Sipsmith London Dry
Chiswick, London, England
Ten botanicals, copper pot, one-shot distillation with no concentrate cut back with neutral spirit. Contains almond.
- Ingredients / botanicals
- juniper, coriander, angelica, licorice, orris, almond, cassia, cinnamon, Seville orange peel, lemon peel
- Congeners
- Low
- Histamines
- Very Low
- Polyphenols
- Low
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Very Low
- Calories
- 102
- Sugar
- 0g
14.6g ethanol at 41.6% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓No added sugar
- ✓One-shot distillation rather than diluted concentrate
- ✓Botanical bill fully published
What to watch
- !Contains almond
- !41.6% ABV
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.
Sipsmith distils one-shot, meaning the still is charged with the full botanical load for the volume being made rather than producing a concentrate that gets cut back with neutral spirit afterwards. It is a production distinction more than a nutritional one; both routes end up at zero sugar.
The thing to flag is the almond. It sits in the botanical bill alongside cassia and cinnamon, and while distillation leaves nut proteins behind, drinkers who avoid almond on principle usually want to know it is in the recipe. Beefeater has the same caveat.