There's something rather compelling about a gin that wears its city on its sleeve. Broken Bones Ljubljana Dragon Gin takes its name from the iconic dragon that perches atop Ljubljana's Dragon Bridge — a symbol of the Slovenian capital that's become as recognisable as any London landmark. It's a smart piece of branding from Broken Bones, a distillery that clearly understands the value of provenance in an increasingly crowded craft spirits market.
A London Dry With Central European Character
What we have here is a London Dry at 45% ABV — a strength that signals intent. This isn't a gin designed to fade into the background of a hastily mixed G&T at a garden party. That extra couple of percentage points above the typical 40-43% range gives the juniper and botanicals more room to assert themselves, and it's a choice I see more frequently from distillers who want their product taken seriously by the on-trade.
The botanical bill is where things get genuinely interesting. Juniper anchors the profile, as it must in any self-respecting London Dry, but it's the supporting cast that tells the story. Linden flowers are a distinctly Central European inclusion — they're prized across Slovenia and its neighbours for their delicate, honeyed aromatics. Paired with rosehip, which brings a gentle tartness and a whisper of hedgerow fruitiness, you get a gin that feels rooted in its geography without resorting to gimmickry.
Coriander and cardamom provide the warm, spiced backbone that bartenders need in a versatile mixing gin, while liquorice rounds things out with a subtle sweetness and textural depth. It's a well-considered combination — nothing extraneous, nothing that screams for attention at the expense of balance.
Where It Sits
At £44.50, Broken Bones Ljubljana Dragon Gin is positioned squarely in the premium craft bracket. It's not cheap, but for a gin with this degree of botanical distinction and a genuine sense of place, I think the pricing is defensible. The Slovenian craft spirits scene has been quietly building momentum, and expressions like this demonstrate why it deserves wider attention.
I'm giving this a 7.9 out of 10. It's a confidently made London Dry that balances tradition with regional identity — the kind of bottle that rewards curiosity and justifies its shelf space. It falls just short of the very top tier only because the category is fiercely competitive at this price point, but it holds its own admirably.
Best served: In a classic G&T with a premium Indian tonic and a sprig of fresh linden or a twist of grapefruit peel to lift those floral and citrus-adjacent botanicals. This is also a gin I'd back in a Negroni — that 45% ABV and the liquorice undertone should stand up beautifully against sweet vermouth and Campari.
