Gordon's Gin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| 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, Greece and Africa. It is owned by the British spirits company Diageo and is made in Scotland. It is the world's best selling London Dry gin.[1]Gordon's has been the UK's number one gin since the late 19th century.[2]
[edit]Gordon's London Dry Gin was developed by Alexander Gordon, a Londoner of Scottish descent.[3] He opened a distillery in the Southwark area in 1769, later moving in 1786 to Clerkenwell.[3] TheSpecial London Dry Gin he developed proved successful, and its recipe remains unchanged to this day.[4] Triple-distilled, the gin contains juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica root, liquorice, orris root, orange and lemon peel.[1]History
In 1898 Gordon & Co. amalgamated with Charles Tanqueray & Co. to form Tanqueray Gordon & Co.[3] All production moved to the Gordon's Goswell Road site.[3]
In 1904 the distinctive square-faced, green bottle for the home market is introduced.[3] In 1906 Gordon's Sloe gin went into production.[3] The earliest evidence in recipe books for the production of Gordon's Special Old Tom is in 1921.[3]
In 1922 Tanqueray Gordon & Co. was acquired by the Distillers Company.[3] In 1924 Gordon's began production of a 'Ready-to-Serve' Shaker Cocktail range, each in an individual shaker bottle, capturing the spirit of the Jazz Age.[3]
In 1925 Gordon's was awarded its first Royal Warrant by King George V.[3] In 1929 Gordon's released and orange gin followed by a lemon variety in 1931.
In 1934 Gordon's opened its first distillery in the USA, at Linden, New Jersey.[3]
By 1962 at least it was the world's highest selling gin.[5]
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.[6]
From 2007-2011, British chef Gordon Ramsay was the face of Gordon's Gin.
[edit]Products
The recipe for Gordon's is known to only twelve people in the world and has been kept a secret for 250 years.[7] It takes ten days distillation after receiving the wheat to create a finished product of a bottle of Gordon's Gin.[8]
In the UK Gordon's is sold in a distinctive green glass bottle; in all other markets it is sold in the original clear bottle design. 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[9] (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.[10]
In addition to the main product line, Gordon's also produce a sloe gin; a Vodka (US only), two alcopop variants, Space and Spark; and a canned, pre-mixed gin and tonic.
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.[11]this will be followed by other flavoured variants.
[edit]Discontinued Products
[edit]Gins
- Gordon's special Old Tom Gin (1921-1987)[3]
- Orange Gin (1929-1988)[3]
- Lemon Gin (1931-1988)[3]
- 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.
[edit]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.[3]
- (1930-1967) Rose, Paradise and Gimlet 1930-1967).[3]
- (1924-1990) Dry/Extra Dry Martini [3]
[edit]Other products
- Finest Old Jamaica Rum
- Orange Bitters (made from Seville Oranges
[edit]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.
Gordon's was Ernest Hemingway's favourite gin, which he claimed could "fortify, mollify and cauterize practically all internal and external injurie
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