UK Distillery Debuts Campaign Educating Drinkers About This Criminally Underrated, Historic Style of Gin

A gin distillery located inside a 6th Century building in central York launches a month-long campaign to help educate drinkers about Old Tom gin. (Photo: York Gin)

On Monday, U.K.-based distillery York Gin unveiled a month-long campaign to help educate drinkers about one the most underappreciated, yet incredibly historic styles of gin, Old Tom.

“We’ve launched Old Tom Month in August 2023 to educate drinkers about this most historic type of gin,” the distillery explained. “We’ve found that even knowledgeable gin drinkers don’t really know what Old Tom actually is.”

As part of Old Tom Month, York Gin created an educational booklet detailing the gin style’s history, production process — and even its best cocktail serves. Imbibers who purchase a bottle of the brand’s Old Tom gin will be given a free copy of the booklet.

Throughout August, York Gin also plans to hold Old Tom classes for its trade partners. Simultaneously, the distillery will be offering customers an enlightening “lowdown” on the fascinating gin variety at its stores, per The Spirits Business.

A page from York Gin’s Old Tom Gin booklet detailing the historic spirit’s origins. (Photo: York Gin)

“When we were at the London Junipalooza gin festival in June, it struck me that even massive gin fans didn’t really know what Old Tom actually is,” shared Adam Cook, York Gin’s head of sales, according to The Spirits Business. “Apart from its association with cats, there is definitely a knowledge gap.”

“As makers of a great Old Tom, it struck me that we could do a great job educating people about this style of gin,” he continued. “Old Tom appeared way before London Dry and can be a fabulous style of gin to enjoy.”

With origin stories tracing back to the 1800s in London, England, Old Tom was once the most popular style of gin following the spirit’s evolution from a juniper-flavored malt wine called genever. While form definitions of the gin style are a touch loose, Old Tom gin is widely understood to be sweeter than a London dry, but drier than genever. Any other production method, such as aging it in barrels, is ultimately up to the distiller.

Once London dry gin entered the scene, poor Old Tom was quickly brushed to the side in favor of the stronger, bolder sip. Now, the once commonplace style of gin has practically been forgotten, save for the handful of distilleries currently producing it. Thanks to the efforts of these select spirit producers, the style appears to even be experiencing a new resurgence following the early 2000s gin boom.

“Hayman’s of London kick-started modern interest in Old Tom gin after it found a family recipe from the 19th century,” Cook added, per The Spirits Business. “And now several top Old Tom gins are available. We’re keen for people to know there’s a really delicious world of gins beyond London Dry and flavoured gin.”

Want to know more about Old Tom gin? Consider checking out our piece on its history and evolution. Or, join in on York Gin’s campaign by scoring a bottle of its award-winning booze.

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