City of London
The Distillery
The City of London has a rich gin history; during the “Gin Craze” in the 18th century there was a gin distillery or gin shop in very street in the City benefiting form the spices and citrus fruits coming in to the port of London.
Over the next century, famine, taxation and government regulation took their toll and the Gin Craze ended. No gin distilleries survived, and from nearly 200 years there wasn’t a single gin distillery in the city.
That is until the City of London Distillery opened in 2012. Over the course of 200 years, gin distilling techniques improved, and gin became more refined with more subtle flavours. Gin was big business and London Dry Gin became the most popular type of gin.
Then came the next gin revolution with the advent of the small-batch-micro-distilleries, like City of London, bringing variety, interest and experimentation; new botanicals, new combinations, new gin.
City of London Distillery is still the only operating gin business within the City of London.
The five Gin types
No. 1 Dry Gin
City of London Dry Gin is flavoured with a fine balance of juniper berries, angelica, liquorice and coriander seeds – with fresh orange, lemon and pink grapefruit added also to give the gin its distinctive zesty notes. It’s color is crystal clear.
No. 2 Christopher Wren Gin
Christopher Wren Gin has been designed by expert Master Distiller Tom Nichol. This premium gin combines the subtle flavours of juniper, coriander, angelica root, liquorice and sweet orange to give a complex gin that balances quality and flavour.
No. 3 Old Tom Gin
This Old Tom Gin is an authentic Old Tom. It’s lightly sweetened and combines a hint of warm spice flavour with lingering, zesty citrus notes and caramel.
No. 4 Sloe Gin
City of London Sloe Gin is rich in color, rich in taste and made with London dry gin steeped for many months with blackthorn berries. It tastes wonderfully fruity with sloe and blueberry flavours. Well-judged sugar with cleaning cracked black pepper, pine and other underlying classic London Dry Gin flavours.
No. 5 Square Mile Gin
Square Mile Gin is a one-shot London Dry Gin flavoured with juniper berries, coriander seeds, orris root, angelica, liquorice, fresh orange, lemon and a few other botanicals. It should be served with ice and tastes excellent in a Martini.