Ford’s London Dry Gin is one of the few native London gins. In this cocktail capital, it’s not surprising that there are so few locally-produced spirits—and even fewer local gins.
Despite its name, Ford’s doesn’t have anything to do with Harry Potter’s chauffeur and friend; it is named after its founders Michael and Edward Ford. The two brothers are also partners at their father’s company, William Ford & Sons Ltd., which operates as a distributor of alcoholic beverages, wine, and cider. They took matters into their own hands by setting up an old distillery in Hackney and creating their own spirit products. To get you acquainted with this new gin, here are some quick facts about Ford’s London Dry Gin:
A Brief History of Ford’s Gin
Ford’s London Dry Gin came onto the market in the second half of 2018. It is one of the few London gins in the market, and it is also the first product released by the Ford brothers.
The gin is distilled at William Ford & Sons Ltd.’s distillery in Hackney, East London. William Ford & Sons are the oldest family-owned wine and spirits distributor in the UK, and these good folks have been in the business for almost 200 years! William Ford was one of the biggest wine importers in the UK in the 19th century, and because he did not have a distillery, he had to source his spirits from other companies. He was very critical of their quality and decided to set up a distillery to produce his own spirits. In the 1930s, Ford took the initiative to buy a copper still with a column, making them one of the first facilities to create a London Dry Gin.
Aroma and Tasting Notes
Ford’s London Dry Gin is a very standard London Dry with a clear juniper and citrus flavour. The aroma is dominated by the juniper, and the taste has a fruity lemon note and a hint of cinnamon. It is a very clean gin with a light, floral note and a hint of pepper at the end. The gin is a great base for cocktails, as its flavour profile is rich yet not too assertive.
ABV: Is It Just For Show?
A common misconception is that high-ABV spirits are bolder and stronger in taste, and lower ABV spirits are less potent. This is only partly true; ABV refers to the percentage of alcohol by volume. In this case, high-ABV spirits are not necessarily higher in taste; they just have more alcohol per volume. And low ABV spirits don’t necessarily taste weaker than high ABV spirits.
It all depends on the distillation process and the types of ingredients used. High ABV spirits might have been distilled more times than low ABV spirits, resulting in a higher percentage of alcohol in the final product. Higher ABV spirits might even taste cleaner and crisper than low ABV ones, as they may have been aged longer.
Ford’s London Dry Gin Ingredients
Ford’s London Dry Gin is a classic London Dry gin made with 12 botanicals. At the top of the list is juniper, followed by coriander, angelica root, liquorice root, and orris root. Then we have cassia, which is a cinnamon-like bark, and Melissa, a lemon balm-like herb. Other botanicals include cinnamon, orris root, liquorice root, and Melissa.
Why is London Dry Gin Out of Step?
London Dry Gin is a protected designation of origin; it is the official name given to gins produced in the UK and only if they are made in a certain way. In fact, it is a protected designation of origin (PDO) product. The European Commission regulates protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI) products, which set strict guidelines on what can be used in the production of the product and where it can be produced. They also regulate the names of the products. Dry gins are made with a high-proof spirit and have low sugar content. The sugar content must be below 0.5% to qualify as a dry gin.
This is the reason Ford’s London Dry Gin is not a London Dry gin, as it has a sugar content of 4%. It is, however, still a very good gin.
The Ford’s London Dry Gin Cocktail Recommendation
Ford’s London Dry Gin is a very balanced spirit, with a rich flavour that is neither too heavy nor too light. It goes well with a variety of cocktail ingredients, especially citrus; it would make a perfect long drink with tonic water, lime, and mint. It would also go very well in a Gin and Tonic with a dash of soda water and a slice of lemon.
Fords London Dry Gin now pouring on our rooftop bar in Newtown! Come visit us and try it with tonic, soda or in one of our delicious cocktails.
