Gordon's London Dry
London, England
The best-selling gin in the world and one of the plainest. Juniper-forward London Dry with no added sugar, bottled at 40% in the US and 37.5% across most of Europe.
- Ingredients / botanicals
- juniper, coriander, angelica, licorice, orris
- Congeners
- Low
- Histamines
- Very Low
- Polyphenols
- Low
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Very Low
- Calories
- 98
- Sugar
- 0g
14g ethanol at 40% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓No added sugar under London Dry rules
- ✓Lowest common bottling strength of the mainstream gins
- ✓Simple, juniper-led botanical bill
What to watch
- !Recipe is not fully disclosed
- !Strength varies by market, so calories do too
Factor by factor
Congeners Low ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Very Low ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Very Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Very Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Very Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Very Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Gordon’s is the volume leader and, by chemistry, one of the least eventful gins on the shelf. It is a London Dry, which under EU rules means nothing can be added after distillation beyond water and a trace of sweetening capped at 0.1 grams per litre. In a 1.5oz pour that cap works out to roughly four thousandths of a gram, which is zero for any practical purpose.
The one thing worth knowing is that Gordon’s is not the same strength everywhere. The US bottling is 40% ABV; most of Europe gets 37.5%. Since ethanol is where essentially all of a dry gin’s calories come from, the European bottling is the lighter pour by about six calories per serving.
Gordon's London Dry questions
How many calories are in a shot of Gordon's London Dry? ▾
About 98 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 40% ABV. All of them come from the alcohol, since there is no sugar.
Does Gordon's London Dry have sugar? ▾
No. Gordon's London Dry has 0g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Gordon's London Dry gluten-free? ▾
Not by label. Gordon's London Dry is distilled from a gluten-containing grain, so US rules bar it from claiming gluten-free. Distillation does remove the gluten protein, and the Celiac Disease Foundation considers distilled spirits safe for most coeliacs. If you would rather avoid the question, pick a spirit distilled from corn, potato, grape or agave.
What proof is Gordon's London Dry? ▾
Gordon's London Dry is 80 proof, which is 40% alcohol by volume.
Does Gordon's London Dry give you a bad hangover? ▾
Gordon's London Dry scores 3/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 3/10 for gin overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.
Is Gordon's London Dry vegan? ▾
Yes. Gordon's London Dry is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.