Gordon’s 0.0

One of the problems producers of low or no alcohol producers have is what to call their drink.  They need a name that conveys which traditional spirit it is mimicking in a low alcohol version while under the constriction that it’s not legal to use the words gin, rum, vodka etc.  Gordon’s, luckily for them, have the benefit of a name that’s synonymous with gin, and so this low-alcohol version is called simply ‘Gordon’s.  Very neat.  It’s described as an alcohol free spirit made from botanicals, with juniper predominating, as you’d expect.

It comes in an elegantly embossed bottle, looking very like a classic Gordon’s gin.  Unscrewing the lid, I was met by a beguiling, aromatic perfume that, if not directly replicating the smell of gin, certainly speaks to its condition.  It lacks the oily, sophisticated roundness of alcohol, obviously, but it offers a grown-up drink that manages to be both fresh and intriguingly complex, with botanicals holding their own well against the tonic.  Some people may have problems with the fact that it contains sweeteners – a friend of mine found the taste rather chemical – but it doesn’t bother me.  In a market where the majority of drinks are over £20 with many heading towards £30, we can all be grateful to Gordon’s for choosing to price this at a mere £12. Very enjoyable and well worth the money.