Menu Close

Bombay Sapphire Gin

After recently reviewing Beefeater Gin, I was inspired to try out some other affordable London Dry style gins. And despite not loving the last product I tried from this brand, Bombay Bramble, I still couldn’t resist the bright blue bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin. Although Bombay Sapphire Gin was first introduced in 1986, it takes inspiration from a 200 year old recipe. While developing Sapphire, head distiller Ian Hamilton was given strict instructions to stay close to a recipe first developed my Thomas Dakin in 1791. Hamilton only added two ingredients, grains of paradise and cubeb berries. The other eight botanicals used are: Licorice […]

Tall clear glass bottle with bright red cap and lettering

Beefeater Gin

Although we’ve reviewed many different styles of gin, there’s one I’ve been meaning to explore more thoroughly: London Dry Gin. And I thought the classic and affordable Beefeater Gin would be the perfect to begin my personal journey with this famous English spirit. Beefeater, the nickname of The Yeomen Warders who have guarded the Tower of London for centuries, was first established by James Burrough in 1863 and is currently the only international gin that’s still distilled in the heart of London. They still use Burrough’s original recipe that includes nine botanicals: juniper, seville oranges, lemon peel, almond, angelica root and seed […]

Bottle of Hofland Gin sitting on a wooden table, in front of a mixed white and wooden background

Hofland Gin

Hofland Gin is a London Dry Gin produced by Hofland at the Toorank Distillery in Zevenaar, Netherlands. Founded in 1923 by Jacob Hofland, the brand became known for its Gin and Genever products.

This particular bottle of London Dry Gin is produced using 8 botanicals and water that the company describes as “the purest water from Holland”. They source their water from The Veluwe, a national park in the Gelderland […]

Clear glass bottle with a round blue and bronze label

Plymouth Gin

While I was browsing for new cocktail recipes, I kept seeing Plymouth Gin mentioned everywhere. It was recommended by a bunch of websites and even a few bartenders preferred in their cocktail books. So I was eager to see what makes Plymouth so well regarded.

One reason is its longevity. Black Friar Distillery has distilled Plymouth Gin for hundreds of years and is England’s oldest distillery operating in it’s original location. They converted an old monastery into the distillery in 1793, and it’s now the only surviving distillery in the city of Plymouth, England. However, ownership has changed hands many times over the years and Pernod […]