Berry Bros. & Rudd No. 3 London Dry Gin

Berry Bros. & Rudd No. 3 London Dry GinLondon 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 is a deliberately classical London Dry built around balance rather than novelty. Its name refers to No. 3 St James's Street, the historic London address of Berry Bros. & Rudd, and the recipe is famously reduced to six botanicals. Three bring fruit and brightness, three bring spice and structure: juniper, sweet orange peel, grapefruit peel, coriander seed, angelica root and cardamom. At 46% ABV, it has enough strength for a MartiniDry MartiniGin and a little dry vermouth, stirred over ice and served in a well-chilled stemmed glass, with an olive or a twist.Glossary while staying precise in a gin and tonic.

Citrus · Spicy · Floral

The nose is clean and dry, with juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary in the foreground and citrus peel just behind it. Grapefruit gives a sharper, more modern lift than orange alone, while coriander and cardamom add a peppery, aromatic line. Angelica keeps the finish dry and earthy.

On the palate, No. 3 is not broad or sweet; it is linear, crisp and controlled. The citrus opens the attack, juniper holds the centre, and cardamom gives the finish a warm, lightly exotic spice without disturbing the London Dry discipline.

This gin is especially useful when you want a classic serve with a little extra polish. In a G&T, East Imperial Old World Tonic Water keeps the bitterness fine and lets the grapefruit-juniper balance stay visible. Pink grapefruit is the most direct garnish, and a very small rosemary touch can add aroma if it remains restrained. No. 3 also belongs naturally in a dry Martini, where its six-botanical recipe shows why simplicity can be more precise than excess. That clarity is also valuable for comparison tasting, because each botanical role remains separate enough to identify in the glass.