Old Tom Gin

Old Tom is a bridge between the malty, sweet Genever of the 1600s and the crisp London Dry of the 19th century. In 18th-century London, gin was harsh and often unsafe. To make it drinkable, producers began sweetening it — hence “Old Tom.”

The name most likely comes from wooden black-cat signs (“Old Tom”) hung on London walls; customers dropped a coin in a slot and a shot of gin was dispensed through a lead pipe. The style nearly went extinct after Prohibition wiped out the classic American cocktail scene.

Botanically, Old Tom is similar to London Dry, but with two key differences:

• Slightly sweetened — modest sugar or licorice adds body.
• Softer, rounder botanical profile — juniper is still present but less aggressive.

Modern Old Toms (Hayman’s, Ransom, Jensen’s) are essential for historic cocktails where London Dry now feels too dry:

• Tom Collins — the drink literally named after it.
• Martinez — the sweeter ancestor of the Martini.
• Ramos Gin Fizz — the extra body helps the classic New Orleans texture.

Old Tom is a great teaching example that “gin” is a family of styles, not a single flavor.