Dry Gin: dry in production, versatile in taste

Dry Gin is a gin that contains practically no sugar: according to EU spirit regulations, a gin with the "Dry" label may contain no more than 0.1 grams of added sweeteners per liter. The flavor is provided by juniper and other botanicals, while fruitiness comes from peels, berries, and spices. This category includes dry gins that follow their own path – from pepper and coffee to basil, pumpkin, and baked apple.

What "Dry" on the label means

The word describes sweetness rather than the production process. As a rule, a Dry Gin is a Distilled Gin: high-proof alcohol of agricultural origin is distilled again together with juniper berries and other natural botanicals, and juniper must be the dominant flavor. Unlike London Dry Gin, flavorings and color may be added after distillation. This is how varieties with orange, berries, or coffee are created. A minimum of 37.5% ABV is required, and many distilleries go significantly higher.

Juniper as a foundation, botanicals as a direction

Juniper provides the resinous, slightly pine-like base aroma. Coriander adds citrus freshness, lavender provides floral notes, and cardamom, ginger, and pepper offer warmth. Which botanicals are combined and in what quantities is the distillery's recipe. Our range of dry gins stretches from the 19 botanicals in Wajos' Botanical Gin to a pepper gin made with red Kampot pepper from Cambodia.

Our Dry Gins by taste

Herbal and classic: The Premium Dry Gin from Windspiel is triple-distilled on a potato base with juniper, lemon, coriander, lavender, ginger, and cinnamon; it is mild and floral. The Organic Dry Gin from Kakuzo in Berlin combines juniper and lemongrass with yuzu, Satsuma mandarin, and a tea blend of Sencha, Keemun, and Assam as an organic dry gin with 44% ABV. The Botanical Gin from Wajos in Dohr on the Moselle puts juniper at the forefront, accompanied by cubeb pepper, cardamom, and grains of paradise. The Dry GIN-seng from Dr. Jaglas in Berlin combines fresh juniper berries with ginseng root, gentian, and bitter orange, with 50% ABV and no sugar. The Grafschafter Heide Gin from the Sasse Feinbrennerei in Schöppingen uses hand-picked juniper from the County of Bentheim and tastes fresh of citrus and grapefruit.

Spicy and unusual: Windspiel from the Volcanic Eifel distills its gins on a potato base with 47% ABV, such as the Kampot Pepper Gin and the Caxambu Coffee Gin with Arabica distillate. From Wajos come the Basil Smash Gin with basil, the Black Coffee Gin with Arabica notes, and the smoky BBQ Gin with rosemary and chili.

Fruity: The gins from Gin de Cologne in Cologne-Ehrenfeld are available as Orange with over 13 botanicals and as Rosé with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, both also available as 100 ml minis. Both contain coloring. Windspiel complements the Pink Grapefruit Gin with grapefruit juice and 37.5% ABV, while Wajos adds the Summer Gin with passion fruit and pineapple.

For autumn and the Advent season: Our top seller in this category is the Windspiel Premium Dry Christmas Gin with apple, vanilla, roasted hazelnut, and gold leaf. Also very popular is the Wajos Advent Calendar Gin with 24 miniatures, tonic syrups, and a non-alcoholic variant. In addition, there is the Indian Summer Gin with pumpkin and walnut leaves and the Christmas Gin with plum, cardamom, and cinnamon.

Dry Gin in the glass: Tonic, Negroni, Sour

For a Gin & Tonic, choose the tonic according to the gin: herbal-spicy varieties like Botanical, BBQ, or Black Coffee handle a dry tonic well, while fruity ones like Orange, Rosé, or Summer prefer a mild or Mediterranean one. The garnish picks up on an ingredient – lemon zest for Botanical Gin, a rosemary sprig for BBQ Gin, an apple slice and cinnamon stick for Christmas Gin. The Kampot Pepper Gin and the Dry GIN-seng work well in a Negroni, and the Botanical Gin also works in a Dry Martini. Stir the Basil Smash with lemon juice and simple syrup, and the Indian Summer Gin as a sour with lemon and maple syrup. The Black Coffee Gin replaces the vodka in an Espresso Martini.

Buying Dry Gin: what to look for

• Alcohol content: Our dry gins range between 37.5 and 50% ABV; Windspiel gins have 47% ABV.
• Labeling: Indian Summer, Black Coffee, and BBQ Gin contain sulfites; the fruity gins from Gin de Cologne contain coloring.
• Small sizes: Orange and Rosé from Gin de Cologne are available in 100 ml, the Dry GIN-seng in 50 ml.
• Seasonal items: The gin advent calendar from Wajos is only available seasonally, featuring gins from 18 to 44% ABV and a non-alcoholic variant.
• Storage: upright, in a dark place, at room temperature. You should protect colored gins especially well from light.
• Age restrictions: Sale only to persons 18 years and older.

Other gins and spirits

Dry Gin is a subcategory of Gin, where you can also find gift boxes; gin liqueurs are under Liqueurs. If you like it strictly classic, take a look under London Dry Gin: there, the gins get their flavor exclusively in the still. You can find the right red vermouth for a Negroni under Vermouth.

Order Dry Gin online

Whether it's pepper gin for a Negroni, rosé gin for the summer, or Christmas gin for the Advent season: you can order Dry Gin online at Leni & Hans, and your package will arrive in 1–3 days.