Gin has been synonymous with London since the 1700s and, although it is a sophisticated spirit found in every cocktail bar around the world, it has had a long and illustrious journey to become what we enjoy today.

The first style of London gin is affectionately known as Old Tom Gin. It is a style that has evolved over the years and, whilst no longer the most popular style of gin, it remains a staple in leading cocktail bars and is recognised as the gin for classic cocktails.

The origin of Old Tom Gin is much debated and has evolved since the 1700s. It is this mystique that gives Old Tom Gin the warmth and esteem that bartenders and enthusiasts still hold today.

This ‘Story of Old Tom Gin’ aims to answer some of those debated questions and to allow the narrative to be shared, ensuring that Old Tom Gin retains its unique place in the folklore of cocktails.

Cats, myths and legends

Many often ask how the Old Tom Gin name came to be. Legend has it that the name was born from the entrepreneurial practices of a certain Captain Dudley Bradstreet. In 1736, Bradstreet acquired a property in London along with a stock of gin. He set up a painted sign of a cat in the window and spread the word that gin could be purchased ‘by the cat’. Under the sign, beneath the cat’s paw, was a slot and a lead pipe, which was attached to a funnel inside the house. Customers placed their money in the slot and duly received their gin. Bradstreet’s idea was soon copied all over London. People would stand outside houses, call ‘puss’, and when the voice within said ‘mew’, they knew that they could buy bootleg gin inside. Before long, Old Tom became an affectionate nickname for gin.

Joseph Boord was the first distiller to register the image of a cat in his 1849 Cat and Barrel trademark for Old Tom Gin, which was also the earliest registered trademark for gin in general. Once branded bottles were introduced in the 1860s, bottles of Old Tom Gin invariably carried an illustration of a black cat. Boord offered a different story for the product’s origin, claiming under oath that the product was named after an employee known as “Old Tom” who worked at another distillery. The 1903 challenge to Boord’s mark with the cat and barrel became a landmark case in UK trademark law.

Empire of the sweet

Another debate has been whether Old Tom Gin must contain sugar. In 1802, an entirely new section of the Port of London, the West India Docks, was built to process the vast amounts of sugar arriving into London. An increasing number of large refiners made sugar readily accessible and affordable to many London trades, including distillers who required copious amounts for a broad range of products. Evidence of this sweet tooth was the rising appeal and production of cordials, and the presence of sugar was seen (even if just a smidgen) across a broad range of spirits, including Old Tom Gin.

taste and production

19th-century Old Tom Gin is often described as the missing link between Dutch genever and London Dry Gin, combining the rich mouth feel of its predecessor with the fuller, rounded profile of botanicals found in its successor. Even more so than with modern gins, the taste profiles of different distillers’ Old Tom Gins would have varied greatly, as each distiller had their own recipe, production capabilities, and techniques. However, what every distiller was aiming for was a balance between the rich flavours of the gin botanicals and sweetness derived from sugar.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Old Tom was around 25% ABV, sold in barrels and drunk neat like a liqueur. By the late 19th century, Old Tom Gins were usually bottled at between 40% and 44% ABV. It was this style of Old Tom Gin that was deemed the benchmark of quality for English gin and led exports within the gin category.

The best way to explain the history of London gin is by two periods — pre- 1860s and post-1860s. The style of London gin we enjoy now was born out of the 1860s. This was the turning point in how London gin was made and enjoyed with traditions that continue today.

The world of gin in the early 19th century could be characterised as highly fragmented, with little order or consistency among the pot-still distillates of the day. Hundreds of small distilleries rushed products for sale to local taverns for consumption, often with an expediency that bore little regard for product quality. Needless to say, ageing was not a consideration.

Early Old Tom was typically sweetened because the popular taste was for sweeter spirits and, in better distillates, for adding to the complexity of flavours. In lesser distillates and compounded gins, the sugar may well have been the focal point beyond delivery of alcohol. While aromatic esters of the pot-still distillates may have been interesting, Old Tom did not ascend in popularity until the introduction of the continuous still in the mid-19th century, which allowed for a cleaner neutral spirit to the Old Tom Gin base.

Led by James Burrough, often referred to as ‘The Great Gin Pioneer’ of his time, this charismatic innovator and pharmacist evolved London gin into the refined and sophisticated spirit still used today.

James Burrough was the first London distiller to use citrus (orange and lemon peel) as a botanical, which allowed gin to become crisp and refreshing. In the 1860s, a law was passed that allowed gin and all spirits to be sold in bottles rather than casks, allowing for cleaner spirit. Lastly, this era saw the most significant enhancement in distillation with the introduction of the column still, creating a much cleaner base spirit to be used in distillation.

James Burrough

By the 1870s, most London distillers produced the following types of gin:

Old Tom Gin – Rich, rounded and flavourful, often advertised as ‘sweetened gin’, further heightening its appeal. Unaged.

Sloe Gin – Rich and fruity made by infusing gin with sloe berries (the small, dark plum of the blackthorn bush).

London Dry Gin – This emerging new style was called ‘Dry’ because it was unsweetened, often described on distillers’ price lists as ‘sugar-free’ gin. It became a darling to gin producers as it required less botanical inputs and no sugar, making it cost effective and appealing to a growing audience.

Navy Strength Gin – A staple for the British Navy, consumed for its medicinal properties and to boost morale among sailors. The gin was required to be at least 57% ABV, a practice known as proof, ensuring it was strong enough to light gunpowder if spilled.

Plymouth Gin – Made in the coastal city of Plymouth, England – a dry gin, but softer than London Dry in profile.

Hollands and Geneva – Hollands was a direct copy of Dutch genever and was usually aged; Geneva was the English version of Dutch genever, lighter in style and unaged. Relative to Old Tom and especially London Dry, the Hollands and Geneva were the least juniper intensive.

London gins were the chosen drink of the middle classes, particularly after the phylloxera plague had made French brandy all but unavailable. From the 1870s to the end of the century, Old Tom Gin was the dominant style and became an important export, particularly to the United States, where it was seen as a more versatile alternative to the heavier Dutch gins.

THE RISE OF LONDON DRY Gin

OLD TOM GIN STYLES OF TODAY

The only Old Tom Gin still made in London from an historic 1860s family recipe developed by James Burrough. Hayman’s Old Tom Gin is a rich and characterful style of London gin, offering a rounder profile than London Dry and perfect for classic cocktails like the Martinez and Tom Collins, featuring notes of juniper, citrus, spice, and a hint of soft sweetness. It is referenced as the only style of London Old Tom Gin from the 1860s and the base to the classic Old Tom cocktails.

“Made in Oregon, USA, using a blend of malted barley and high-proof corn spirit, giving it a subtle sweetness and malty backbone. It does not follow the London style but is closer to Genever. It is also aged in first-fill Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Suitable for cocktails made with Whiskey.

Based on an 1840 gin recipe from London. It is not sweetened and is a modern-day reference of the unsweetened London gin style of the time

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