Fords London Dry Gin is a name that carries quiet authority in the bartending world. At 45% ABV, it sits at the higher end of the London Dry spectrum — a deliberate choice that speaks to a gin designed not merely for sipping but for working. This is a gin built with the cocktail in mind, and that additional strength ensures it holds its own when diluted, shaken, or stirred alongside other robust ingredients.
Style & Character
As a London Dry, Fords must adhere to one of the most exacting production standards in the spirits world: no artificial flavourings, no colour additives, and a juniper-forward profile that defines the category. What sets Fords apart is its reputation as a bartender's gin — a bridge between the classically austere juniper-and-citrus tradition and the approachability that modern drinkers expect. It is, in many respects, a textbook London Dry that understands its audience.
The 45% ABV is worth dwelling on. It places Fords above the legal minimum of 37.5% and above the typical 40-43% range of many commercial London Drys. That extra proof delivers backbone — the kind of structural integrity that prevents a gin from disappearing in a Negroni or falling flat in a dry Martini. It is a quiet confidence in a bottle.
Verdict
At £34.50, Fords represents solid value for a gin of this calibre. It does not attempt to reinvent the wheel, and it is all the better for it. I have long respected gins that know precisely what they are, and Fords wears its London Dry credentials with understated assurance. A score of 7.6 reflects a dependable, well-executed gin that fulfils its brief admirably.
Best served: In a classic dry Martini — two parts Fords to one part dry vermouth, stirred long over ice, with a lemon twist. The 45% ABV was made for this.
