Cotswolds Old Tom Gin

Cotswolds Old TomOld TomAn 18th-century English style, lightly sweetened or rounder, halfway between genever and London Dry. It is back in favour for classic cocktails.GlossarySee Old Tom gins Gin is a Cotswolds Distillery Old Tom Gin inspired by historical recipes and lightly sweetened with sugar syrup. The gin is bottled with enough strength for a clean long drink, but its identity is defined less by power than by the precision of its botanical direction. The key aromatic frame brings together juniper, coriander, angelica root, fresh orange peel, liquorice root, ground ginger, caraway and cardamom. This matters because the bottle is not trying to behave like a neutral London DryLondon DryA style, not a place of origin: every flavour comes from distilling natural botanicals. After distillation only water and a trace of sugar may be added, with no flavouring or colouring.GlossarySee London Dry gins. It keeps the category readable through juniper and dry structure, then lets its chosen plants define the personality of the drink.

Spicy · Fruity · Herbal

On the nose, candied orange, juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary, liquorice, light herbs, ginger and warm spice. The first impression should be read as a progression rather than a list of equal ingredients: the most expressive botanicals arrive first, while juniper, roots and spice provide the dry line underneath.

On the palate, the gin is rounder than a London Dry but not heavy, with orange sweetness, root dryness and ginger spice. Texture is important here. A good description of this gin needs to mention the attack, the middle and the finish, because the real interest appears when sweetness, bitterness, citrus, herbs, spice or fruit start to separate after dilutionDilutionThe water added by melting ice. In the right amount it opens the aromas and softens the alcohol; too much flattens the drink.Glossary.

In a gin and tonic, the safest serve is tonic, Tom CollinsTom CollinsA long drink of gin, lemon juice, sugar and soda water, served over ice in a tall glass.Glossary or MartinezMartinezThe presumed ancestor of the Martini: gin (often Old Tom), sweet vermouth, maraschino and bitters, stirred over ice and served straight up.Glossary-style cocktails, with orange peel and ginger. The glass should stay simple: plenty of clear ice, a measured tonic and a garnish that echoes the gin instead of covering it. This gin can also work in lighter highballs or aperitif-style cocktails when the mixer respects its main aromatic line. The finish is softly sweet, spiced and dry enough to remain clearly gin. It is a bottle to present through its own botanical logic, not as an interchangeable gin, and that is what makes the perfect serve easier to understand.