Compound Gin
The original gin production method from the 18th-century Gin Craze — no column still technology existed to produce clean neutral spirit, so crude distillates were masked with botanicals, sugar, and flavorings. The method never died; it simply moved to the bottom shelf after column stills and London Dry established a quality floor. Bathtub gin during Prohibition was the same technique applied under different circumstances.
Flavor Profile
Often harsh, one-dimensional, and raw compared to distilled gin. Essential oil extraction produces a cruder aromatic profile than heat-driven distillation. Quality ranges from very poor (cheap supermarket gins) to acceptable. Most expressions lack the integration and complexity achievable through distillation.
Key Producers
Most bottom-shelf gins. Few advertise compound production; the category is defined by what's absent (redistillation) rather than what's present.