. amalgamated with Charles Tanqueray & Co. to form Tanqueray Gordon & Co. All production moved to the Gordon's Goswell Road site. In 1899, Charles Gordon died, ending the family association with the business. In 1904 the distinctive square-faced, green bottle for the home market was introduced. In 1906 Gordon's Sloe Gin went into production. The earliest evidence in recipe books for the production of Gordon's Special Old Tom was in 1921. In 1922 Tanqueray Gordon & Co. was acquired by the Distillers Company. In 1924 Gordon's began production of a 'Ready-to-Serve' Shaker Cocktail range, each in an individual shaker bottle. In 1925 Gordon's was awarded its first Royal Warrant by King George V. In 1929 Gordon's released an orange gin, and a lemon variety in 1931. In 1934 Gordon's opened its first distillery in the US, at Linden, New Jersey. By 1962 it had become the world's highest selling gin. In 1984 British production was moved to Laindon in Essex. In 1998 production was moved to Fife in Scotland, where it remains. The label and bottle-top of Gordon's gin bears a depiction of a wild boar. According to legend a member of Clan Gordon saved the King of Scotland from a boar while hunting. From the 1940s the label bore the slogan "The Heart of a good Cocktail". Products According to its manufacturer, Gordon's gin is triple-distilled and is flavoured with juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica root, licorice, orris root, orange, and lemon peel; the exact recipe has been a secret since 1769. The recipe differed from others at the time in not requiring the addition of sugar; this made it a "dry" gin. In the UK Gordon's is sold in a green glass bottle, but in export markets, it is sold in a clear bottle. Some airport duty-free shops sell it in plastic bottles in the 75cl size. Gordon's is sold in several different strengths depending on the market. In the US, the strength is 40% ABV. Until 1992, the ABV in the UK was 40%, but it was reduced to 37.5% to bring Gordon's gin into line with other white spirits such as white rum and vodka, and to save the manufacturer the cost of