Cocktails with Old Tom gin
Old Tom gin is a lightly sweetened style of gin, historically the bridge between malty Dutch genever and bone-dry London gin. It has no legal definition, so sweetness varies by maker.
ABV40–47%
How it's used
Use it where you want juniper up front with a softer, rounder edge. It is already sweetened, so a sour or a Collins made with it needs less sugar than with dry gin.
Substitutes for Old Tom gin
Add 2:1 syrup a few drops at a time, tasting as you go. Stop at about a third of a barspoon per 50 ml.
Made with malt wine, so heavier and grainier. It turns the drink bready.
On the label
- "Old Tom"
- Sweetened, but how much varies by maker: taste a new bottle before trusting a recipe's sugar.
- barrel-aged / malt Old Tom
- Some are rested in oak or built on a maltier base (Ransom), for a richer, less dry character.
