Ransom Old Tom Gin
Ransom · Ransom Spirits
Ransom Old Tom is a gin that reminds you the category has history — maltier, richer, and more texturally complex than modern dry styles. David Enrich's recipe is modeled on pre-Prohibition approaches, and the barrel resting integrates the botanicals into something almost whiskey-adjacent. It makes a Martinez that will change your mind about gin cocktails.
Nose
Juniper is present but tempered by malted grain sweetness and a gentle vanilla from barrel resting. Orange peel and coriander are woven through, and there's a subtle nutmeg warmth at the back.
Palate
Silky and medium-bodied, with a malty base that distinguishes it from a London Dry. Juniper and angelica provide herbal structure, while cassia bark and orange contribute a warm spice sweetness. The barrel influence adds cohesion rather than overt woodiness.
Finish
Medium-long, with juniper, malt, and a vanillin warmth that slowly recedes.
- Style
- Old Tom Gin
- Botanicals
- Juniper, coriander, orange peel, angelica root, cassia bark, cardamom, nutmeg
- Base Spirit
- Corn and malted barley
- Distillation
- Pot distilled, with corn and malted barley base spirit
Cocktail Suggestion
Martinez — 1.5 oz Ransom Old Tom Gin · 1.5 oz sweet vermouth · 0.25 oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Stir with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a lemon twist.
Food Pairing
Charcuterie board with aged Gouda and grain mustard
Tad Seestedt founded Ransom Spirits in Oregon's Willamette Valley, and his Old Tom Gin was developed alongside cocktail historian David Wondrich to recreate the style of gin that would have filled American bar rails in the 1880s.
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