First Impressions
Rives London Dry Gin has been produced in El Puerto de Santa María, in the province of Cádiz, since 1880. That makes it one of the oldest continuously produced gins in Spain — a country that has quietly become one of the world's largest gin markets. The distillery, now part of Williams & Humbert, boasts impressive production infrastructure: 30-metre-high column stills, two century-old John Dore copper pot stills for botanical distillation, and a reverse osmosis water treatment plant. The scale is considerable, and the heritage is genuine.
At 37.5% ABV and around £18, Rives occupies the value tier — a gin designed for the Spanish G&T culture where generous measures and plenty of ice are the norm.
The Distillery
Destilerías Williams & Humbert operates in Cádiz with equipment that spans from century-old copper pot stills to modern column technology. The botanical bill for Rives includes Spanish juniper (a point of pride), Moroccan coriander, Belgian angelica, Chinese cassia, Italian orris, Spanish orange and lemon peels, and Chinese liquorice — a cosmopolitan sourcing approach that reflects the gin's London Dry ambitions. The gin is triple-distilled, with the botanicals handled in the hundred-year-old John Dore pot stills.
Tasting
The nose is fairly intense, with juniper leading clearly. There is light lemony citrus and a hint of herbal notes underneath, but the overall aromatic profile is simple and clean rather than complex. It is the nose of a gin that prioritises clarity over nuance — straightforward, honest, and unpretentious.
On the palate, juniper berry and sweet citrus arrive in a fairly standard London Dry profile. The gin is simple, juniper-forward, and refreshing — qualities that serve it well in a G&T but leave it somewhat one-dimensional when tasted neat. At 37.5% ABV, the body is on the thin side, and the botanical complexity that the eight-ingredient bill should deliver is muted. The clean distillation is evident — there is nothing unpleasant or off-note — but neither is there anything that stops you mid-sip and demands your attention.
The finish is fresh with citrus character — snappy and brief. It exits cleanly without lingering, which is a virtue in a mixing gin but a limitation in a sipping spirit.
How to Drink It
Rives was born for the Spanish gin-tonica — a large balloon glass filled with ice, a generous pour of gin, topped with premium tonic, and garnished with citrus and herbs. In this format, the clean, juniper-forward character works well: the ice mellows the spirit, the tonic provides body, and the garnish adds the complexity that the gin itself lacks. Use Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and a generous slice of orange.
As a cocktail base, Rives is functional — a reliable Tom Collins or Gin Rickey gin that will not overwhelm other ingredients.
The Bottom Line
Rives Original London Dry earns a 6 as an honest, value-oriented gin from a distillery with genuine heritage. The 140-year history and century-old pot stills lend it credibility, and the juniper-forward character is clean and well-defined. However, the 37.5% ABV limits the botanical expression, and the overall profile is too simple to compete with gins at higher price points. At £18, it is a perfectly respectable mixing gin — and in Spain, where it has been a bar staple for generations, it is part of the culture. A gin that does what it needs to do, competently and without fuss.
