Guides & Education Writer
Speciality: Cocktail Culture, Tasting Technique, Spirits Education, Mixology
David is a qualified bartender turned writer who believes the best way to appreciate any spirit is to understand it. His guides span gin, rum, whiskey, and vodka — from beginner-friendly introductions through to advanced cocktail technique and distillation science. He writes educational content across Gin.Directory, Rum.Directory, Whiskeyful.com, and TheVodka.Shop. He ran the bar programme at a Michelin-starred restaurant in London for six years before dedicating himself to writing full-time. His first book, "The Botanical Spirit", is due for publication next year.
Guide
Think you don't like gin? If you're a whisky drinker, the right gin might change your mind. Here's where to start.
David Thornton
May 14, 2026
Guide
It seems simple. It isn't. The ratio, the ice, the tonic, the garnish — every detail matters. Here's how to make a G&T t...
David Thornton
May 7, 2026
Guide
London Dry, Plymouth, Old Tom, Genever, Contemporary — they're all gin, but they're not all the same. Here's what sets e...
David Thornton
April 30, 2026
Guide
Forget the formality — a gin tasting at home should be fun, educational, and just structured enough to make it meaningfu...
David Thornton
April 23, 2026
Guide
The sun is out and the gin is chilled — here are ten cocktails that were made for long afternoons, garden parties, and e...
David Thornton
April 16, 2026
Guide
Juniper, coriander, angelica — you see them listed on every bottle, but do you know what they actually taste like? Let's...
David Thornton
April 9, 2026
Guide
Equal parts, perfect balance — the Negroni is deceptively simple and endlessly adaptable. Here's how to make it, twist i...
David Thornton
April 2, 2026
Guide
Wet, dry, or bone-dry — the Martini is the ultimate test of a gin. Here's how to make one that's genuinely yours.
David Thornton
March 26, 2026
Guide
You don't need a hundred bottles to make great gin drinks at home — just the right ones, the right tools, and a little k...
David Thornton
March 19, 2026
Review
Hernö's Juniper Cask Gin is a distinctive London Dry matured in juniper wood casks, doubling down on gin's defining bota...
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February 4, 2026
Review
Bombay Bramble brings real brambles and raspberries to the trusted Bombay Sapphire base, creating a fruit-forward gin at...
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January 31, 2026
Review
Mermaid Zest Gin is a citrus-forward London Dry that promises bright, peel-driven character while respecting the juniper...
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January 28, 2026
Review
Audemus Pink Pepper Gin is a spice-forward London Dry built around pink peppercorns and cardamom, offering a fragrant an...
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January 25, 2026
Review
Sacred Cassia Gin is a London Dry with real intention, placing warm, aromatic cassia bark centre stage alongside its jun...
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January 23, 2026
Cocktail
Invented in 1984 by Dick Bradsell at Fred's Club in London, the Bramble is the most important gin cocktail created in th...
David Thornton
January 15, 2026
Cocktail
Lost for decades and revived by a Seattle bartender in 2004, the Last Word is a perfectly balanced four-way split of gin...
David Thornton
January 10, 2026
Review
The London No.1 Original Blue Gin is a confident London Dry at 43% ABV that pairs iconic presentation with reliable, wel...
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January 6, 2026
Cocktail
Invented during Prohibition to mask the taste of bathtub gin, the Bee's Knees pairs honey and lemon with gin for a cockt...
David Thornton
January 5, 2026
Review
Broker's London Dry Gin delivers an honest, juniper-forward London Dry experience at a welcoming price point — a versati...
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January 4, 2026
Cocktail
With its haunting lavender hue from crème de violette, the Aviation is the most beautiful cocktail in the gin canon. Her...
David Thornton
December 20, 2025
Cocktail
Named after the devastating French 75mm field gun, this cocktail hits with the same force — gin and lemon shaken into ch...
David Thornton
December 15, 2025
Cocktail
Born on Royal Navy ships to prevent scurvy, the Gimlet is proof that necessity breeds brilliance. Gin and lime, shaken t...
David Thornton
December 10, 2025
Cocktail
A refreshing blend of gin, lemon juice, sugar, and soda water — the Tom Collins has been quenching thirsts since the 187...
David Thornton
December 5, 2025
Review
A classically styled London Dry with a fascinating historical name, Fifty Pounds delivers the clean, juniper-forward cha...
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December 1, 2025
Guide
From legal definitions to the perfect serve, everything a gin lover needs to know about the world's most celebrated gin ...
David Thornton
December 1, 2025
Cocktail
The most debated cocktail in history. Shaken or stirred? Olive or twist? Wet or dry? Here's how to make the definitive g...
David Thornton
December 1, 2025
Guide
A bartender's guide to the herbs, spices, roots, and peels that make gin the most complex spirit on the shelf — and how ...
David Thornton
November 20, 2025
Cocktail
Equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth — the Negroni is the cocktail that divided the world into those who love bi...
David Thornton
November 20, 2025
Cocktail
The quintessential gin serve. A perfectly balanced G&T is greater than the sum of its parts — here's how to make one tha...
David Thornton
November 15, 2025
Review
Dyfi Original is a confident London Dry gin bottled at 45% ABV, built to shine in cocktails from a classic Martini to a ...
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November 10, 2025
Guide
The gin and tonic is the simplest great drink in the world — and the easiest to get wrong. Here is how to make one prope...
David Thornton
October 30, 2025
Review
Martin Miller's Winterful Gin brings a seasonal twist to their trusted London Dry style, promising winter-spiced warmth ...
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October 25, 2025
Review
Edinburgh's Gooseberry and Elderflower Gin pairs tart hedgerow fruit with delicate floral sweetness in a well-priced Lon...
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October 23, 2025
Review
Sarti Dry Gin Bot.1950s is a London Dry bottled at a characterful 45% ABV, with a recipe nodding to 1950s Italian distil...
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September 22, 2025
