Gin

Of the several distinct styles of gin, London dry gin, a type of distilled gin, is the most common. In addition to the predominant juniper content, London dry gin is usually distilled in the presence of accenting citrus botanicals, such as lemon and bitter orange peel, as well as a subtle combination of other spices, including any of anise, angelica root and seed, orris root, licorice root, cinnamon, cubeb, savory, lime peel, grapefruit peel, dragon eye, saffron, baobab, frankincense, coriander, grains of paradise, nutmeg and cassia bark. London dry gin may not contain added sugar or colorants; water is the only permitted additive. The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica states that the word gin is an abbreviation of "Geneva", both words being derived from the French genièvre (juniper).

History

The Dutch physician Franciscus Sylvius is credited with the invention of gin. By the mid 17th century, numerous small Dutch and Belgian distillers (some 400 in Amsterdam alone by 1663) had popularized the redistillation of malt spirit or wine with juniper, anise, caraway, coriander, etc., which were sold in pharmacies and used to treat such medical problems as kidney ailments, lumbago, stomach ailments, gallstones, and gout. It was found in Holland by English troops who were fighting against the Spanish in the Eighty Years War who noticed its calming effects before battle, which is the origin of the term Dutch courage. Gin emerged in England in varying forms as of the early 17th century, and at the time of the Restoration, enjoyed a brief resurgence. When William of Orange, ruler of the Dutch Republic, occupied the British throne with his wife Mary in what has become known as the Glorious Revolution, gin became vastly more popular, particularly in crude, inferior forms, where it was more likely to be flavored with turpentine.

]]

Gin became popular in England after the government allowed unlicensed gin production and at the same time imposed a heavy duty on all imported spirits. This created a market for poor-quality grain that was unfit for brewing beer, and thousands of gin-shops sprang up throughout England, a period known as the Gin Craze. By 1740, the production of gin had increased to six times that of beer, and because of its price, it became popular with the poor. Of the 15,000 drinking establishments in London, over half were gin shops. Beer maintained a healthy reputation as it was often safer to drink the brewed ale than unclean plain water. Gin, though, was blamed for various social and medical problems, and it may have been a factor in the higher death rates which stabilized London's previously growing population. As late as 1913, Webster's Dictionary states without further comment, " 'common gin' is usually flavored with turpentine."

Dutch or Belgian gin, also known as jenever or genever, evolved from malt wine spirits, and is a distinctly different drink from later styles of gin. Jenever is distilled at least partially from barley malt (and/or other grain) using a pot still, and is sometimes aged in wood. This typically lends a slightly malty flavor and/or a resemblance to whisky. Schiedam, a city in the province of South Holland, is famous for its jenever-producing history. It is typically lower in alcohol content and distinctly different from gins distilled strictly from neutral spirits (e.g. London dry gin). The oude (old) style of jenever remained very popular throughout the 19th century, where it was referred to as "Holland" or "Geneva" gin in popular pre-Prohibition bartender guides. The column still was invented in 1832, making the distillation of neutral spirits practical, and enabling the creation of the "London dry" style, which was developed later in the 19th century.

In tropical British colonies, gin was used to mask the bitter flavor of quinine, which was the only effective antimalarial compound. The quinine was dissolved in carbonated water to form tonic water; the resulting mix became the origin of today's popular gin and tonic combination, although modern tonic water contains only a trace of quinine as a flavoring.

Gin is a popular base spirit for many classic mixed drinks, including the martini. Secretly produced "bathtub gin" was commonly available in the speakeasies and "blind pigs" of Prohibition-era America due to the relative simplicity of the production method. Gin remained popular as the basis of many cocktails after the repeal of Prohibition.

Sloe gin is traditionally described as a liqueur made by infusing sloes (the fruit of the blackthorn) in gin, although modern versions are almost always compounded from neutral spirits and flavorings. Similar infusions are possible with other fruits, such as damsons (damson gin).

The National Gin Museum is in Hasselt, Belgium.

Classic gin cocktails

Notable brands

Historical brands

See also

References

External links

Category:Dutch loanwords