Top 10 London Dry Gin Distilleries
London Dry Gin is a legally defined category in the EU and UK: all flavour must come from natural botanicals added before or during the redistillation of neutral spirit; no flavourings or colourings may be added after distillation; minimum 37.5% ABV (often higher); only water and a small amount of sweetening (no more than 0.1 g per litre) may be added. The style does not have to be made in London — but historically, most was.
1. Beefeater
Beefeater Distillery in Kennington, south London, is the only major gin distillery still actually located in the City of London proper. Master distiller Desmond Payne, the longest-serving master distiller in the industry, leads. Classic Beefeater, Beefeater 24, and Beefeater London Garden are the core range.
2. Sipsmith
Sipsmith in Chiswick, west London, was the first new copper-still gin distillery in London in nearly 200 years when founded in 2009. The brand sparked the London gin distillery revival. London Dry, V.J.O.P. (Very Junipery Over Proof), and Sloe Gin are core.
3. Tanqueray
Tanqueray is produced at Cameronbridge in Fife, Scotland (not in London), but the brand defines a strict London Dry style — only four botanicals: juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice. The Tanqueray London Dry, No. Ten, and Bloomsbury define the range.
4. Bombay Sapphire
Bombay Sapphire is produced at Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire — a Norman Foster-designed glasshouse distillery open to public tours. The vapour-infusion technique (botanicals in baskets above the still rather than in the spirit) defines the style. Bombay Sapphire, Bombay Star of Bombay, and Bombay Premier Cru are core.
5. Plymouth Gin
Plymouth Gin at the Black Friars Distillery in Plymouth (the city) — the oldest working gin distillery in England (1793) — produces a distinct, slightly sweeter, more earthy style legally protected by a Geographic Indication. Plymouth Gin and Plymouth Navy Strength (57% ABV) are core.
6. Hayman's
Hayman Distillers in London is family-owned (Christopher Hayman is the fifth generation). The brand specifically continues the classic London Dry tradition — Old Tom, Royal Dock Navy Strength, and the Hayman's London Dry are core.
7. Gordon's
Gordon's, founded 1769 in Southwark and now produced at Cameronbridge in Scotland, is the world's best-selling gin by volume. The recipe has been simplified over the years but remains a textbook London Dry; the Gordon's Premium Pink is the modern variant.
8. Hendrick's
Hendrick's Gin in Girvan, Scotland, blends elements of London Dry (juniper-forward, dry) with non-traditional botanicals (rose and cucumber added post-distillation in trace amounts). Strictly, this falls outside London Dry rules — but the gin is included here because it sits beside the category. Owned by William Grant & Sons.
9. The Botanist (Bruichladdich)
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin is distilled at Bruichladdich on Islay with 22 indigenous Islay botanicals foraged by hand. Slow distillation in a Lomond still produces a richer, more complex spirit. Increasingly considered one of the great contemporary gins.
10. Burnt Faith
Burnt Faith in Walthamstow, east London — opened in 2018 — focuses on traditional London Dry production with a contemporary aesthetic. The flagship London Dry uses only seven botanicals; the Navy Strength variant pushes the juniper character.
See them all in one view
London Dry distilleries cluster in two main areas: central and south London (Beefeater, Sipsmith, Burnt Faith, Hayman's), and Scotland (Tanqueray, Gordon's, Hendrick's). The Bombay Sapphire experience at Laverstoke Mill is one of the best public tours in UK distilling. The interactive map shows the geographic spread.