Gordon's
Last updated 16 May 2026
The 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.
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.
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.
- Nose
- Bright juniper, lemon peel
- Palate
- Juniper-led, light citrus, dry
- Finish
- Short, dry, clean
Flavour profile
- juniper4/5
- citrus3/5
- floral1/5
- herbal1/5
- spice1/5
- sweet1/5
Botanicals
Six classic London Dry botanicals, juniper-led — the recipe has stayed essentially the same since 1769
How it’s made
- Production
- 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.
- Still type
- Continuous column still
- Base spirit
- Neutral grain spirit (mainly wheat)
Perfect serve
Schweppes tonic, lemon wedge, tall glass with lots of ice.
- Garnish
- A wedge of lemon
- Ratio
- 1:3
- Ice
- Plenty of ice — the lower ABV means dilution matters more.
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.
Cocktails to make with Gordon's
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.
Food pairings
Not a sipping gin — pair with the kind of food you’d order in a pub.
- Pub classics (fish and chips, pies)
- Cured charcuterie
- Salt and vinegar crisps
- Sharp cheddar
Where to buy
Supermarket availability
| Supermarket | Stocked | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| tesco | Yes | £17 |
| sainsburys | Yes | £17 |
| waitrose | Yes | £18 |
| morrisons | Yes | £17 |
| asda | Yes | £15 |
| co-op | Yes | £18 |
| aldi | Yes | £14 |
| lidl | Yes | £14 |
Other expressions from Gordon's
Gordon's Premium Pink
Pink-fruit flavoured. A flavoured spirit at gin strength rather than a serious gin — built for spritzes and lemonade, not G&Ts.
Gordon's London Dry Export Strength
The proper-strength Gordon’s. Cleaner, drier, far better for cocktails than the 37.5% supermarket bottle.
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.
Compare with similar gins
Tanqueray
london-dry · lowland
The bartenders' choice. Distilled at Cameronbridge in Fife, Tanqueray is a four-times-distilled, juniper-led London Dry — bigger and cleaner than Gordon's, structurally built for serious cocktails. The recipe hasn't changed since 1830.
Pickering's Gin
london-dry · lowland
Distilled at Summerhall in Edinburgh — the city's first exclusive gin distillery in over 150 years. The recipe is from a handwritten Bombay note dated 1947, scaled up by hand into a London Dry style with notable warmth.
Makar Glasgow Gin
london-dry · lowland
Made by the Glasgow Distillery Co., the city's first whisky and gin distillery for over 100 years. Makar is a juniper-forward London Dry — drier and more traditional than most Scottish contemporaries, with the Glasgow distillery's seven-pot-still expertise behind it.
Plan your distillery visit
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