Gin styles explained simply come down to production method and flavour focus: London Dry, Plymouth, Old Tom, Navy strength, Sloe, Contemporary or New Western, and Genever. Each one tells you something different about how the spirit was made and what it will taste like in a glass. Knowing the difference helps you buy with confidence and choose the right bottle for a Martini, a G&T, or a slow evening sip.
TL;DR:
- Plymouth gin offers a less juniper-forward, sweeter profile, making it suitable for cocktails that need a softer gin than London Dry.
- Navy strength gin provides around 57% ABV, making it ideal for spirit-forward drinks where the higher alcohol content enhances botanical intensity.
- Sloe gin is technically a liqueur with added sugar and fruit, best enjoyed in cocktails or neat, and not considered a true gin in the traditional sense.
- Contemporary or New Western gins focus on regional botanicals and are best in tonic-based drinks where their distinctive flavors can shine.
- Labels that do not specify “distilled gin” or lack a detailed botanical list likely indicate compound gin, which is less refined and generally cheaper.
Table of Contents
- The seven gin styles you’ll actually find on shelves
- Production methods explained: compound vs distilled, single-shot vs multi-shot
- How to taste and use each style in cocktails and serves
- How to read a gin label and a short buying checklist
- Publisher examples: how Winston Quinn’s bottles map to these styles
- Storage and serving recommendations tailored to different gin styles
- Common misconceptions about gin styles and clarifications
- Historical origins and evolution of each gin style
- Key botanicals defining each style and their regional variations
- Build a small, versatile gin shelf
- Publisher products as buying options and where to find them
- Sources
- FAQ
The seven gin styles you’ll actually find on shelves
Each style below carries its own production rules, botanical leanings, and best use. Understanding these details turns label reading from guesswork into a shortcut.
London Dry is a production method, not a place, despite what the name suggests. All the flavour has to come from natural botanicals added during distillation, with nothing sweetened or coloured afterwards, and juniper leads the profile every time. It’s crisp, dry, and built for structure, which is why it underpins classic cocktails like the Martini and the Tom Collins.
Plymouth gin once carried a protected geographical status tied to the English city of the same name, and while that formal protection has lapsed, the name still signals a softer, earthier style with less juniper bite than London Dry. It leans slightly sweeter and rounder, making it a gentle stand-in for London Dry in cocktails that want less sharpness.
Old Tom sits between London Dry and genever in character. It’s typically lightly sweetened, either during production or with a touch of sugar syrup, giving it a rounder mouthfeel that suits pre-Prohibition cocktails like the Martinez or a classic Tom Collins.
Navy strength describes bottling proof rather than flavour, sitting at roughly 57% ABV according to a detailed consumer guide to gin styles, a figure with naval history behind it. The higher strength intensifies every botanical note, so these gins work best in stirred, spirit-forward drinks where dilution from ice or mixers won’t wash out the character.
Sloe gin isn’t really gin at all in the strict sense. It’s a gin-based liqueur made by macerating sloe berries in gin with sugar, which places it in a different legal category from standard gin in many markets according to a practical breakdown of gin categories. Expect a lower ABV, a deep ruby colour, and a fruity, slightly tart sweetness suited to sipping neat or in a Sloe Gin Fizz.
Contemporary or New Western gin steps away from juniper as the dominant note, favouring citrus, florals, or regional botanicals instead. This shift toward local and unusual ingredients creates far more variety from bottle to bottle than older styles allow, as noted in an explainer on the main gin types. These gins shine in tonic-forward serves where their distinctive botanicals get room to breathe.
Genever, the Dutch and Belgian ancestor of gin, is made with a malted grain base spirit that gives it a whisky-like body and a much softer juniper presence. It’s traditionally sipped neat or used in cocktails that call for a maltier backbone, like an Improved Genever Cocktail.
- London Dry and Plymouth suit stirred, spirit-forward classics.
- Old Tom and genever suit pre-Prohibition style cocktails with sweetness or malt character.
- Navy strength suits any drink where you want the gin to hold its own against ice or mixers.
- Sloe gin and Contemporary styles suit fruit-forward or aromatic long drinks.
Pro tip: If you’re building a Negroni, reach for a Plymouth or a softer London Dry. The bitterness of Campari needs a gin with enough backbone to balance it, but not so much juniper that it fights the vermouth.
Production methods explained: compound vs distilled, single-shot vs multi-shot
The words on a label often point straight to how a gin was made, and that method shapes both price and flavour.
- Compound gin is made by cold-infusing or simply mixing neutral spirit with botanical essences or oils rather than redistilling them. It’s the fastest and cheapest way to make gin, and while it can taste harsh or one-dimensional, it’s rarely labelled as such because most producers favour distillation for quality.
- Distilled gin requires the spirit to be redistilled with botanicals present, either in the still itself or via vapour infusion, and permits a small amount of natural flavouring or colouring afterwards according to a gin types explainer. This is the method behind almost every quality gin you’ll find on a bottle shop shelf.
- Single-shot distillation runs each batch at drinking strength, giving the distiller full control over every botanical’s contribution, while multi-shot distillation produces a concentrated batch that’s later diluted with neutral spirit and water to reach multiple bottles’ worth of gin. Single-shot is prized by smaller producers chasing precision, but multi-shot is common commercially and doesn’t always mean a lesser result in blind tastings, as the same style guide points out.
Two label cues help you spot the method fast: a short, specific botanical list often signals single-shot care, while a generic “gin” label with no method stated is worth a second look before you commit to a bottle for a special cocktail.
How to taste and use each style in cocktails and serves
Tasting gin properly takes less time than most people think, and it pays off the moment you’re standing in front of a bottle shop shelf.
Start by nosing the glass before you sip, picking out whether juniper, citrus, or florals lead. Take a small sip and let it sit on your tongue, noting whether the finish is dry and sharp or round and lingering. That single pass tells you most of what you need before mixing.
- London Dry and Plymouth hold their structure in stirred classics like a Martini or Negroni.
- Contemporary and New Western styles shine in tonic-forward G&Ts where their botanicals get space.
- Old Tom suits sweeter, pre-Prohibition cocktails that expect a rounder gin.
- Navy strength needs slightly less gin in a recipe, or a touch more mixer, since its higher ABV concentrates every note.
Pro tip: Match your tonic to the style rather than grabbing whatever’s in the fridge. A floral Contemporary gin wants a light, dry tonic, while a juniper-forward London Dry can handle a more classic, slightly bitter tonic without losing its identity.
How to read a gin label and a short buying checklist
Labels carry more information than most shoppers realise, and a few seconds of reading saves a disappointing pour later.
- Check the botanical list. A specific list, rather than a vague “botanicals” mention, usually signals more careful, small-batch production.
- Check the ABV. Standard gins sit around 37.5 to 43% ABV, while Navy strength bottles jump to roughly 57%, a figure carried over from historical naval proofing standards according to the distiller’s gin guide.
- Check whether it says “distilled gin” or gives no method at all. The absence of “distilled” on the label is often, though not always, a sign of compound production.
A key legal note: under Australian food standards, a “spirit” is defined as a potable alcoholic distillate, and the use of geographical indications is restricted unless the spirit genuinely originates from the named place. That’s why a gin can only call itself “Plymouth” or reference another protected region if it was actually made there.
Publisher examples: how Winston Quinn’s bottles map to these styles
Seeing a style in an actual bottle makes the theory click. From the Denim Collection, Dry Cut Gin leans into the London Dry tradition, built around a clean, juniper-led profile that suits classic stirred cocktails. Skinny Jeans Gin takes a more botanical-forward, Contemporary approach, letting locally sourced ingredients push beyond straight juniper character. Pink Fit Gin sits closer to a flavoured expression, naturally coloured and built for drinkers who want a brighter, fruit-forward pour without losing the underlying spirit’s backbone.
Each of these gins is crafted from botanicals, is vegan and gluten free, and is distilled with a meticulous, flavour-first approach.
Storage and serving recommendations tailored to different gin styles
Gin doesn’t age in the bottle the way whisky does, but how you store and serve each style still affects what ends up in the glass. Keep any gin away from direct sunlight and heat, since prolonged warmth can dull delicate botanicals over time, particularly in Contemporary or floral-led styles.
London Dry and Plymouth hold up fine at room temperature before opening, then belong in the freezer or fridge once you’re ready to build a crisp Martini. Old Tom and genever are often better served slightly less cold, even neat at cool room temperature, since chilling can mute the rounder, maltier notes that define them. Navy strength gin can be stored and served the same as standard strength gins, but pour it with a lighter hand given its higher ABV.
Sloe gin behaves more like a liqueur once opened. It’s worth keeping in the fridge after opening to preserve its fruit character, and it’s best enjoyed within a reasonable window rather than left on a shelf for years. Once any gin bottle is open, use it within twelve months or so for the best flavour, since the delicate top notes in botanicals do fade gradually with air exposure.
Common misconceptions about gin styles and clarifications
A few myths about gin styles persist even among enthusiastic drinkers, and clearing them up changes how you shop.
The biggest one is assuming “London Dry” means the gin was made in London. It’s a production method available to distillers anywhere in the world, as confirmed by a gin types explainer, so plenty of excellent London Dry gins are made nowhere near England.
Another common mix-up is treating sloe gin as a true gin category rather than a liqueur. Because it’s macerated with sugar and fruit after distillation, it sits in its own legal bracket in many markets, distinct from standard gin varieties.
People also assume higher ABV always means harsher flavour, but Navy strength gins are simply more concentrated versions of the same botanical recipe, not inherently rougher. And multi-shot production, often seen as the lesser method, doesn’t automatically produce an inferior gin. Careful multi-shot distillers can match single-shot quality, even if single-shot remains the more traditional, hands-on craft.
Historical origins and evolution of each gin style
Gin’s story starts with genever in the Netherlands and Belgium, where malted grain spirit flavoured with juniper became a medicinal tonic before it became a drink of choice. Dutch and English soldiers carried the taste home during the 17th century, and English distillers adapted it using a lighter, unmalted base spirit, eventually giving rise to what we now call London Dry.
Old Tom emerged in the 18th century as a sweeter bridge between genever and the drier London Dry style that followed, popular in gin palaces before falling out of favour and later being revived by modern distillers chasing pre-Prohibition cocktail authenticity.
Sloe gin has rural English roots as a countryside way of using foraged sloe berries, macerated in gin long before commercial bottling made it widely available. Contemporary or New Western gin is the newest arrival, emerging over the past few decades as distillers worldwide began experimenting with regional botanicals instead of leaning on tradition alone.
Key botanicals defining each style and their regional variations
Juniper is the one constant across every true gin style, but how much it dominates, and what joins it, changes everything.
London Dry and Plymouth typically pair juniper with citrus peel, coriander seed, and angelica root, though Plymouth often adds a touch more root spice for its earthier character. Old Tom follows a similar botanical base but with added sweetness from sugar or syrup rather than a different botanical mix. Navy strength gins usually share their base recipe with a standard-strength sibling, just bottled at higher proof.
Contemporary and New Western gins are where regional variation really shows. Distillers lean into local ingredients, whether that’s native citrus, coastal botanicals, or foraged herbs, which is why two Contemporary gins from different producers can taste almost unrelated. Genever leans on its malted grain base for body, with juniper playing a supporting role rather than the lead. Sloe gin’s defining botanical is really its fruit, the sloe berry itself, macerated into an existing gin base rather than distilled alongside traditional botanicals.
Build a small, versatile gin shelf
If you’re keeping it simple, own a London Dry for classic cocktails, a Contemporary or botanical-forward gin for aromatic G&Ts, an Old Tom for sweeter, pre-Prohibition serves, and a Navy strength bottle for stirred drinks that need backbone. That mix covers nearly every serve you’ll want to make, and it lines up neatly with the label checklist above: check the botanicals, check the ABV, and buy accordingly.
— Winston
Publisher products as buying options and where to find them
If this guide has you ready to taste your way through the styles, our Denim Collection is a practical place to start. Dry Cut Gin gives you a clean, London Dry style entry point, crafted with all-natural botanicals and no artificial additives. Skinny Jeans Gin leans Contemporary, built for drinkers chasing a more botanical-forward G&T. Pink Fit Gin offers a naturally coloured, flavour-forward pour for those wanting something brighter without losing the spirit underneath.
- Dry Cut Gin suits Martinis and other stirred, spirit-forward classics.
- Skinny Jeans Gin suits tonic-based serves where botanicals need room to shine.
- Pink Fit Gin suits lighter, fruit-forward cocktails or a simple sipping serve.
Each bottle is vegan, gluten free, and made with locally sourced botanicals, and if you’re not sure where to start, our gin matching quiz can point you toward your fit. Browse the full Gins range, check out current Limited Editions for gifting, or explore The Denim Collection directly to find your next bottle.
Sources
- Legislation
- Around The Glass – Gin styles explained: London Dry, Old Tom, Navy strength & more
- Distiller – Distiller’s gin guide: styles to know and brands to try
FAQ
What are the seven main types of gin?
The seven main styles are London Dry, Plymouth, Old Tom, Navy strength, Sloe gin, Contemporary or New Western, and Genever. Each differs by production method, sweetness, and botanical focus, as outlined in a consumer-facing gin guide.
What is the smoothest gin to drink?
Smoothness usually comes down to lower ABV, rounder sweetness, or a softer juniper presence, which is why Old Tom and genever styles are often described as gentler on the palate than a sharp London Dry. Contemporary gins with floral or citrus-led botanicals can also feel smoother to new drinkers.
What are the four main styles of gin?
Many simplified guides group gin into four main styles, London Dry, Plymouth, Old Tom, and Contemporary or New Western, treating Navy strength and Sloe as variations or sub-categories rather than separate main styles according to a four-type gin explainer. Both groupings are used depending on how detailed the source wants to be.
How do I know if a gin is compound or distilled?
A distilled gin label will usually say “distilled gin” or specify the production method, while a bottle with no method stated is more likely to be compound. Checking for a specific, named botanical list is another quick clue that points toward genuine distillation.
What does Navy strength mean on a gin label?
That higher strength means the gin holds its character better in cocktails with lots of ice or mixer, as noted in a gin styles guide.
