Bol
Gin
Gin is a distilled spirit flavored with botanicals, most notably Juniper. The name gin actually derives from the words ‘Genievre’ (French) or ‘Jenever’ (Dutch), both of which mean ‘Juniper’. Several other botanicals may be used to flavor gin, including anise, coriander, saffron, cucumber and citrus peels to name a few, though by definition juniper must be the predominant flavoring component.
While gin was created by the Dutch in the late 16th century, gin as we know it today is most associated with England. In the early 18th century, due to political and religious conflicts with France, laws were passed to discourage the consumption of imported French Brandy (the most popular spirit at the time) and local gin production was encouraged. What followed is often referred to as the ‘Gin Craze’ of London, a time in which there was an abundance of cheap, poorly made gin and widespread epidemic of public drunkenness. For a long time afterward, gin was generally associated with debauchery and the terms ‘gin mill’ and ‘gin joint’ have been slang words for drinking establishments of disrepute. Members of the British navy were given gin to make the bitter taste of quinine (an anti-malaria compound) more palatable. The quinine would be dropped in soda water to make a ‘tonic’, resulting in the popular combination of gin and tonic.
Gin was also popular in the early 20th century and is the primary spirit in many classic cocktails such as the Martini, Negroni, Tom Collins and Pimms Cup.
There are a few different styles of gin, defined mostly by their sweetness levels.
- Genever, the original Dutch-style of gin, is much sweeter than most popular gins today, and while it is still widely available in Holland and Belgium, the style has been more or less ignored by the rest of the world for some time.
- Old Tom Gin is not as sweet as Genever, but sweeter than London Dry. The name Old Tom Gin purportedly came from wooden plaques shaped like a black cat (an "Old Tom") mounted on the outside wall of some pubs above a public walkway in 18th century England. This style also fell out of favor for a long time and none were available in the states until recently.
- London Dry is the style of gin most people are familiar with and may not exceed more than .1 grams of sugar per liter. Gins of this style made outside of England may just be referred to as ‘dry’.
- Plymouth gin is a dry style of gin that must be made in the province of Plymouth, England. Now there is only one producer, the eponymous ‘Plymouth’, made at the Black Friars Distillery. Plymouth gin typically has less pronounced juniper flavor and more of an earthiness. It is also less dry than London dry gin.
Gin Brands that we carry: