Gordon's
Buy this ginThe everyday gin of every British pub for the last fifty years. Distilled at Cameronbridge in Fife — the same Diageo grain distillery that makes Tanqueray and J&B — Gordon's is a classic juniper-led London Dry that does the basic job better than most things at twice the price.
Flavour profile
Botanicals (6)
Six classic London Dry botanicals, juniper-led — the recipe has stayed essentially the same since 1769
Tasting notes
Big juniper, light citrus, dry finish. Not subtle, not complicated, not interested in being trendy — Gordon's is what gin tasted like before the contemporary boom. Drops to 37.5% ABV, which holds it back versus pricier London Drys, but at £15-20 it's the gin everyone has under the bar.
Bright juniper, lemon peel
Juniper-led, light citrus, dry
Short, dry, clean
How it's made
Distilled at Cameronbridge Distillery in Fife using a continuous-column process. The gin is made at industrial scale alongside Tanqueray, J&B and other Diageo spirits.
Perfect serve
Don't overthink this one. Gordon's earns its place as the workhorse G&T — quality tonic and a lemon wedge is exactly the right setup.
Beyond the G&T
Gordon's Tom Collins
Highball- ·50ml Gordon's
- ·25ml lemon juice
- ·15ml sugar syrup
- ·Soda water
- ·Lemon slice
Shake gin, lemon, and syrup with ice. Strain over ice in a highball. Top with soda. Garnish with lemon.
Gordon's is at its best in a Tom Collins or French 75 — anything with citrus and bubbles.
The Gordon's range
Pink-fruit flavoured. A flavoured spirit at gin strength rather than a serious gin — built for spritzes and lemonade, not G&Ts.
The proper-strength Gordon’s. Cleaner, drier, far better for cocktails than the 37.5% supermarket bottle.
Awards
Snobs will tell you Gordon's is boring. Snobs are wrong — it's the gin that taught Britain what gin is, and at £15-20 it's the unbeatable house pour. The 37.5% ABV is the only real complaint; the Export Strength bottling fixes that. If you only have £20, skip the cucumber-and-rose contemporaries and buy this.
Food pairings
Not a sipping gin — pair with the kind of food you’d order in a pub.
Where to buy
Supermarket availability
Availability checked April 2026. Prices and stock may vary by store.
Compare Gordon's with
Frequently asked questions
Is Gordon's gin Scottish?
Yes — it's distilled at Cameronbridge Distillery in Fife, Scotland. Gordon's recipe was created in London in 1769 but production has been Scottish for over a century, alongside Tanqueray, J&B and other Diageo brands.
Why is Gordon's only 37.5% ABV?
The standard UK supermarket bottle is at the EU minimum of 37.5%. The Export Strength bottling at 47.3% is the same recipe at proper London Dry strength — much better for cocktails.
What's the best tonic for Gordon's?
Schweppes for the classic pub G&T; Fever-Tree Indian if you want to elevate it. Fancy tonics like Mediterranean or Elderflower fight against Gordon’s and aren’t worth the cost.
Is Gordon's good for cocktails?
For batching summer drinks (Tom Collins, French 75, gin punch) yes. For Negronis or martinis, switch to the Export Strength bottling — the standard 37.5% disappears under bigger flavours.
Similar gins
Hendrick’s
contemporarylowland
Instantly recognisable for its cucumber-and-rose signature. Soft, floral, unmistakably restrained on the juniper. More perfumed than punchy — this is a gin for people who don't want their G&T to taste like a pine forest. The finish is clean and short, which makes it dangerously easy to drink on a warm afternoon.
Edinburgh Gin
contemporarylowland
Soft and approachable. Juniper takes a back seat to the floral heather note, with a subtle pine resin underneath. Sweet enough to drink without much fuss but lacks the bigger flavour of Hendrick’s or the structure of The Botanist. The Seaside variant is the more interesting bottle in the range.
Glaswegin
contemporarylowland
Soft, light, citrus-forward and easy. The juniper takes a back seat — this is more apéritif than dry martini territory. Not a complicated gin, but at sub-£25 it doesn’t need to be. Good for casual G&Ts and outdoor drinking.
Pickering's Gin
london-drylowland
A proper London Dry with a warm Indian spice twist. Big juniper, then cardamom and clove warmth in the mid-palate, with a clean citrus lift. The closest thing on the Scottish gin shelf to a classic Bombay style — and at sub-£25 it's outstanding value.
Lind & Lime
contemporarylowland
Bright citrus-forward gin with a distinctive pink peppercorn warmth on the finish. Clean, balanced, and versatile. One of the best new Scottish gins of the 2020s.
Darnley's Gin
london-drylowland
Clean and elegant, elderflower-forward with a crisp juniper base. Lighter than most Scottish gins — designed for subtlety rather than statement.
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