What Is Gin?

What is Gin?

Gin is defined as "distilled liquor made from grain and flavored with juniper berries" (www.pimpworks.com). Gin is a clear white spirit. The main flavoring is juniper berries, other ingredients are grain, and botanicals (herbs and spices) such as "anise, bitter almonds, cardamom, caraway, cassia bark, calamus, cocoa nibs, lemon peel, licorice, orange peel, cinnamon, cubeb berries, angelica, and grains of paradise" (www.mixed-drink.com). Usually gin contains about six to ten different botanicals.

Gin is usually colorless, and unlike other spirits, it does not have measurement by aging. Most gin is 80 to 94 proof and when ordered at a bar, you would usually get dry gin (www.cocktailtimes.com).

The History of Gin

Gin was first made in the 17th Century in Holland for medical purposes (www.mixed-drink.com), and the Dutch called it jenever (juniper) and the French called it genever. In the mid 1600's gin was created by a Dutch chemist, Dr. Sylvius, also known as the "Father of Gin". He used gin to prevent kidney disorders, gallstones, and other stomach conditions. "The oil of juniper was known to have therapeutic properties as an appetite stimulant, sedative, headache reducers, and stomach smoother, just to mention a few" (www.pimpworks.org).

By 1698, gin was essential in England and was a big competition to the French market because it was mass-produced and affordable for the public. The British army during the Thirty Years War helped establish gin, calling it "Dutch courage". (www.cocktail.com). But many "people misunderstood gin as a spirit to induce abortion and became known as Ð''a mother's ruin'" (www.cocktailtimes.com).

"By 1710, British consumption of alcohol was up to 19 million gallons, and it is estimated that 20% of households housed gin" (www.pimpworks.com). Drunkenness was becoming a menace and gin was so popular the Gin Act of 1736 was implemented. This caused higher taxes for the retailers and riots on the street (http://en.wikipedia.org). This law only lasted six years. Then the Gin Act of 1751 was more reasonable, allowing distillers to sell to licensed retailers. Through the 1800's a sweeter gin was made in pot stills. "A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. Heat is applied directly to the pot in which the mash (in the case of whisky) or wine (in the case of Cognac) is contained. This is called a batch distillation, (as opposed to a continuous distillation" (http://en.wikipedia.org). Below is pot stills from Scotland.

In 1832 the column still was invented and the "London Dry" style was created in the 1900's. Gin and tonic came about in the 19th century because gin was mixed to disguise the taste of the medicine, quinine which was used to prevent the spread of malaria.

The most popular drink, the martini was created in the 1900's, in the town of Martinez, California, by a bartender named Jerry Thomas. The original martini consists of gin and dry vermouth. Vodka is now also commonly used in martinis. Martinis are often garnished with olives or a twist. The trendy martinis today are the appletini, and chocolate flavors.

Bathtub Gin

Back in the Roaring 1920's and 1930's, Bathtub Gin was introduced. Gin was massively produced by placing large amounts of low quality grain alcohol in the bathtub and adding juniper berries and other flavorings and letting it set for days. It was disgusting but cheaply and illegally made. This was a lot to blame for social issues and mass drunkenness, but many gin cocktails were derived from this bathtub era, that are still consumed today (http://en.wikipedia.org).

How Gin is made

"Distilled gin is made by redistilling white grain spirit which has been flavored with juniper berries. Compound gin is made by flavoring neutral grain spirit with juniper berries without redistilling and can be considered a flavored vodka" (http://en.wikipedia.org). "London dry gin is made by taking a neutral grain spirit (usually produced in a column still) and redistilling after the botanicals are added." Juniper berries are what mainly gives gin its flavor, producers may use other botanicals such as cinnamon or lemon peel as they choose. Still, dry gin is produced in column stills, and the Dutch Genever is made in pot stills. (www.cocktail.com).

Types of Gin Include:

Ð'* London Dry Gin

Ð'* Plymouth Gin

Ð'* Old Tom Gin

Ð'* Genever

Ð'* Sloe Gin

Ð'* American Dry Gin

London Dry Gin is the most popular gin today. It is produced in England and is "flavorless", being the best for mixed drinks. Plymouth Gin is also a clear gin, but more aromatic when compared to London Dry, and can be slightly fruity. Old Tom Gin was the popular gin of the 1800's, being sweeter than the gin we know today. Old Tom Gin is now the rarest gin to find, but it is still sold in England.

Genever (or Hollands) is the Old Dutch gin (www.tastings.com). It is high flavor is derived from juniper berries and grains such as corn, rye, and barley malt (www.cocktail.com). This type of gin is most acceptable on the rocks, but not so popular in the United States today.

"Sloe Gin is