A spirit distilled from grain or malt, and flavoured with juniper berries; the name derives from Dutch jenever juniper. Gin was once the true drink of the masses, often referred to as mothers' ruin and associated with gin palaces, but its image changed considerably in the 20th-c. Dutch gin is drunk neat with beer, while London or dry gin is usually mixed with tonic.
It should not be confused with sloe gin, a sweet liqueur traditionally made from sloes (the fruit of the blackthorn) infused in gin.
The most common style of gin, typically used for mixed drinks, is "London dry gin", which refers not to brand, marque, or origin, but to a distillation process. London dry gin is a high-proof
spirit, usually produced in a column still and redistilled after the botanicals are added to the base spirit.
Other types of gin include Jenever (Dutch gin), Plymouth gin, and Old Tom gin (said to approximate the pot-distilled 18th century spirit). Dutch gin, known as jenever, is a distinctly
different drink from English-style gin; Jenever is produced in a pot still and is typically lower in alcohol and more strongly flavoured than London gin.
Gin became very popular in England after the government allowed unlicensed gin production and at the same time imposed a heavy duty on all imported spirits. Gin, though, was blamed for various
social and medical problems, and it may have been a factor in the high death rate that caused London's previously increasing population to remain stable. Gin in the 18th century was produced in
pot stills, and was somewhat sweeter than the London gin known today.
In London in the early eighteenth century, gin sold on the black market was prepared in illicit stills (of which there were 1500 in 1726) and was often adulterated with turpentine and sulphuric
acid. In 2005, the Monde Selection in Brussels awarded South Gin (made by Pacific Dawn Distillers of New Zealand) the "Grand Gold with Palm Leaves," rating it the best gin in the world.
Common mixers for gin
Vermouth - in a martini Tonic water - in a Gin and tonic Soda water - in a Gin Rickey Orange juice Lemon juice Lime juice Grapefruit juice Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer Cranberry juice Milk for
'Gin Milk Punch' Kool-Aid
Cocktails with gin
Ambassador Krahn Martini Tin Roof Tom Collins Maiden's Prayer Salty Dog Singapore Sling Gimlet Gin and Tonic Pimm's N°1. Apoica Orange Blossom Pink Gin Presbyterian Satan's Whiskers
Brands of gin
Premium / famous brands
Aristocrat gin Beefeater - first produced in 1820 Blackwood's Superior Nordic Vintage Dry Gin BOLS - Dutch jenever Bombay - distilled with eight botanicals Bombay Sapphire - distilled with
ten botanicals Boodles Booth's - first produced in 1790 by Sir Felix Booth Broker's Premium London Dry Gin, 47%. Burnett's Gin - based on a 1770 recipe by Sir Robert Burnett Calvert Gin Cork Dry
Gin - Ireland's preferred brand DH Krahn- Pot distilled with 6 botanicals. Gilbey's Gin - inexpensive, low-qualty Ginebra San Miguel - has juniper berries as its main flavor, produced by the
company of the same name and is the largest-selling gin in the world although it is mainly sold in the Philippines Gordon's Greenall's Hendrick's Gin - infused with cucumber, coriander, citrus
peel and rose petals McCormick Gin Martin Miller's Gin - London dry gin, with over eight botanicals blended with icelandic spring water Phillips Dry Gin - English gin since 1963 Plymouth - first
distilled in 1793 Seagram's Gin Silver Wolf Gin South Gin - triple distilled in New Zealand using nine botanicals, two of which are native: manuka berries and kawa kawa leaves, believed by the
indigenous Māori people to offer medicinal properties Steinhäger Taaka - a London Dry Gin with a secret formula Tanqueray Tanqueray Ten Whitley Neill London Dry Gin - premium gin containing two
African botanicals, the fruit of the Baobab tree, the "Tree of Life", and the Cape Gooseberry
Other brands and variations
Anchor Junipero Gin - produced in California by Anchor Steam Brewery Bafferts Gin - Triple-distilled with four botanicals in England Barton Gin Bellringer Gin - 94.4 proof English gin Bols
Gin Bombadier Military Gin Boodles British Gin - 90.4 proof gin Boomsma Jonge Genevere Gin Burnett's Crown Select Gin Caballito: Panama's finest export gin Cadenhead's Old Raj Gin - 110 proof gin
containing a small amount of saffron, which imparts a slight yellowish/greenish tint Citadelle - distilled with nineteen botanicals in France Cascade Mountain Gin - uses hand-picked wild juniper
berries, distilled in Oregon Damrak Amsterdam Dirty Olive - olive-flavored Fleischmann's Gin - Marketed as the original American gin, first distilled in 1870 Gilbey's London Dry Gin Gin Bulag -
the Philippines' most famous choice of gin. Directly translated as "Blind Gin," this concoction has been aptly named after gin drunkards have been reported to lose their eyesight after three
straight days of gin insobriety. Gin Llave - Argentina's prime and extra-smooth concoction Gin Lubuski Gin Xoriguer - Minorcan local gin Ginebra San Miguel Gordon's London Gin - by appointment to
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain Hamptons Gin Juniper Green Organic Gin - first gin made from all organic ingredients in England with four botanicals Leyden Dry Gin - distilled
three times in small batches, twice in column stills then in a pot still Mr. Boston Larios - from Spain Quintessential Sarticious Gin - Dutch style gin distilled in Santa Cruz, California, orange
and cilantro Smeets - Belgian brand, produce a great range of fruit flavoured gins "Jenèvre de fruits" as well as their original South - New Zealand made gin, flavoured with juniper berries,
lemon, orange, coriander seeds, Angelica leaves, Orris, Gentian root, and two New Zealand natives, Kawakawa leaves and Manuka berries Swordsman Uganda Waragi - popular triple distilled local
Ugandan Gin Van Gogh Gin - Dutch gin produced with ten botanicals in small batches.
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