London Dry Gin is a hugely popular drink all over the world. However, few people know its true origin story, as it’s not quite as simple as the name suggests. We’ve dug into the history of London Dry Gin to answer a few frequent questions. What is gin made from? What does the UK capital have to do with it? Read on to discover facts to impress your friends with at your next pub session.What is gin?

Gin first became popular in the UK in the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was a juniper-based spirit called “the Water of Fruits”. The Worshipful Company of Distillers produced the most gin and were granted royal charter to exclusively produce gin in London and its surrounding area.

However, in 1702, Queen Anne cancelled the charter, which allowed other companies to make gin commercially for the first time – and production spiralled upwards across the country. Thousands of gin producers popped up, with the quality of their produce varying somewhat. It wasn’t until 1830 that gin production took to new heights with the invention of the Coffey still, or column still. This allowed distillers to load pot stills with higher-quality spirits and produce a much better gin than had ever been tasted before.

Where does London Dry Gin come from?

Despite it being called London Dry Gin, a lot of it doesn’t actually come from the capital – only about a handful of it does. Gin doesn’t have the same geographical restrictions that spirits such as cognac, scotch or tequila do. For example, tequila can only be made in designated areas in Mexico. London Dry Gin actually refers to how it is made, rather than where it is made. More on that later. There are, however, 13 gins that have a “geographical indication”. The best known of these is Plymouth Gin, which has been made in Plymouth, England since 1793.