What is Gin?

Gin is a spirit made entirely from 100% neutral spirit and flavored with a juniper dominated collection of botanicals. Yet, while Juniper finds itself in the lead role, it is often the supporting cast of botanicals that offers the greatest differences in gin flavor profiles,

How is it made?

Gin, at its most basic level, is little more than a complex vodka infusion (neutral spirit with added flavorings), so much of the same rules apply. Neutral spirit, generally produced off site (by law in England), is flavored in one of the two method listed below, diluted with pure water, and bottled.

Compounded Gin - Compounded gin represents the cheap and easy route in the gin world finding itself to be little more than neutral spirit flavored with the oils and extracts of Juniper and a variety of other botanicals. YUCK!!!

Distilled Gin - This style is made by redistilling neutral spirit with an infusion of botanicals through one of the following methods:

Where does Gin come from?

While juniper “elixirs” can be traced as far back as the 14th century, it is Professor Franciscus de la Boe Sylvius, a professor at the University of Leyden in 17th century Holland, who is credited to have stumbled upon a mixture of juniper essence and malt spirit that would forever change the world of beverage.

This “eau de vie de Genievre” (French for Juniper), as originally christened, was warmly received by the hearty Dutch folk and soon ran it’s way across the palates of British Mercenaries fighting wars in the region. The English found this new spirit to be favorable and proceeded to lug it back across the channel where, at some point, the word Geneivre evolved into the word Gin (probably for pronunciation reasons) and its popularity began to soar.

In 1689, William of Orange, a Dutchman, ascended the English throne and things began to get a little crazy. An Act for Encouraging the Consumption of Malted Corn and for the Better Preventing of French and Foreign Brandy was put into law which, of course, put a quick stop to the importation of French Brandy greatly encouraging distillation on the home front. All of sudden, gin became undeniably affordable and pretty darn easy to find yourself with. Gin consumption was further encouraged a few years later when a royal degree eliminated the exclusive right of distilleries to make gin, allowing any man, woman or child the opportunity to do so.

Now, with milk and water generally considered unsafe to drink and beer prohibitively expensive due to taxation, the people turned to gin for satiation. From there, it wasn’t long before a severe epidemic of alcoholism was rocking the British Countryside. With sickness, death, and moral degradation growing out of control, it finally became clear to the authorities that they had a national disaster on their hands and officials began enacting a series of laws, namely the Gin Act of 1736 which banned sales of gin in small amounts and the Tippling Act of 1750 that re-privatized gin production, to slowly return order (and relative safety) to the kingdom.

Now, the Gin of this age was not the crisp and clean product we are familiar with today, but a juniper infused spirit sweetened with sugar (to mask impurities) known as Old Tom Gin. It wasn’t until the 1830’s with the introduction of the Continuous Distillation Process that gin evolved into a refined beverage. This new way of producing high quality neutral spirit created the perfect “blank canvas” for which to showcase the bright flavor of Juniper, Coriander, Cardamom, and the several other botanicals common to what had become known as London Dry Gin.

This newly refined spirit was especially popular British Royal Navy Officers, who can be credited with sharing this delicious new spirit with the rest of the world, not to mention a growing contingent of the English upper class who constructed lavish “Gin Palaces” from which to indulge in their two favorite pastimes. Sipping and Socializing

Folks on the other side of the pond, too, were becoming hip to this new “juice”, and gin became a common ingredient in an entirely unique and truly American way of mixing drinks: Witness the Cocktail.

Prohibition blanketed the American landscape in 1920 and with distillation and service of alcoholic beverages legally banned, you had two choices: get cozy with your local rum runner or make your own hooch. Bathtub Gin, a simple and dangerous mixture of juniper essence and home distillate (made, yes, in bathtubs), evolved during this period experiencing mass popularity (to no one’s benefit), and left an indelible black mark on the spirit’s reputation that we are only completely beginning to shake off today.

This “Noble Experiment” was finally repealed in 1933 and gin remained fresh in the minds of drinkers nationwide and now with a much higher quality gin being imported, it suddenly found itself on a mountain top. The dry martini was in vogue and a brisk gin and tonic was putting a spring in everyone’s step.

Of course, what goes up, must come down, and somewhere along the line, gin lost its groove thanks, in part, to a newly introduced, easy drinkin’ spirit known as vodka.

The 60’s and 70’s seemed to signal the nadir for gin. An entirely new generation was now of age and wanted nothing to do with the drinks and habits of their parents. Attention was turned, for some, to exciting new opportunities in mind alterants, and others, a sudden interest in leading a healthy lifestyle

It wasn’t until recently that gin seems to be getting its legs back thanks to a lift from a growing American fascination with, well, “palatial entertainment”

Yes, folks, we are talking flavor here! Flavor in food, in wine, and now flavor in potent potables... And that’s what gin is all about: Big Flavor!!!

“So what about the future, you ask?”

Well, it certainly does look bright for our old pal as the next decade is likely to deliver an unmatched era with regards to the appreciation of fine spirits and cocktails. And you can bet gin, along with a few of its full flavored spirit cronies (namely rum, rye whiskey, and aquavit) will once again find themselves on their rightful thrones of “good taste”.