First Impressions
Gordon's Mediterranean Orange represents the world's bestselling gin brand's most successful foray into the flavoured category. The premise is simple: take Gordon's classic London Dry base — itself a gin of extraordinary heritage, first produced by Alexander Gordon in 1769 — and infuse it with fresh orange notes inspired by the Mediterranean. The result won Gold at the 2021 Great Taste Awards, which is respectable company for a gin that retails for around £15.
At 37.5% ABV, it sits at the legal minimum for gin, which tells you it is designed for mixing rather than contemplation.
The Distillery
Gordon's is now produced at the Cameronbridge Distillery in Scotland, under the Diageo umbrella. The Mediterranean Orange variant infuses fresh orange notes into the established Gordon's recipe, which uses juniper as its foundation alongside coriander, angelica, and other undisclosed botanicals. The orange character is designed to complement rather than replace the juniper — a balance that many flavoured gins get wrong.
Tasting
The nose is bright with fruit, oranges, citrus, pepper, and juniper — all present and immediately recognisable. It smells like a Gordon's G&T with an orange slice already in it, which is both its charm and its limitation. The orange is natural and appealing without being artificial.
On the palate, the gin is bright and zesty. Sweet orange citrus leads, with juniper and a little spice providing the backbone. The bittersweet juniper character is present, with notes of oranges and orange peel adding the Mediterranean dimension that the name promises. It is pleasant, straightforward, and exactly what it advertises.
The finish is medium-long with slightly spicy and fruit notes. It exits cleanly, leaving enough orange memory to be satisfying without lingering excessively.
How to Drink It
This gin was born for a G&T. Ice, tonic, a wedge of orange, and a sprig of rosemary — exactly as Gordon's recommends. The tonic provides structure, the ice mellows the spirit, and the orange garnish amplifies what the gin already provides. It is an effortless summer drink.
The Bottom Line
Gordon's Mediterranean Orange earns a 6 as a well-executed flavoured gin at a mass-market price point. The Great Taste Gold was deserved — the orange character is natural, the juniper backbone is present, and the balance between fruit and gin is better than most competitors manage. The 37.5% ABV limits the complexity, but at £15, complexity is not the point — accessibility is, and Gordon's delivers that in abundance. The world's bestselling gin brand has produced a flavoured variant that is genuinely enjoyable rather than merely tolerable. That is an achievement.
