These and many other facts relating to the development of one of the planet's most popular alcoholic drinks are just some of the delights on offer at the website of Gordon's Gin, the brand that claims to puts "the G in G&T."

Despite being part of such a large conglomerate, the Gordon's Gin website does much to retain its individual identity. In keeping with the brand that it so effervescently represents, it bursts with middle-class style. The homepage, with its refreshing image of ice and a slice, wonderfully complemented by animated bubbles and the subtle green hues of the Gordon's Gin brand, smacks of pre-dinner drinks on a sun-drenched terrace or long summer evenings at Wimbledon.

Indeed, so real is the imagery and its subsequent emotional connections that anyone familiar with the taste of gin and tonic will swear that he can almost hear the clinking of glasses down at the local yacht club. You won't actually hear anything, though, because the site lacks sound (other than in video files). While it's disappointing that the audible aspects of the Gordon's Gin experience are largely left to the imagination, this is really the only flaw in an otherwise first-class representation of the brand.

The Gordon's Gin web proposition comes across so strongly because the message is both clear and concise; it doesn't become ambiguous by overextending itself. Each site section is also visibly snappy and retained within the brand's color schemes—which, when combined with the social but light content and material, give the site an invigorating edge that can easily have the user thinking (or, at least, wishing) that it's 5 o'clock already.

Aside from providing a wealth of information on the history of gin and its role within British society, fans of the Gordon's brand will find a trove of engaging material. You can view and comment on the brand's TV ads, and the "Refresh It" section's range of downloadable media allows you to Gordon's-brand your PC. If that's not enough, the Gordon's "Food and Drink" section provides recipes for a host of attractive accompaniments and cocktails involving the gin, while "The Collection" describes the brand's derivatives, from ginger- and lemongrass-infused gin to premixed cans of G&T.

All things considered, the web proposition of Gordon's Gin is an excellent example of branding a beverage in cyberspace and it beautifully disguises the fact that the gin is owned by a conglomerate. Its social, upbeat demeanor, spacious layout, and its effective but subtle use of animation and color drive brand association at every point of engagement, while its content and material complement the design work to just the right degree. In short, it's the definition of a G&T: that is, green and tasteful.