Gordon's Gin

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Gordon's Gin
Type London dry gin
Manufacturer Diageo
Country of origin England
Introduced 1769
Alcohol by volume 37.2% - 47.3%
Colour clear

Gordon's is a brand of London Dry gin first produced in 1769. The top markets for Gordon's are (in descending order) the United Kingdom, the United States and Greece.[1] It is owned by the British spirits company Diageo and is made in Scotland (although flavourings may be added elsewhere). It is the world's best selling London Dry gin.[2] Gordon's has been the UK's number one gin since the late 19th century.[3]

History

The Cameron Bridge Distillery in Scotland where Gordon's is produced

Gordon's London Dry Gin was developed by Alexander Gordon, a Londoner of Scottish descent.[4] He opened a distillery in the Southwark area in 1769, later moving in 1786 to Clerkenwell.[4] The Special London Dry Gin he developed proved successful, and its recipe remains unchanged to this day.[5] Its popularity with the Royal Navy saw bottles of the product distributed all over the world.[6]

In 1898 Gordon & Co. amalgamated with Charles Tanqueray & Co. to form Tanqueray Gordon & Co.[4] All production moved to the Gordon's Goswell Road site.[4] In 1899, Charles Gordon died, ending the family association with the company.[7]

In 1904 the distinctive square-faced, green bottle for the home market is introduced.[4] In 1906 Gordon's Sloe gin went into production.[4] The earliest evidence in recipe books for the production of Gordon's Special Old Tom is in 1921.[4]

In 1922 Tanqueray Gordon & Co. was acquired by the Distillers Company.[4] In 1924 Gordon's began production of a 'Ready-to-Serve' Shaker Cocktail range, each in an individual shaker bottle.[4]

In 1925 Gordon's was awarded its first Royal Warrant by King George V.[4] In 1929 Gordon's released an orange gin followed by a lemon variety in 1931.

In 1934 Gordon's opened its first distillery in the USA, at Linden, New Jersey.[4]

By 1962 at least it was the world's highest selling gin.[8]

In 1984 British production was moved to Basildon in Essex. In 1998 production was moved to Fife in Scotland, where it remains to this day.[9]

From 2007-2011, British chef Gordon Ramsay was the face of Gordon's Gin.

Products

An export bottle of Gordon's London Dry Gin

The recipe for Gordon's is known to only twelve people in the world and has been kept a secret for 250 years.[10] Triple-distilled, the gin contains juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica root, liquorice, orris root, orange and lemon peel.[2] It takes ten days distillation after receiving the wheat to create a finished product of a bottle of Gordon's Gin.[11] Gordon's recipe differentiated from others at the time in that it didn't add sugar, which other distillers had used to disguise impurities.[12] This made it a "dry" gin.[13]

In the UK Gordon's is sold in a green glass bottle; in export markets it is sold in a clear bottle.[14] 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. Until as recently as 1992 the ABV in the UK was 40%, but it was then reduced from 40% to 37.5%, purportedly to bring Gordon's gin into line with other white spirits such as white rum and vodka, but in reality to save money[15] (note that the other leading brands of gin in the UK, Beefeater gin and Bombay Sapphire, are both 40% ABV in the UK). In the US, the strength is still 40% ABV. In continental Europe and in some duty free stores a 47.3% ABV version is sold. In New Zealand and Australia, as of 2011, it is sold at 37.2% alcohol by volume.[16] In South Africa it is 43% ABV.

In addition to the main product line, Gordon's also produce a sloe gin; a Vodka (US & Venezuela only), two alcopop variants, Space and Spark; three Vodka Liqueur Variants, Cranberry, Parchita and Limon (Venezuela only) and a canned, pre-mixed gin and tonic as well as a canned Gordon's and Grapefruit (500ml - Russia only).

On February 11, 2013 - Gordon's announced the released of Gordon's Crisp Cucumber, a flavoured gin, which blends the original gin with cucumber flavour.[17] this will be followed by other flavoured variants.

Discontinued Products

Gins

  • Gordon's special Old Tom Gin (1921-1987)[4]
  • Orange Gin (1929-1988)[4]
  • Lemon Gin (1931-1988)[4]
  • Spearmint gin (US only)
  • Gordon's Distiller's Cut - A luxury version of the gin, released in 2004, with additional botanicals of lemongrass and ginger.

Shaker Cocktails

A range of pre-mixed drinks:

  • (1924-1967) Fifty-Fifty, Martini, Dry Martini, Perfect, Piccadilly, followed by Manhattan, San Martin, Dry San Martin and Bronx.[4]
  • (1930-1967) Rose, Paradise and Gimlet 1930-1967).[4]
  • (1924-1990) Dry/Extra Dry Martini [4]

Other products

  • Finest Old Jamaica Rum
  • Orange Bitters (made from Seville Oranges)

In popular culture

Gordon's Gin is specified by name in the recipe for the Vesper Cocktail given by James Bond in Ian Fleming's 1953 book Casino Royale.[18] Note this was the old 47% strength Gordon's. Bond's famous mixing instruction 'shaken, not stirred' was to allow for the high alcohol content of this gin (shaking dilutes the drink more).

Gordon's was Ernest Hemingway's favourite gin, which he claimed could "fortify, mollify and cauterize practically all internal and external injuries".[19]

Elvin Bishop's song, "Drunk Again," [20] performed with the Butterfield Blues Band, refers to Gordon's Gin by name as the intoxicant's choice to become drunk.[21]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.diageo.com/en-sc/ourbrands/categories/spirits/pages/gin.aspx#gordons
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Gordon's London Dry Gin". Diageo. Retrieved 2014-01-08. 
  3. ↑ GREAT BRITISH BRANDS: Gordon's Gin - Dating from the late 18th century, the recipe for this iconic brand is said to be the same as it was 233 years ago | Marketing Magazine
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 's-timeline "GORDON'S GIN - A TIMELINE". Diageo. 
  5. ↑ "Gordon's A Distilled History". Gordons website. Retrieved December 2011. 
  6. ↑ Eunson, John K.V. (2012). Caledonia Dreaming. Headline. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-7553-6311-7. 
  7. ↑ http://www.gordons-gin.co.uk/about/gordon's-history
  8. ↑ Johnson Publishing Company (December 1962). Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. p. 130. ISSN 00129011. Retrieved 14 November 2012. 
  9. ↑ Carbon
  10. ↑ "Gordon's Gin". Gordons-gin.co.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 
  11. ↑ Loch Fyne Whiskies - Scotch Whisky Review - Edition 16
  12. ↑ http://www.gordons-gin.co.uk/about/gordon's-history
  13. ↑ http://www.gordons-gin.co.uk/about/gordon's-history
  14. ↑ http://www.gordons-gin.co.uk/about/facts-about-gordon's
  15. ↑ This is Money15 October 2009 Reader comments (9) (15 October 2009). "Why has gin got so much weaker?". This is Money. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
  16. ↑ The Original Gordon's London Dry Gin. (Bottle, 375mL) Bottled in New Zealand under Licence for Diageo Australia, Huntingwood, NSW by Lion Nathan Wines and Spirits New Zealand, Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand. Batch code: A1018916:58.
  17. ↑ Bar Magazine | Developing Premium Bar Excellence | Gordon's to introduce cucumber-flavoured gin
  18. ↑ "The Vesper " Summer Fruit Cup". Summerfruitcup.wordpress.com. 4 July 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
  19. ↑ Craig Boreth (1 September 2012). The Hemingway Cookbook. Chicago Review Press. p. 172. ISBN 978-1-61374-072-9. Retrieved 14 November 2012. 
  20. ↑ BMI Repertoire, Drunk Again, Elvin Bishop
  21. ↑ Lyrics Freak, lyrics to Butterfield Band's "Drunk Again"

"Gordon's A Distilled History". Gordons website. Retrieved December 2011. 

External links

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