Old Tom Gin
A sweet and herbal gin cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 31.5% ABV ∙
The Old Tom Gin Cocktail is Old Tom gin stirred with a little sugar syrup, orange curaçao and Boker's bitters, served up with a lemon twist.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Old Tom gin 60 mlSugar syrup 5 mlOrange curaçao liqueur 5 mlBoker’s bitters 2 dashes
- Strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Two dashes of Boker's is enough; any more and the drink turns bitter and loses its gentle sweetness.
History
The Old Tom Gin Cocktail is named for its base, Old Tom gin, a sweetened style of gin popular in 18th- and 19th-century England, sitting between genever and the later London dry style in sweetness. It emerged during the Gin Craze, when sugar or licorice was added to mask the harshness of poorly rectified spirit; selling "cordial gin" this way dates to at least 1757.
The name's origin is disputed. A widely repeated story ties it to black-cat plaques outside pubs, through which patrons dropped a coin and received a shot of gin from a hidden tube, but no evidence connects that device to the term. A better-documented account holds that it honors Thomas Chamberlain of the London gin firm Hodges. A gin he devised was reportedly later sold as "Old Tom" by a former Hodges employee, Thomas Norris, at his public house in Covent Garden.
Old Tom gin was the standard base spirit for many 19th-century gin cocktails, including the Tom Collins and the Martinez, before London dry gin became dominant in the early 20th century; it had largely disappeared from bars by the 1950s. Craft distillers revived it beginning in the 2000s.
FAQ
What is an Old Tom style gin?
A slightly sweetened style of gin, softer on juniper than London dry. It was popular in 18th- and 19th-century England and is the base spirit of this drink.
What is the difference between gin and Old Tom gin?
London dry gin is dry, with no added sugar. Old Tom is sweeter and gentler on juniper, so in this drink the gin itself supplies part of the sweetness alongside the sugar syrup and curaçao.
Is Tanqueray an Old Tom gin?
No, Tanqueray is a London dry gin, not an Old Tom. It is distilled dry with no added sugar, so swapping it into this recipe would produce a noticeably drier, more juniper-forward drink than the Old Tom base calls for.
How do you make this Old Tom gin cocktail?
Stir 60 ml Old Tom gin, 5 ml sugar syrup, 5 ml orange curaçao and 2 dashes of Boker's bitters with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe. Express a lemon twist over the top and drop it in.
