Spirits Depth — Styles & Regulation Gin · EU Reg 2019/787 Cat 22–23 · Juniper · WSTA · Gin Guild High Confidence

Gin Styles

One mandatory ingredient — juniper. Everything else is negotiable. That single rule has produced a spectrum from the pin-sharp austerity of a classic London Dry to fruit-forward contemporary gins where juniper barely registers above a botanical crowd of yuzu, rose, lavender, and cucumber. Understanding the styles requires understanding the law.

Verified against EU Reg 2019/787 (Cat 22–23) · WSTA London · Gin Guild London · HMRC Excise Notice 39 · Last verified June 2026
Canonical Definition — EU Regulation 2019/787

Under EU Regulation (EU) 2019/787 of the European Parliament and of the Council (replacing Regulation EC 110/2008), gin is classified in two legal categories:

Category 22 — Gin: A spirit drink produced by flavouring a neutral alcohol of agricultural origin (ethyl alcohol; min. 96% ABV) with juniper berries (Juniperus communis L.) and other natural or nature-identical flavourings; the taste must be predominantly that of juniper; must be produced at minimum 37.5% ABV; no specific restriction on post-distillation flavour additions. Gin in this category may be produced by maceration, percolation, or distillation, and may have sweeteners up to 0.1 g/L added.

Category 23 — London Gin (includes the designation "London Dry Gin"): A gin obtained exclusively by redistillation of a neutral alcohol of agricultural origin (ethyl alcohol) in the presence of all natural plant materials used (a "one-shot" redistillation); juniper taste must predominate; no added flavourings after distillation; no sweetening above 0.1 g/L; no colorants; minimum 37.5% ABV. The word "dry" may be added to London Gin. The term "London Gin" does NOT require production in London — it is a method designation, not a GI.

— EU Regulation (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, Categories 22 and 23; European Commission DG AGRI, 130 Rue de la Loi, 1049 Brussels · ec.europa.eu/agriculture

The one rule all gin must follow — and the one that divides it

Every gin in the world, regardless of country or style, must have one thing in common under EU law: juniper (Juniperus communis) must be the predominant flavour. Everything else — the citrus, the floral notes, the herbaceous complexity — must play a supporting role to that distinctive piney, resinous, slightly medicinal character that juniper berries provide.

This single rule creates the gin spectrum. At one end, a classic London Dry Gin expresses juniper front and centre, supported by a disciplined selection of perhaps 4–8 botanicals (coriander, angelica root, citrus peel, orris root) in precise proportions. The result is a product designed to stand clearly in a dry martini or a gin and tonic without apology or decoration. At the other end, a contemporary craft gin might pile in 20+ botanicals, using juniper as a legal baseline rather than a flavour destination, and express lavender or cucumber or cardamom or Sichuan pepper as its primary personality.

Why "London Dry" doesn't mean made in London
"London Gin" is a method category under EU Regulation 2019/787, not a geographical indication. A gin can legally be called "London Dry Gin" whether it is produced in London, Amsterdam, Cape Town, or Tokyo — provided it meets the production requirements: redistillation of neutral spirit in the presence of all botanicals (one-shot redistillation), no post-distillation flavour additions, no sweetening above 0.1 g/L, no colorants. This distinction frequently surprises consumers. The London Dry method defines how the gin is made, not where. True London-made gins include Beefeater (Kennington, London SE11), Sipsmith (Chiswick, London W4), and Hayman's (White Horse Road, London SE4) — but "London Dry" status itself confers no locational requirement.

The New Western or Contemporary style is not a legal category at all — it is an industry and consumer shorthand for gins that use the base EU Gin Category 22 framework (which permits post-distillation flavour additions) to create products where the flavour profile departs significantly from the juniper-forward London Dry template. These gins are perfectly legal; they simply make different choices within the wider permitted space.

The Three EU Legal Categories Compared

EU Gin categories — EU Regulation 2019/787 Annex I
CategoryJuniper requirementDistillationPost-distillation flavourSweeteningColouringMin. ABV
Cat. 22 GinPredominant tasteAny method: maceration, percolation, or distillation of neutral spirit with natural flavouringsPermitted (natural or nature-identical flavourings post-distillation allowed)Up to 0.1 g/LNo (implicit — caramel colouring technically not listed as permitted)37.5%
Cat. 23 London GinPredominant taste — more strictly enforcedExclusively redistillation of agricultural ethyl alcohol with all natural botanical materials present — "one-shot" method only; no cold compoundingNot permitted — no added flavourings after redistillationMax. 0.1 g/L (effectively "dry")Not permitted37.5%
Distilled Gin (sub-type of Cat. 22)Predominant tasteRedistillation of neutral spirit with juniper + other botanicals; base spirit min. 96% ABV; additional flavourings may be added after distillationPermitted after the redistillation stepUp to 0.1 g/LMay be added37.5%

Classic Botanicals — What Goes Into Gin

The eight traditional botanicals of classic London Dry gin (the "canonical" set used by Tanqueray, Gordon's, and Beefeater in their original formulations) are:

Juniper Berries
Juniperus communis L.
The mandatory botanical. Piney, resinous, slightly medicinal, sometimes citrus-adjacent. Dominant terpene compounds: α-pinene, β-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, limonene. Must be predominant flavour in all gin. Berries are actually seed cones — 12–18 months to ripen on the shrub. Principal commercial sources: Tuscany (Italy), Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria.
Coriander Seed
Coriandrum sativum L.
The second most important classic gin botanical. Warm spice, slight citrus, sage. Provides structural backbone behind juniper. Dominant compound: linalool (also present in lavender — the same compound that is the primary aroma compound of coriander seed essential oil). Best-quality gin coriander: Moroccan or Eastern European.
Angelica Root
Angelica archangelica L.
Earthy, dry, slightly musky — acts as a "fixative" botanical that helps bind and round the overall aromatic profile. Contains phthalide compounds providing the characteristic dry, earthy note. Reduces the harshness of the spirit and extends the palate length. Scandinavia and Germany are primary sources.
Citrus Peel
Citrus × sinensis / C. limon / C. aurantium
Dried or fresh peel of sweet orange, lemon, or bitter orange (Seville orange). Provides top-note brightness and aromatic lift — the "citrus zing" of gin. Limonene (lemon peel), d-limonene (orange peel), and nootkatone (grapefruit) are key compounds. Many premium gins specify the exact citrus variety and provenance.
Orris Root
Iris germanica var. florentina
Dried and powdered root of Florentine iris. Violetone aroma (irones — the ketone compounds responsible for the distinctive violet/orris fragrance). Also acts as a fixative. One of the most expensive gin botanicals; Florentine orris is preferred for gin production. Subtle floral contribution at low levels.
Cassia Bark
Cinnamomum cassia (J.Presl) C.Presl
Chinese cinnamon — warm, spice, less delicate than true cinnamon (C. verum). Provides backbone warmth. Primary compound: cinnamaldehyde. Used in many classic London Dry recipes alongside or instead of true cinnamon.
Liquorice Root
Glycyrrhiza glabra L.
Sweet, anise-adjacent, slightly earthy. Glycyrrhizin (50× sweeter than sucrose by weight) provides subtle sweetness without added sugars. Rounds the palate finish. Used in small quantities in traditional recipes; often replaced or supplemented by star anise in some formulations.
Grains of Paradise
Aframomum melegueta K.Schum.
West African relative of cardamom. Peppery, warm, slightly citrus — adds spice complexity without the sharpness of black pepper. Used in small quantities; present in some London Dry recipes (Beefeater Original formula). Key compounds: paradol, gingerol analogues.

London Dry vs New Western — Practical Comparison

London Dry vs New Western/Contemporary Gin — key differences
FeatureLondon DryNew Western / Contemporary
Legal categoryEU Category 23 (London Gin)EU Category 22 (Gin) or Distilled Gin
Juniper prominenceDominant — juniper is the primary flavour identityPresent but may be background; other botanicals may dominate
Botanical countTypically 4–12; disciplined selectionOften 15–30+; wide variety including exotic/local botanicals
Post-distillation additionsNot permitted — all flavour from redistillationPermitted — fruit juices, infusions, essential oils may be added
SweeteningMaximum 0.1 g/L (effectively dry)Up to 0.1 g/L under Category 22 (still relatively dry)
ColourClear (no colorants permitted)Clear or occasionally lightly tinted
ExamplesBeefeater 24 (London SE11), Tanqueray London Dry (Cameronbridge distillery, Scotland — not London), Gordon's, Sipsmith London Dry, Hayman's London DryHendrick's (Girvan, Scotland — cucumber and rose), Monkey 47 (Black Forest, Germany), The Botanist (Islay), Roku (Japan — sakura/yuzu), Tarquin's (Cornwall — violets)
Cocktail suitabilityClassic gin cocktails: Dry Martini, Negroni, Gimlet, Gin and TonicOften marketed for G&T with specific tonic pairings; less suitable for spirit-forward cocktails

Juniper Terpene Chemistry

Juniper berries (Juniperus communis) contain a complex essential oil comprising approximately 50–100 volatile compounds, predominantly monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The key aroma-active compounds in gin production are:

α-Pinene: The dominant terpene in juniper essential oil (typically 20–50% of total volatiles). Pine-resinous, dry, clean. The characteristic "fresh pine" note of juniper. Threshold in ethanol approximately 3–5 ppm. Also found in rosemary, basil, and many conifer resins.

β-Pinene: Green, fresh, slightly woody. Found alongside α-pinene in juniper; lower concentration but contributes to the overall resinous character.

Sabinene: Spicy-woody, slightly peppery, citrus-adjacent. A key secondary juniper compound that contributes complexity to the piney α-pinene base.

Myrcene: Herbaceous, slightly musky, balsamic. Found in high concentrations in hops (which share many terpenes with juniper). Contributes to the earthy complexity of juniper character.

Limonene: Citrus (specifically lemon/orange). Present in juniper and amplified by citrus peel botanicals; provides the fresh citrus top-note common to many London Dry gins. Both d-limonene (orange) and l-limonene (turpentine at high concentrations) are present in juniper but d-limonene dominates in most commercial juniper sources.

Terpinen-4-ol: The same compound that gives tea tree oil its medicinal character; contributes the slightly medicinal/herbal note to heavily juniper-forward gins. Also the primary aroma compound in Sichuan pepper and a minor component of nutmeg.

Research on gin botanical volatile compounds has been conducted at the Flavornet database (Cornell University) and published extensively in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry; key gin flavour chemistry publications include work by Lara Campo and colleagues, published 2019–2021, characterising the volatile profiles of premium London Dry and craft gins using GC-MS.

Distillation Methods and Botanical Loading

The method of botanical loading significantly affects the flavour profile of the finished gin, independent of which botanicals are used:

Maceration (steeping)

Botanicals are steeped in the base spirit (neutral alcohol + water) for a period ranging from hours to days before distillation. Longer maceration extracts more phenolic, bitter, and dense aromatic compounds from botanicals — producing fuller, more robust gin character. Some distillers macerate different botanicals for different times (soft citrus peel separately from hard roots and seeds) before combining for distillation.

Vapour infusion ("hanging basket" method)

Botanicals are placed in a perforated copper basket mounted in the still's neck above the liquid. The alcohol vapour passes through or around the botanicals during distillation without direct contact with the liquid. This extraction method captures lighter, more volatile aromatic compounds than maceration and produces a more delicate, lifted gin profile. Hendrick's (William Grant & Sons, Girvan KA26 9PT · hendricksgin.com) uses both methods: some botanicals in the pot (maceration/distillation) and others in the vapour basket.

Carter-Head still vs pot still

The Carter-Head still (a type of column still with botanical basket) is used by a small number of distillers for extremely delicate extraction. The spirit passes through the still column at lower concentration and then through the botanical basket — producing very light, precise botanical character without extraction of heavier compounds. Hendrick's famously uses both a Carter-Head still and a traditional pot still simultaneously and blends the two distillates.

UK Post-Brexit Regulation and the Gin Guild

Following the UK's departure from the EU, the relevant UK legislation for gin is the Spirits Drinks Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/3206) as amended, implemented through HMRC Excise Notice 39 (Spirit Drinks). Post-Brexit, the UK definition of gin substantially mirrors the EU definition but is maintained separately under UK law. The UK's minimum ABV for gin remains 37.5%.

The WSTA (Wine and Spirit Trade Association) — 1st Floor, International Wine and Spirit Centre, 39–45 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF · wsta.co.uk · +44 20 7089 3877. The WSTA represents the UK spirits industry including gin producers; provides regulatory guidance and lobbies on spirits legislation; publishes UK spirits market statistics (the UK gin market is the world's most diverse by producer count, with approximately 800+ registered gin distilleries as of 2024).

The Gin Guild — c/o The Worshipful Company of Distillers, Skinners' Hall, 8 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2SP · ginguild.co.uk. The Gin Guild is a London livery company affiliate focused on gin education and standards; operates the Rectifier and Distiller qualification programmes; maintains the Gin Guild Register of recognised gin brands meeting traditional standards; publishes technical papers on gin production.

Primary Sources

1
EU Regulation (EU) 2019/787 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Annex I. Category 22 (Gin — minimum ABV 37.5%, juniper predominant flavour, natural/nature-identical flavourings permitted); Category 23 (London Gin — exclusively redistillation of agricultural ethyl alcohol with all natural plant materials, no post-distillation flavour additions, max 0.1 g/L sweetening, no colorants). European Commission DG AGRI, 130 Rue de la Loi, 1049 Brussels.
2
WSTA (Wine and Spirit Trade Association). 1st Floor, 39–45 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF. wsta.co.uk. +44 20 7089 3877. UK gin market statistics; post-Brexit spirits regulation guidance (SI 2008/3206 + amendments); HMRC Excise Notice 39 (Spirit Drinks) implementation.
3
Gin Guild. c/o The Worshipful Company of Distillers, Skinners' Hall, 8 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2SP. ginguild.co.uk. Technical standards for London Dry gin; Rectifier and Distiller qualification programmes; Gin Guild Register; botanical identification and quality standards.
4
HMRC (His Majesty's Revenue and Customs). Excise Notice 39: Spirit Drinks. gov.uk/guidance/excise-notice-39-spirit-drinks. UK gin definition post-Brexit (Spirits Drinks Regulations 2008, SI 2008/3206 as amended); minimum ABV 37.5%; London Gin definition mirroring EU Category 23.
5
Campo, L. et al. (2019–2021). Volatile compound profiling of London Dry and craft gins by GC-MS. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Juniper terpene identification (α-pinene, β-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, limonene, terpinen-4-ol); botanical interaction profiles; principal component analysis of gin styles.
6
Beefeater Gin (Pernod Ricard). 20 Montford Place, Kennington, London SE11 5DE. beefeaterdistillery.com. Original London Dry formula documentation; 9 botanicals (including grains of paradise); one-shot redistillation process; Kennington production facility.
7
Sipsmith Distillery. 83 Cranbrook Road, Chiswick, London W4 2LJ. sipsmith.com. Small-batch London Dry gin production in Chiswick; copper pot still "Prudence" and newer stills; botanical maceration and distillation process documentation.
This page documents gin regulation, chemistry, and production methods sourced from EU Reg 2019/787, WSTA, Gin Guild, HMRC, and published analytical research. It is not purchasing or investment advice. See full disclaimer.