Created in the late 1990’s Broker’s Gin is a classic, big juniper gin that earns its place on the any gin shelf, particularly if you are fan of the London Dry Gin style.
Broker’s is batch distilled using traditional botanicals such as juniper, coriander seed, cinnamon, cassia bark, liquorice, orris root, orange and lemon peel, angelica root and nutmeg. The end result is a classic old school gin, semi-sweet on the tongue with an interesting mixture of liquorice, spicy juniper and sweet citrus. The recipe itself is 200 years old and all of the botanicals are steeped for 24 hours in a quadruple-distilled neutral grain spirit made from 100% English wheat. Although Broker’s Gin is available in several bottle sizes at 40% ABV and at 47%ABV we would recommend the latter. The copper pot still used for producing Broker’s Gin was manufactured by John Dore & Co, long recognised as the finest still-maker in the world, the distillery also has a mini-still, which is used for making small batches of gin from different recipes.
The bottle for ‘The gin for gentlemen’ was designed in the style of a 1930s advertisement to capture the spirit and character of a bygone era. Quintessential Englishness is represented by the pin-striped, bowler-hatted gentleman (a broker) and the label text which is, like the gin itself, very dry. The bowler hat on the lid is a touch that some will love and others will hate, however, it probably represents Broker’s gin best as it shows their paradox– the spirit is a no-nonsense classic London Dry, yet the bottle top hat and brand personality is all about quirky humour. Perhaps this misalignment between brand and product is an explanation as to why, given that the liquid is good enough to be a big seller, Broker’s isn’t that well known in many places (comparative to other independently owned gins that have been around for a decade).
That said, with 20 years of experience in the spirits industry it is not surprising to see that Martin Dawson along with brother Andy have managed to create a phenomenal gin. They set out with the goal of developing a gin with a strong link to London, that could be easily enjoyed by people around the world. They have achieved not just that but also they have managed to make a brand that is approachable and has a quirky sense of humour. We enjoy both the brand and the liquid, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys making martinis or classic gin and tonics.