History

In 1769 Alexander Gordon created Gordon's Gin, a drink that would soon capture the essence of the very British drink, Gin.

Categorised as a London Dry Gin, from its earliest beginnings Gordon's has been created with a drive to create the best gin possible, using the finest ingredients possible. The site of the original distillery, Clerkenwell, was chosen for the purity of water available - essential for such a refined spirit.

Gordon's Gin is distilled three times to further refine the finished product. The recipe for Gordon's is a mystery to almost all - only 12 people know it at any one time. What we do know is that it includes juniper, coriander seeds, angelica root and other botanicals.

Success for Gordon's was almost instant, becoming the favorite drink to many English when trying something different to the traditional beer. It was not until the 1920s where Gordon's rise to popular consciousness would be complete.

The first large export order from Australia created the distinctive export bottle that is still in use today. Traditionaly, only green glass had been available in the volumes required by Gordon's for their bottles. However, in order to celebrate the occasion, Gordon's decided to design a special clear bottle for the export. Soon, it became clear that this bottle was a big success overseas and the business decided to make all future export bottles clear. For tradition Gordon's in the UK would continue to have a green bottle, a tradition that continues till this day.

The rise of cocktails and especially the gin and tonic in the 1920s would greatly assist Gordon's sales. Sales skyrocketed over the period - and soon Gordon's was the most popular way to mix any of the thousands of drinks based on gin.

A little known fact is that this cocktail revolution began as early as 1858 with a gin and tonic - which interestingly enough was mixed with Gordon's Dry London Gin.

In 1925 Gordon's was honored to receive a Royal Warrant to supply the Royal Family with all of its gin needs. The warrant is still active, and the crest remains on many bottles of Gordon's Gin.

Along with the standard product, the business has diversified its product portfolio. Gordon's Sloe Gin is a traditional sloe gin which was rereleased in 2004 with a new bottle and a fresh marketing campaign. It is a gin that has had sloe berries slowly infused into the drink to give it a sweet, liqueur like taste. In 2004 the brand released Gordon's Distillers Cut - a premium gin that is infused with lemon-grass. Also, as an attempt to capture the Ready to Drink market, the company has released 3 options - a pre-mixed gin and tonic, and the original drinks space and spark.

Throughout its history, the brand has been driven my innovative advertising. - that latest having the goal of modernizing the brand to attract the youth of today. Expected to cost over $4 million, the marketing drive aims to convince its consumers that Gordon's is the best way to refresh yourself.

Today, the brand is owned by Diageo and is the market leader in London Dry Gin's worldwide with the impressive feat of having 10 bottles of Gordon's consumed every minute. Gordon's Sloe Gin also shares in the spotlight being the sixth largest gin in the UK.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon's_Gin

http://www.diageo.com/

http://wineboxwarehouse.com.au/s.nl/it.A/id.136/.f

http://www.foodanddrinkeurope.com/news/ng.asp?id=17691-revitalisation-for-gordon

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-1254213/Gin-is-a-cut-above.html

http://www.slashfood.com/2006/11/14/gin-notes-gordons-london-dry-gin/

http://www.gordons-gin.co.uk/

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