It’s almost impossible to talk about the best gin without someone mentioning their favorite London dry. It makes perfect sense, too, as London dry is gin at its most pure, unadulterated form, emerging as a gin type in the 18th century as a response to the overwhelming popularity of gin’s precursor, genever. So, when you drink a dry gin, you’re not only sipping on a popular gin style but an important part of the spirit’s history.

Since London dry refers to a style of distillation and not a place of origin or one strict list of ingredients (besides juniper, of course), we will also be highlighting a few gins that are identified simply as dry, yet truly capture the essence of the classically juniper-forward spirits category.

Here, we look at the top London dry and dry gins to try in 2023!

Diplôme Dry Gin

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This London dry gin is made using a 1945 recipe that arose during WWII in Dijon, France. The historic recipe incorporates a sugar beet spirit base with juniper, coriander, whole lemons, orange peel, angelica, iris root, saffron and fennel seed. Tasting notes include cloves, citrus, soft nutty oils, lavender and dark chocolate.

According to the brand, the colder Diplôme Dry Gin is, the more you will enjoy it. Hello, ice-cold martinis!

Find this 44% ABV French dry gin for around $33 per 750 ml bottle.

Elephant Gin

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Elephant Gin is a German spirits brand inspired by its founders’ trips across Africa. The gin donates 15% of all bottle sales to African elephant conservation products. Other projects the brand has supported include an anti-poaching rangers club, an education center and an elephant orphanage.

Elephant Gin is a 45% ABV spirit made with juniper, wormwood, apple, pine needles, lavender, sweet orange peel, ginger, pimento berries, devil’s claw, buchu, baobab, lion’s tail plant and elderflower. This gin’s tasting notes include bright green apples, orange zest, cracked peppercorn and baking spices.

Try this gin in a Negroni for a perfect evening sipper.

Find Elephant Gin London Dry for about $40 per 750 ml bottle. And when you’re done drinking it, consider repurposing the bottle in some crafty home décor. Elephant Gin’s flask-shaped bottle and neat cork stopper really make it too cute to part ways with.

Cadenhead’s Old Raj Blue Label

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This gin cannot be officially classified as a London dry due to the post-distillation addition of saffron. However, it is an excellent highly rated, classically profiled dry gin that packs a lively 55% ABV punch.

In addition to saffron, Cadenhead’s Old Raj Gin Blue Label is made with juniper, coriander, Seville orange peel, licorice, angelica root, orris, cinnamon, cassia quills and nutmeg. The spirit is earthy and spiced, with plenty of citrus notes to keep the dry-gin fan coming back for more.

Old Raj Blue Label can be found for around $55 per 750 ml bottle.

Cadenhead also produces a 46% ABV Old Raj gin, which can be found for about $5 less than Blue Label. When compared, the two spirits taste quite similar; however, Blue Label has earned a higher aggregated score. There appears to be quite a preference for the higher-proof spirit among the gin-drinking community.

Edinburgh Classic

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This Scottish gin is a little tricky to find in the U.S. but is a worthy purchase if you happen to cross paths with it. Edinburgh Classic is a no-nonsense London dry and delivers to the tastebuds just as much tingly juniper, zippy citrus, bright pine and elegant florals as one could desire within its style category. It’s also quite sippable and smooth, with just a hint of lingering berry sweetness.

In January, Edinburgh Classic was voted “Scotland’s Best London Dry Gin” by the Scottish Gin awards. Congratulations!

Consider this gin a star in your next gin and tonic or Tom Collins.

Edinburgh Classic is made with orange peel, pine buds, mulberries, lemongrass and lavender. This 43% ABV gin can be found for under $30 per 700 ml bottle.

Junipero Gin

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Junipero Gin hails from California and won “Best American London Dry Gin” at the 2018 World Gin Awards. Also referred to as “The Original American Craft Gin,” this gin essentially pioneered the production of craft gin in the U.S. due to its 1996 inception.

In 2020, Junipero underwent a redesign, switching from a clear, slender bottle with light purple labeling to a sleek deep teal bottle with bold white lettering. This gin is produced by Hotaling & Co, the importer & distiller that also owns popular gin brands such as Luxardo, Nikka and Caorunn.

Junipero is bottled at a higher-than-usual 49.3% ABV and includes tasting notes of crisp juniper, citrus peel, lemongrass and touches of warm spices. Find Junipero for around $35 per 750 ml bottle.

Member’s Mark London Dry Gin

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Perhaps it feels a little odd that a spirit produced by a membership-only retail warehouse is somehow among the top London dry gins to try. However, a current aggregated review of 93 doesn’t lie and Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark London Dry Gin is certainly worthy of your consideration.

This gin is made with cracked juniper, clove, sweet ginger, coriander, lemon oil, violet and caraway. The resulting spirit is perfect for mixing almost any of your favorite gin-based cocktails.

Priced at an insanely hard-to-beat value of $16.98 per 1.75 liters, give this London dry a go if you (or a loved one!) happen to have a Sam’s Club membership.

Scapegrace Dry Gin

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Scapegrace Dry Gin is produced in New Zealand using water sourced from the country’s Southern Alps, along with cardamom pods, lemon peel, orange peel, juniper, coriander, nutmeg, orris root, cinnamon, cassia bark, angelica, clove and licorice.

Scapegrace Dry boasts tasting notes of sweet licorice, warm spice, bright citrus and juniper. This gin’s signature serve is a gin and tonic garnished with an orange slice, but we think just about any simple gin cocktail is going to work beautifully with this spiced-up dry.

Find Scapegrace dry for around $36 per 42.2% ABV, 750 ml bottle. Speaking of the bottle, Scapegrace’s dark glass and elongated bottle shape are inspired by 19th-century genever containers, paying homage to gin’s origins.

Read next:

7 Must-Try Gins for an Aviation Cocktail

What Is Old Tom Gin? The Spirited Bridge Between the Original Gin and London Dry

Better Ingredients, Better Cocktail: Top 5 Tonics to Pair With Your Favorite Gin

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