🥃 Gordon's
London dry gin created in 1769 by Alexander Gordon in Southwark; now owned by Diageo; 37.5% ABV in Britain.
Gordon's is a London dry gin brand launched in 1769 by Alexander Gordon in the Southwark district of London. It is now owned by the British company Diageo. Production for Britain and Western Europe has been based in Cameronbridge (Fife, Scotland) since 1998. The strength is 37.5% ABV in Britain and 40% in the US and Canada.
In 1786 production moved to Clerkenwell. In 1898 Gordon's merged with Charles Tanqueray & Co, in 1922 it joined the Distillers Company, and it is now part of Diageo. In 1925 the brand received its first royal warrant. The emblem of the brand is a wild boar.
The botanicals confirmed by the producer and by retailers' descriptions are juniper, coriander, angelica root, liquorice, orris root, and orange and lemon peel. The exact recipe is kept secret. We do not repeat the claim that the recipe has not changed since 1769: it is a marketing statement with no independent confirmation.
The British strength was lowered from 40 to 37.5% ABV in 1992. Travellers is 47.3%. Among newer versions, Pink (from 2017) and an alcohol-free version (from 2020) are known.
Why this matters to you. In the EU, "gin" must be at least 37.5% ABV, so British Gordon's sits at the lower limit, while Travellers is much stronger. Pink and the alcohol-free version are separate products with their own composition. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| Year founded | 1769, Alexander Gordon (Southwark, London) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787, Annex I (gin, min. 37.5% ABV) |
| EU category | 22 – London gin (numbering as in b8) |
| Raw material | juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice, orris root, orange and lemon peel |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 37.5% ABV (Britain); 40% (US, Canada); 47.3% (Travellers) |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Gordon's → kind of → 🍸 Gin and juniper spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Diageo
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🍸 Gin and juniper spirits, 🍸 Gin
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🍸 London gin, 🍸 Distilled gin, 🥃 Tanqueray, 🥃 Tanqueray, 🥃 Beefeater, 🥃 Beefeater, 🥃 Hendrick's, 🥃 Beefeater London Dry Gin, 🥃 Beefeater Pink
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that the Gordon's recipe has not changed since 1769?
This is a marketing claim with no independent confirmation. The composition is known only in general terms: juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice, orris root, citrus peel.
Who owns Gordon's?
The British company Diageo. Before that the brand belonged to the Distillers Company (from 1922).
How strong is Gordon's?
In Britain it is 37.5% ABV (lowered from 40% in 1992), in the US and Canada 40%, and Travellers is 47.3%.
Where is Gordon's made?
For Britain and Western Europe, in Cameronbridge (Fife, Scotland) since 1998.
What is on the emblem?
A wild boar.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
- 🍸 London gin — The EU's strictest distilled gin: aroma from distillation only, no colourings, up to 0.1 g/l of sugar, at least 37.5% vol.
- 🥃 Beefeater — London dry gin made by James Burrough from 1863; nine botanicals, about 24 hours of steeping; owned by Pernod Ricard since 2005.
Similar
🥃 Beefeater · 🥃 Bombay Sapphire · 🥃 Tanqueray · 🥃 Hendrick's · 🥃 Pimm's · 🥃 Glen Elgin
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Art. 2 and Annex I
- Diageo: Gordon's (власник марки; botanicals, Pink, 0.0 %)
- Gordon's Gin: офіційний сайт марки
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)