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The first confirmed date for the production of gin is the early
17th century in Holland, where it was produced
as a medicine and sold in chemist shops to treat stomach
complains, gout and gallstones. To make it more palatable,
 the
Dutch started to flavour it with juniper, which has medicinal
properties of its own.
During the Thirty
Years' War, British troops were given 'Dutch Courage', to warm
them during the damp lowland weather The troops started brining it back home, where
it was often sold in chemists' shops. When King William III, ( William of Orange) came to
the English throne in 1689, he actively promoted the distillation of English spirits.
At the time it helped English agriculture by using surplus
corn and barley. Anyone could distill by only posting a notice in public and
waiting 10 days. Sometimes gin was distributed to workers as
part of their wages and soon the volume sold daily exceeded that
of beer and ale, which were more expensive. Soon the new
drink became a firm favourite with the poor.
In 1730 London had over 7,000 shops that sold only spirits.
Alcohol abuse, especially among the poor, had become a major
problem. Parliment tackled the problem by introducing the
Gin Act. Midnight on September 29, 1739, new taxes levied
on gin and its production made it prohibitively expensive.
Those opposing the law said it simply could never be enforced
against the will of the common people. They were
right. Riots
broke out and the law was widely and openly broken. During 6 years
of the Gin Act, production rose by almost 50%.
The Gin Act was repealed in 1742.
Gin triumphed in the 1920s, the first Cocktail Age, after having
been scarce during the 1914 - 1918 World War. Gin became the
darling of the famous Cunard cruises. During the 90s and 30s the
newly popular idea of the cocktail party crossed the Atlantic
from the USA to Britain via an American hostess who wanted to
fill in for her friends the blank time between teatime and
dinner. By 1951 the Bartenders' Guild had registered 7,000
cocktails on its files.
Each gin has its own recipe.
Plymouth
gin has a 200-year-old pedigree. The botanicals are steeped in alcohol
and then heated in the still. A pungent blend of alcohol and oils from
the botanicals is driven up the swan's neck of the still. Cooled,
condensed and corrected to around half its original alcoholic strength
with
Dartmoor
water, the result is Plymouth
gin.
When a gin
distillery is working, and the stills are gurgling away, the scents of
juniper, coriander, lemon, exotic berries and spices infuse the air with
powerful aromas. These fragrant botanicals are the very essence of
the gin.
Older
brands, such as
Plymouth, typically have fewer botanicals. But, as trade expanded with the spice
islands of the
Far East
, recipes became more exotic. In a
Plymouth gin, aromatic juniper will be predominant softly
enhanced with Coriander,
sweet orange and lemon peel, earthy angelica, perfumed orris and the
unmistakable scent of cardamom pods. Other gins, such
as Bombay Sapphire, will use a dozen or more botanicals, such as cassia,
cubeb berries, nutmeg, bitter almond and grains of paradise.
A
Plymouth distiller explains.
"Juniper, like coriander, is an annual crop and sampling begins in
September. We will distil small batches of up to 120 junipers and nose
our way through the samples. The same process is repeated for other
botanicals, although far fewer samples are distilled. The idea is to
keep the flavour as true to the original recipe as possible." Aside
from the delicious-smelling sloe gin the distillery is releasing this
year, every bottle should taste the same.
The botanicals are the reason gin is such a good base for highballs
and cocktails, and the classics, like the original
dry martini, are making a comeback in hotels and bars.
With a little practice, a good
cocktail recipe book and a few basic pieces of equipment, many classics
are easy to make at home. Check out the cocktail recipes for something
you might like to try.
Cocktail recipes
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Gin can be described as a flavored vodka.
Gin distillers take neutral spirit, a mash of fermented grain to
re-distill with numbers of botanicals. The primary source is
juniper berries. The word 'gin' comes from genever, French word
for juniper.
Gin was first produced in Holland for
medicinal purposes around 1650 by a Dutch doctor, Franciscus de
la Boe.
In the early days, gins that were sweetened
with sugar for more palatable taste were called Old Tom. Terms
like Dry or London Dry Gin were used to distinguish unsweetened
gins from Old Tom.
After the Thirty Years' War British troops
returned home with 'Dutch Courage.' Soon gin distillation took
place in England. King William III, better known as William of
Orange (1650 - 1702) actively encouraged gin production and gin
was sometimes given to workers as a part of their wages.
According to Gin and Vodka Association, in
1730 London has over 7,000 spirit stores and gin was sold
cheaper than beer. The abuse of alcohol by the poor became a
major issue in London. In 1736, the gin Act was issued, which
made gin prohibitively expensive. A license to retain gin cost
£50 and duty was raised. Within six years of the Act, only two
distillers took out licenses and gin production rose by almost
50 percent. The Gin Act was reissued in 1742 with reasonable
excise duties and a new policy, which still exists today.
To compete with 45,000 beer shops in London
selling free licensing beer at cozy homes, spirit retailers
created 'gin palaces,' first appeared around 1830. The gin
palace was large and was luxuriously furnished. By the 1850s,
there were about 5,000 palaces in London.
During the first cocktail age in the United
States, gin became a fashionable drink, giving its subtle flavor
that made it easy to mix cocktails such as martini and
cosmopolitan. By 1951, the Bartenders' Guild filed 7,000
cocktails and gin was one of the most significant base spirits.
GIN BRANDS
Anchor Junipero Gin - Premium gin
produced in California by Anchor Steam Brewery. Distilled from a
blend juniper berried and other botanicals.
Bafferts Gin - Triple-distilled with
four botanicals in England. Result is crisp and light, ideal gin
for Martinis.
Beefeater - Traditional London Dry
Gin, first produced in 1820 by a pharmacist, James Burrough. He
believed he could create the perfect blend of botanical and
grains to produce a distinctively bold, full-bodies and armatic
gin.
Bellringer Gin - 94.4 proof English
gin.
Bombay - Distilled with eight
botanicals, popular among serious gin drinkers.
Bombay Sapphire - One of the fastest
growing premium gins, distilled with 10 botanicals.
Bombadier Military Gin - Only
British military gin available in the United States.
Boodles British Gin - 90.4 proof gin
with oily finish, produced in England.
Boomsma Jonge Genevere Gin -
Produced in Holland, perfect for a simple gin and tonic.
Burnett's Crown Select Gin -
Produced by America's Heaven Hill Distillery.
Cadenhead's Old Raj Gin - 110 proof
gin.
Citadelle - Distilled with 19
botanicals in France. This premium gin gives heavy body and a
long finish.
Cork Dry - Made in Ireland.
Cascade Mountain Gin - Hand-picked
wild juniper berries go into the gin, distilled in Oregon.
Perfect premium gin for an elegant martinis.
Gilbey's London Dry Gin - Produced
in the United States, distilled with prices and dried herbs,
giving medium light body with high aromas.
Greenall's Original Gin - Greenall's
is made at Warrington distillery where Bombay Sapphire is
produced. After over 200 years, it still remains independent
family produced gin.
Demrak Amsterdam - Distilled five
times with 17 botanicals.
Dirty Olives - Distilled three
times, infused with green olive juice from Spain along with
other botanicals.
Hamptons Gin - Distilled in the
United States, light and fruity nose with juniper notes.
Hendrick's Gin - Infused with
cucumber, coriander, citrus peel and rose petals, handcrafted in
Scotland.
Juniper Green Organic Gin - First
gin made from all organic ingredients in England with four
botanicals including sage.
Leyden Dry Gin - Distilled three
times in small batches, twice in column stills then in a pot
still.
Plymouth - First distilled in 1793,
Plymouth Dry is crisp and aromatic.
Quintessential - Produced by
Greenall's, gives soft and smooth taste.
Schlichte GinUrbrannt - German style
premium gin.
Seagram's Extra Dry Gin - Aged in
charred oak barrels, giving a rich flavor balanced with
aromatics.
Tanqueray - 94.6 proof, distilled in
Finsbury, England.
Tanqueray Malacca - Triple distilled
in small batches, producing highly aromatic gin. It tastes
slightly spicier than Tanqueray.
Tanqueray No. 10 - Distilled with
fresh botanicals, not dries.
Van Gogh Gin - Dutch gin produced
with 10 botanicals in small batches. Triple distilled, twice in
column stills then in a traditional pot still.
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