Gin is a strong spirit made by distilling grain alcohol with botanical ingredients, primarily juniper berries. Originating in the Netherlands in the 16th century, it typically has an alcohol by volume of 37.5%.
How it is made
Gin is produced by distilling grain spirit and adding botanical ingredients during the process. The most common botanical is juniper berries, which give gin its characteristic flavor. Other botanicals often include coriander, angelica root, iris root, almonds, and citrus peels. London dry gin, the most common type, is typically distilled in vertical stills and redistilled after adding botanicals to the alcohol base.
History
Gin originated in the Netherlands in the 16th century, with its invention often attributed to physician Franciscus Sylvius. It reached England when a Dutchman became king during the Glorious Revolution (1688-1689). In England, gin became extremely popular in the 18th century, with production volume six times that of beer by 1740. This led to social problems, resulting in the Gin Acts of 1736 and 1751, which attempted to regulate its production and sale. The invention of vertical distillation in 1832 led to the creation of London dry gin, making it a more respected spirit.
Types and styles
Besides London dry gin, other varieties include genever (Dutch or Belgian gin), Plymouth gin, and Old Tom gin. Genever is distilled with barley and sometimes aged in wooden barrels, making it somewhat similar to whiskey. Old Tom gin is reportedly made using 18th-century techniques and is sweetened with sugar syrup. The European Union requires gin to have a minimum alcohol content of 37.5% ABV.
How it is served
Gin is commonly served in cocktails such as Martini, Negroni, Vesper, Gin and Tonic, Gimlet, and Gin Fizz. It can also be mixed with vermouth, vodka, soda water, ginger ale, various fruit juices, and cranberry juice. The combination with tonic water originated as a way to mask the bitter taste of quinine used to treat malaria.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Джин, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Kinds of gin
- Plymouth Gin (1 cocktails)
- Borovička
Other styles
- Old Tom gin
- Greenall's Gin
- Gilpin's Westmorland Extra Dry Gin
Well-known brands
- Bombay Sapphire (England)
- Tanqueray (England)
- Hendrick's Gin (Scotland)
- Gordon's Gin
- Beefeater Gin (United Kingdom)
- The Botanist (Scotland)
- Whitley Neill Gin
- Steinhäger
- Boodles British Gin (England)
- Booth's Gin
- Kyrö Napue Gin (Finland)
- Citadelle (France)
- Cork Dry Gin
- Edinburgh Gin
- Crafter's (Estonia)
- Broker's Gin (England)
- Masons Gin (United Kingdom)