Gin– an alcoholic drink that is obtained by distilling grain alcohol with the addition of spices. Gin is also called " juniper vodka", which few people know about. The name "gin" comes from the word "genevre", that is, "juniper". The English name "gin" is an abbreviation of the word "genevre".

The history of gin begins in the Netherlands in the 17th century, it is associated with the name of Professor Francis Silvius. He wanted to create an inexpensive drink that everyone could afford as a medicine. From the Netherlands, gin spread to England, where it became extremely popular. It was made by distilling and then infusing barley spirit with juniper in oak barrels. As a result of this aging, the gin tasted like whiskey. Back in the 17th century, juniper tincture with alcohol was extremely popular.

Interestingly, Dutch soldiers drank gin to become stronger in battle.

In 1675, the company of Lucas Bol began producing gin. In England it became known as the “elixir of courage.” William III of Orange also loved gin, although this drink was somewhat simple for the king. Distillers began experimenting with the gin recipe, adding zest and spices to it, until they created a drink that the king liked.

The popularity of gin in England had its prerequisites. They were connected with the fact that the government allowed the production of the drink from low-quality wheat, and also introduced high duties on imported alcohol. This situation in the alcoholic beverages market contributed to the spread of gin. Due to its low cost, it became known as the “drink of the poor.” People with great wealth preferred beer. Gin at that time was a low-quality product, which also had a negative impact on human health. Its popularity led to an increase in drunkenness. The government decided to introduce high taxes in order to reduce the sale of the drink. Gin lovers responded by rioting in the streets, and taxes were abolished. In 1751, the more successful “Gin Act” was adopted, according to which the drink could only be sold with a certain license.

Compared to the modern drink, early gin was sweeter. Only in the 19th century was dry gin created, which began to be consumed along with quinine tonic. This cocktail (gin and tonic) was used as an antimalarial. The only thing that spoiled the reputation of tonic was the taste of quinine.

Since reducing the strength of gin negatively affected the aroma of the drink, it was decided to produce gin with a strength of at least 37.5% degrees. Famous brands of gin are Bombay Sapphire, Hendrick's gin, Finsbury, Stagram's.

Gin under the Bombay Sapphire brand appeared thanks to the efforts of the American Alan Subin. The drink is traditionally bottled in blue glass.

Over time, gin appeared in Scotland. At first it could not compete with the beloved Scotch scotch, but in 1728 Alan McCormick slightly changed the gin recipe to make it more native to the Scots. The basis of this drink was still juniper tincture, but now it was infused with wheat vodka and added cinnamon and coriander.

There is also London gin. It is usually infused with zest, as well as various spices: anise, orris, cinnamon, coriander. Juniper is often added to gin, resulting in a quality product that retains its flavor. The taste of the drink depends on the characteristics of the ingredients included in its composition.

The popularity of gin is due to the pleasant taste of the drink, softer than that of vodka.

Types of gin

The most famous types of drink are Dutch gin, Plymouth gin And ginOld Tom.

Old Tom gin is of particular interest, as it is believed to be made according to recipes from the 18th century. A special feature of this product is that it is additionally sweetened with sugar syrup.

A common type of drink is London dry gin.

Dutch gin has a lower strength and is made from juniper and grain mash.

In general, the following are distinguished: types of Dutch gin:

• Jonge– a young and inexpensive type of gin.
• Oude– medium, aged drink of amber color.
• – old, it is considered the most expensive of the Dutch gins. This is an aromatic straw-colored drink.

English gin usually divided into:

• LondonDryGin– a drink of the highest quality. The word "Dry" indicates that the drink does not contain sugar.
• PlymouthGin- Mainly made from wheat. The strength of the drink is adjusted by adding distilled water.
• Yellow Gin- an amber-colored drink, considered a rare species.
• Flavored gin- it is made by soaking aromatic components in gin.

Production Features

The following are used in the production of gin: main ingredients: distilled water, grain alcohol, additives. Water must be purified from mineral components so that it does not have foreign impurities.

The highest quality product is obtained by distillation. The drink is also produced by mixing. The first method is considered more expensive, while the second allows you to get a cheap product - the so-called “gin essence”.

Beneficial features

The beneficial properties of gin are due to its composition. Thus, it was used to prevent infection with the plague; it was believed that gin was quite effective against this disease. Initially, it was sold exclusively in pharmacies. It is also a sure remedy for depression, insomnia, and nervous tension. Gin was often used by soldiers to boost morale and courage; it was even called “Dutch valor.”

Use in cooking

In cooking, gin is widely used to make cocktails.

For example, you can cook the famous one. Its recipe was invented by British soldiers; the drink quickly quenched thirst and also protected against malaria. To prepare it, just mix one part gin and two or three parts tonic.

Today it is customary to prepare it directly in a glass. Cut the cucumber into thin slices, add ice, pour in gin (60 ml) and 120 ml of tonic. Gin and tonic can also be made with lime or lemon. To do this, mix 1 part quinine tonic with 1 part gin, add ice, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. It is recommended to drink the cocktail chilled through a straw.

How and with what to drink?

In order to fully reveal the taste of the drink, you need to know how to drink gin correctly.

First of all, it is an excellent aperitif, which is served chilled and drunk before the meal.

The taste of this drink is quite specific; the British like to say that it is cold, like metal.

It's all about the addition of juniper, as well as the production features. They snack on gin with lemons and olives. It has a pleasant dry, harmonious taste. Gin also goes well with cheeses, pickled onions, capers, and gherkins.

In diluted form, it is usually consumed along with cola, water, and juices. You can dilute gin 1:1, 1:2 and even 1:3, it all depends on taste preferences. In this form, both men and women like the drink. It should be drunk in one gulp.

The benefits of gin and treatment

The benefits of gin have long been known to folk medicine. The drink contains a large amount of essential oils. This effective diuretic and bactericidal agent. The drink is often used for rubbing, inhalation for colds, and also as a lotion for sore joints.

Harm of gin and contraindications

The drink can cause harm to the body due to individual intolerance or excessive consumption. This strong drink is not recommended for children, pregnant and lactating women. In these cases, gin is contraindicated. Excessive consumption poses a serious health hazard.

Gin was invented by the Dutch, but it became truly popular thanks to the British. This article is dedicated to gin (another name is juniper vodka) and its drinking culture. In just a moment, you'll learn how to drink gin in three different ways to appreciate its superb taste.

Gin is an alcoholic drink with a strength of 34-47 degrees, made by infusing wheat alcohol with juniper and other spices (coriander, almonds, anise, lemon zest, orris root, etc.) followed by distillation (distillation) of the finished tincture. It is juniper in combination with other herbs that gives the drink a unique dryish taste that connoisseurs like so much.

Gin can be drunk in three different ways:

1. In its pure form. Suitable for lovers of strong alcohol. During the feast, undiluted gin cooled to a temperature of 4-6°C is served as an aperitif. The drink stimulates the appetite and delights guests, especially those who have never tried it before.

In the mouth, pure gin gives a cooling sensation. In England they even say that he is cold as metal. The addition of juniper also has an effect on the special production technology, in which repeated distillation in a special distillation cube takes place very slowly, literally drop by drop.

Still for gin

Pure gin is enjoyed with lemons, olives and even pickled onions. These products will not spoil the taste; on the contrary, they will be an excellent addition to the drink.

2. Diluted. Gin is mixed with sparkling mineral water, cola, soda or fruit juices (mostly citrus). The main advantage of this method is the ability to regulate the strength of alcohol in your glass.

There are no exact proportions; you can dilute the gin at your discretion. The most popular combination is 1:1, that is, add the same amount of another soft drink to a half-filled glass with gin.

Gin also goes well with other alcohol, for example, with vermouths or liqueurs, but this is already an element of preparing cocktails, which we will talk about later.

3. Gin cocktails. This is the most popular use. Its mild, clean taste and high strength allow you to mix gin with other ingredients to create excellent moderate-strength cocktails.

The most famous cocktail is the Gin and Tonic. It was invented by British soldiers serving in India. With the resulting drink they quenched their thirst and at the same time saved themselves from malaria. After returning home, the soldiers did not change their traditions, introducing the entire population of England to gin and tonic.

Gin and tonic is the most popular gin cocktail.

The recipe for gin and tonic is very simple: fill a tall, thick-bottomed glass glass one-third full with ice, add one part gin and two parts tonic. You can also put a slice of lemon on top. That's the whole cooking process.

Gin is an English alcoholic drink originally from the Netherlands.

Gin production began in the mid-17th century. in the Netherlands, and after the “Glorious Revolution” it spread to England. It gained the greatest popularity after a market was created in London for the sale of low-quality wheat, from which gin was made. The government did not impose any duties on the production of gin and, as a result, by the beginning of the 18th century, the spread of gin had reached unprecedented proportions. Thousands of liquor stores and gin shops have opened. The total volume of its production was six times higher than the volume of beer production.

Over time, the process of making gin has remained virtually unchanged. Its main component is wheat alcohol, which, through the process of vertical distillation and the addition of juniper berries, acquires its unique dry taste. Lemon zest, orris and angelica roots, bitter orange, coriander and cinnamon can be used as herbal additives in the production of gin. According to established international standards, the strength of the drink cannot be less than 37 vol.

Today, only two types of gin are produced: London and Dutch. They have completely different production technologies. At all stages of distillation of Dutch gin, juniper is added, and the resulting strength of the drink is 37 vol. London gin is obtained by adding aromatic substances and distilled water to ready-made wheat alcohol. The strength of the drink at the exit is 40–45 vol. English gin also has three types: London Dry Gin, Plymouth Gin and Yellow Gin.

Gin is usually colorless, but can take on an amber hue when aged in oak barrels. Only Dutch gin can be aged for a long time. English gin, other than Seagram's Extra Dry brand, is not aged.

Since its inception, gin has gone from a low-quality surrogate to a truly gentleman's drink. And now it is used both in its pure form and in various kinds of cocktails.

Useful properties of gin

Gin, like any other alcoholic drink, should not be consumed in large quantities. Gin has medicinal and preventive properties only in small doses.

Gin was created in the Middle Ages as a medicinal tincture with a diuretic effect. It was sold in pharmacies in small doses. The classic gin and tonic cocktail originated in India and was widely used as a cure for malaria. The main active ingredient, quinine, contained in tonic water, has a bitter taste, and combining it with gin made the drink much more pleasant.

Currently, gin is used both for rubbing and for the prevention of colds.
If you mix 2 tablespoons of gin, onion juice and honey, you get an excellent remedy for bronchitis. You need to take a teaspoon every three hours.

Brewed chamomile (2 tbsp per 100 ml) with 50 g of gin also helps against bronchitis and has an expectorant effect. It is necessary to take a tablespoon for two days before meals.

To relieve lower back pain due to radiculitis, there are several recipes based on gin. The composition of freshly squeezed white radish juice, onion and two tablespoons of gin must be spread out on gauze folded several times, applied to the painful area, covered with polyethylene to seal, and wrapped on top with a warm, thick cloth. After half an hour, the compress must be removed and the skin area wiped with a soft cloth moistened with warm water.

Another compress option is much simpler. It is necessary to moisten gauze with gin, apply it to the source of pain and, as in the previous recipe, cover it with polyethylene and a warm cloth. You need to keep it for three hours, after which the skin should be wiped and lubricated with moisturizer. The same compress helps with sore throat.

Gin is also used to treat swelling and redness of the larynx due to infection or strain on the vocal cords. A mixture of onions, two tablespoons of sugar and two glasses of water is boiled until the onions soften and 50 g of gin is added to it. This decoction should be taken one teaspoon throughout the day.

Dangerous properties of gin

Systematic consumption of gin in large quantities can lead to alcohol addiction and disruption of the cardiovascular system.

Shake decided to figure out what gin is made of, what came out of it, read below...

Dried juniper berries create such an original taste and smell for Gin.

The liquid base for the future gin is grain alcohol. Mostly, this is a wheat distillate, but in some types of the drink barley is used: both pure and with the addition of rye and corn. An integral ingredient of the prepared alcohol tincture are juniper berries, which give the drink incomparable freshness and individuality.

In addition to juniper, the botanical base for gin can consist of a variety of components, added in different combinations and proportions. Among them: lemon and orange zest, almonds, nutmeg, orris root, angelica or violet, anise, angelica, licorice, cardamom, coriander root and seeds, cinnamon, cassia bark, etc. There is even a gin containing kava leaves. kava and tea tree berries.

The process of producing Gin in copper vertical stills.

Speaking about the types of gin, perhaps we should start with its direct Dutch ancestor, called Jeniver (juniper). This Dutch gin is still produced in the Netherlands and neighboring Belgium by distilling malted barley mixed with juniper berries and then aging the resulting product in oak barrels. In fact, this particular 35-proof drink has little in common with classic gin. Therefore, it is not surprising that geniver is often considered as a separate representative of the alcoholic world.

English Old Tom gin, extremely popular in the 18th century, became a kind of intermediate link between geniver and modern modifications of the juniper drink. It was produced without the use of a vertical distillation unit, still unknown at that time, which negatively affected the strength and taste of the drink. In order to somehow refine this very low-quality alcohol, Old Tom gin was usually flavored with sugar. Nowadays, the revived drink is produced using modern methods of alcohol purification, but using interesting technologies, proportions and techniques drawn from ancient recipes; and of course, with the same sugar.

1. London Dry Gin

   With the invention of the vertical still, the most popular London Dry Gin (Dry Gin) appeared today. Its distinctive features are: the complete absence of sugar and the use of technologies introduced in the nineteenth century by London ginmakers. Hence the famous cold, “metallic” taste of the drink produced all over the world and the more pronounced manifestation of herbal additives in it.

2. Plymouth gin

   The production technology is in many ways similar to its London “colleague”. But unlike the latter, this drink can only be produced in the port city of the same name in Devonshire. This drink is usually softer, and its aroma has characteristic floral notes. However, there is a harsh naval version of Plymouth gin, whose 57-degree strength does not prevent the ignition of gunpowder if this drink accidentally hits it.

The history of gin began in the 11th century in Holland - it was in the Dutch monasteries that juniper tinctures appeared, used mainly for medicinal purposes. The first printed recipe for genever (as gin was called in Belgium and Holland) that has come down to us dates back to the 16th century, and in the middle of the 17th century, Dr. Francis Silvius contributed to its popularization.

Contrary to popular belief, Aesculapian did not invent the famous alcoholic drink - gin appeared much earlier, and is even mentioned in Philip Massinger’s play “The Duke of Milan,” written in 1623, when Silvius was not yet ten years old.

What is "genever"

Jenever (from the Dutch jeneverbes, “juniper”) is a Dutch gin, the ancestor of the modern “London dry”, which is still popular in its homeland. Genever is produced in conventional stills by distilling grain wort with the addition of juniper berries and spices directly into the mash before distillation. In turn, modern London dry gin is made by re-distilling juniper infusion into pure alcohol. This is the main difference between the two drinks.

Genever has the status of a name fixed geographically - that is, only Belgian and Dutch juniper vodka can be called this way. A similar drink made exactly according to the recipe outside the specified area will bear a different name.

After the third or fourth distillation, Belgian juniper is either immediately bottled or aged in oak barrels, which gives the alcohol a rich and deep taste. Genever is sweeter and smoother than British gin, and also contains more aromatics and spices.

The history of gin in England

Speaking of gin, today we mean the famous London Dry Gin, dry juniper vodka with an alcohol content of 37.5%. However, gin was not always like this; moreover, despite strong associations with Foggy Albion, juniper liqueur appeared not on British shores, but in Flanders.
English soldiers first became acquainted with "Dutch valor" during the Eighty Years' War in 1585. Then came the Glorious Revolution of 1688, when the Dutchman William of Orange took the British throne, and gin finally gained a foothold in Britain.

William of Orange brought gin from Holland to England

In those days, gin was made from low-quality wheat, unsuitable for the production of “noble” beer. This made it possible to use raw materials that were previously simply thrown away, in addition, a license was not required to brew gin, you just had to publicly declare your intention and wait ten days. All this, plus high duties on imported alcohol, led to the fact that in 1740 England produced six times more gin than ale, and of the 15 thousand drinking establishments, at least half specialized in juniper.

The low quality was compensated by an affordable price, and very soon gin became the “official” drink of the poor - it got to the point that laborers and servants were paid with “juniper”.

The history of gin has not been without its share of turmoil. From 1729, production was required to purchase a license for £20, and distillers also had to pay a 2 shilling tax on each gallon of product. On September 29, 1736, the British government introduced the highly unpopular Gin Act, which imposed heavy taxes on gin sellers. Now a retail license cost 50 pounds, and the duty increased to a pound per gallon, and the prices for the drink itself increased in proportion to this. Popular riots followed, and duties were first reduced and, in 1742, abolished.

“Gin Lane” (William Hogarth, 1751) - the engraving was supposed to frighten the poor with the consequences of drinking gin

Nine years later, in 1751, the authorities acted smarter: the second “Gin Act” ordered juniper vodka producers to distribute their products only to licensed sellers, which helped improve the quality of alcohol and streamlined the variety of recipes and varieties. Local magistrates were given powers to monitor the implementation of the act and control this area. The scheme turned out to be so successful that it still operates today.

In 1832, vertical distillation using a distillation column was invented, and almost immediately London Dry Gin as we know and love it was born. This drink was especially popular during Prohibition in America, because smuggling strong alcohol was much more profitable than weak drinks.

Unlike vodka or other analogues, juniper is easy to drink and serves as the basis for many cocktails or stand-alone drinks, such as a lady's martini; moreover, this alcohol has healing properties, and the classic gin and tonic was drunk by members of the East India Company to protect themselves from malaria and other tropical diseases.

In the 19th century, Old Tom gin became popular for a short time - a kind of bridge between genever and London Dry: it is still quite soft and sweet, but not as aromatic as its Dutch counterpart. Now this variety can be found only in a few establishments, it has almost gone out of use and enjoys the favor of only a small number of old-fashioned connoisseurs.

In addition to the classic juniper gin, you can find sloe and damson varieties on sale, and since 2009, International Gin Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in June.

Curious facts from the history of gin creation

Juniper essence was originally used as a medicine, but the population liked it so much that pseudo-sick people began to seek medical help even without objective reasons, only so that the doctor would give them the desired portion of “jenever.”

Dutch gin was known in England as "Dutch valor": during the Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648, British soldiers noticed how brave their Dutch comrades were and attributed this to the genever that was part of the diet of the Flemish soldiers.

Gin can be diluted with tonic and served with cucumber.

In the 18th century, gin became a real curse of the poor - writers and scientists of that time noted that the London lower strata of the population literally “did not dry” from morning to evening. However, the fact is that for poor people, gin was the only available way to protect themselves from numerous stomach infections.

Old Tom was an attempt to circumvent the laws governing the sale of gin. The drinking establishments that served this drink displayed a secret symbol - a black cat.

It turned out that gin was good for seasickness, so this alcohol eventually became part of the sailor’s diet.