Types of Gin: London Dry, Old Tom, Navy Strength & More

The main types of gin are London Dry, Old Tom, Navy Strength, Contemporary, and Genever. These historical styles of gin differ based on: how they’re made, how much sugar they have, and their alcohol strength.

Walking up to a busy bar can feel tough when you just want a great drink. The shelf is full of terms you might not know. Different labels, bottle shapes, prices, and zero clue what’s actually inside. We’ve been there too. That’s why we put this guide together: plain English, no filler, just what you actually need to pick your next bottle with confidence.

What Makes a Gin a Gin? (And What Is the Main Flavor?)

Before we look at the bottles, let’s answer the question that trips most people up. What is the main flavor of gin? The answer is always juniper. Every single bottle labeled as gin must have this crisp, piney, evergreen taste as its leading note. No juniper? Legally, it’s not gin. Full stop.

Around that central berry, distillers build their world. Citrus peels, coriander seeds, dried roots, exotic spices - these are the supporting cast. The star is always juniper. But the rest of the botanicals? That’s where a distiller’s personality lives.

At Devil’s Grin, we take this balance seriously. We traveled to six continents to find 14 botanicals that actually deserve to be in the same bottle. Not because it sounds impressive, just because every single one earns its place in the flavor. You can read more about how we work on our About Us page.

How the Different Types of Gin Are Classified

The world of spirits looks messy until you understand the logic behind it. The different types of gin are split into four basic categories: production method, sweetness level, alcohol strength, and botanical character.

Some terms on the label are legal definitions with strict rules behind them. Others describe a flavor style or a historical recipe. Either way, knowing the difference means you stop guessing and start choosing.

Here’s the quick map of the main gin varieties:

• London Dry Gin: the crisp, classic benchmark.

• Old Tom Gin: softer, sweeter, historically rooted.

• Distilled vs Compound Gin: the real quality divide.

• Navy Strength Gin: high-proof, bold, and unapologetic.

• Contemporary Gin: the modern wave where other botanicals share the spotlight.

• Genever: the ancient, malty ancestor from Europe.

• Flavored Gins: sloe, pink, barrel-aged, and everything in between.

London Dry Gin: The Benchmark Style

London Dry is the most recognized of all gin styles. When most people picture a gin - in a martini, in a G&T, on a back bar shelf - this is what they’re imagining.

Don’t let the name fool you. London Dry is a production method, not a postcode. The rules are strict: all natural botanicals must go into the still before distillation. No artificial flavors, extracts, or colors added afterward. Only a small amount of water and trace sugar are permitted at the very end.

The result? Crisp, sharp, juniper-forward with a clean, dry finish. Bright citrus on the nose. A spirit that doesn’t hide behind sweetness.

For a modern example that actually excites us: look at what we built with Devil’s Grin Texas Gin. It’s a true London Dry, made with 14 botanicals sourced from six continents. Soft florals, bright citrus, warm spice, and a finish that rolls long and smooth. It proves that “traditional” doesn’t have to mean predictable.

Old Tom Gin: The Sweeter Classic

Old Tom is often called the missing link of the gin world, and that’s actually a perfect description. It sits right between heavy Dutch Genever and crisp London Dry. Sweeter than one, lighter than the other.

This style ruled England in the 1800s. Back then, street gin was rough, harsh, and frankly unpleasant. Distillers added sugar or licorice root to make it drinkable. Today, craft producers keep the sweetness on purpose because when done right, it creates something genuinely lovely. Rounder, softer, with a full mouthfeel that feels generous rather than cloying.

Old Tom is the gin you reach for when you want vintage cocktails done properly. A Tom Collins with a sweet Old Tom is a completely different drink from one made with London Dry. A proper Martinez needs it. If you haven’t tried this style yet, it’s worth the detour.

Distilled vs Compound Gin: A Quality Divide

This is one of the most important things to understand when shopping for gin varieties and one of the least talked about on labels.

• Distilled gin puts real, whole botanicals into a copper still with the base alcohol. Heat rises, vapor carries the pure plant oils, and the flavors fuse naturally. It takes time. It takes craft. The result has depth and integration that you can actually taste.

• Compound gin skips the still entirely. A maker takes neutral alcohol and mixes in pre-made liquid extracts or artificial essences. Fast, cheap, and consistent, but the flavor is flat and often leaves a strange chemical coating on the palate.

Neither label always says which method was used. Price is usually a clue. But the clearest indicator is how it tastes when you sip it neat.

Navy Strength Gin: Higher Proof, Bigger Flavor

Want a gin with actual presence? Navy Strength is your answer. This category is defined by one hard rule: a minimum ABV of 57%. No exceptions.

The name comes from British Royal Navy history. Sailors received daily alcohol rations on warships, and those barrels were stored right next to the gunpowder. Officers needed a way to verify quality without risking the ammunition. Their method: mix the spirit with gunpowder and try to light it. If it burned cleanly and steadily, the proof was sufficient. Hence the term “Navy Strength.”

What does that high ABV actually do to the flavor? Alcohol carries botanical oils exceptionally well. The higher the proof, the more intense and present those plant flavors become. Juniper punches. Spice lingers. It holds its own in any cocktail - lime juice, tonic, heavy vermouth - nothing buries it.

Just measure carefully. This is not a spirit to free-pour.

Contemporary (New Western) Gin: Beyond Juniper

Traditional styles of gin place juniper at the center and build outward from it. Contemporary gin asks a different question: what happens if we let other botanicals share the headline?

This movement grew fast with the craft distilling wave. The legal requirement remains: juniper must be present and detectable. But the distiller’s creative range explodes. You’ll find bottles built around lavender, cucumber, bergamot, local herbs, native fruits, or roasted grains. The gin flavor profile can go almost anywhere.

It’s also the category that converts people who think they don’t like gin. If you tried something harsh years ago and walked away, a well-made contemporary gin might completely change your mind. Start with something citrus-forward or floral. See what happens.

Genever: The Original Dutch Gin

If you want to understand where all the different types of gin actually came from, look at Genever. It’s the traditional spirit of the Netherlands and Belgium, and it’s the ancestor of every bottle on the modern shelf.

Genever is built differently from the ground up. Its base is malt wine - fermented from rye, wheat, and corn. That grain foundation gives it a weight and earthiness that feels closer to a light, unaged whiskey than a crisp botanical spirit. Juniper is there, but softer, sitting in the background rather than leading the charge.

Two main styles exist: oude (old style: rich, dark, malty) and jonge (young style: lighter, more neutral, closer to modern gin). If you enjoy whiskey and want to explore gin varieties from a completely different angle, start with Genever. It’s genuinely its own thing.

Flavored and Specialty Gins: Sloe, Pink & Aged

The modern market has expanded the gin flavor profile in directions that would have seemed strange a generation ago. It helps to know what’s actually in these bottles:

• Sloe gin is technically a liqueur, not a straight spirit. It’s made by soaking wild sloe berries in gin with added sugar. Lower ABV (usually 25-30%), deep red color, tart and sweet.

• Pink gin has become enormous in recent years, and it varies wildly in quality. The good versions use real fruit like strawberry, raspberry, or rhubarb. The lesser ones use artificial color and flavor. Read the label.

• Barrel-aged gin rests in wooden casks for weeks or months. It picks up color, vanilla notes, and a smoothness that softens the sharper botanical edges. If you enjoy bourbon or rum, this is often the bridge into gin territory.

Gin Flavor Profile by Style: A Quick Taste Map

Every entry in this gin flavor profile index shows how diverse the spirit family actually is. Use it to match a style to what you actually enjoy drinking:

How to Choose the Right Type of Gin for You

Here’s the honest version: start with what you already enjoy drinking, then find the types of gin that map to it.

Love clean, refreshing drinks? London Dry in a proper G&T with a wedge of lime. Want something for classic cocktails with depth? Old Tom or Genever. Need a spirit that holds up in strong, complex mixes? Navy Strength. Curious and open to something unexpected? Contemporary styles of gin are where the most interesting things are happening right now.

And if you want a London Dry that actually makes you think, one built with genuine obsession over 60+ distillations and botanicals from six continents - find a bottle of Devil’s Grin Texas Gin near you.

We didn’t make it to be just another gin variety on the shelf. We made it so you keep coming back to it.