Gin: what you need to know, history, production methods, how to drink and what to try
Gene - a classic English alcoholic beverage made from juniper berries, coriander, angelica, violet root, almonds and other ingredients.
The taste and smell of a quality gin is necessarily accompanied by exceptional notes of juniper berries, and the color is always transparent, without clouding and sediment.
The strength of gin should be at least 37.5%.
Everything you need to know about gin
Origin of the name
Gin is a shortened form of the older English word genever, related to the French word genièvre and the Dutch word jenever. What it ultimately means "juniper".
Strength
According to European legislation, the strength of classic gin should not fall below 37.5 degrees.
As for the upper limit, the right to make a decision remains with the manufacturer. But it is usually based around 47 degrees.
The nuances of production
Today, gin is a drink obtained by slow distillation of herbal alcohol tinctures, produced in a special vertical distillation cube.
It should be noted that there is also a surrogate version of the drink, which is produced by mixing alcohol with water and ready-made alcohol-plant essence.
Gin was first made in Holland
Of course, nowadays gin is more associated with England, but the fact is that it was first invented in Holland.
Gin came to England thanks to soldiers who participated in the Dutch War of Independence in the 17th century. London gin, as we know it now, appeared later, about 150 years later.
The roots of the popularity of gin and tonic go back to India
In the 19th century, the British began their expansion in India. But, faced with new diseases, in particular, malaria, they had to look for options for their treatment.
This is how the medicinal tonic was invented, which had a very bitter taste. To dilute this bitterness, gin was added to it.
Cocktail Buravchik
The recipe for the Gimlet cocktail was invented to stop the scurvy disease in sailors. At that time, it was a significant problem, and many sailors were on the verge of death. A mixture of gin and lime juice changed everything.
Most gin is not drunk in England
According to global market estimates, about 43% of the world's gin turnover is drunk in the Philippines. Filipinos even have a special word for gin drinking - "Ginuman".
You can make your own gin
Nowadays, there are many ready-made components for the production of homemade gin. You can easily buy them online. And for the particularly inventive, special distillers and more advanced kits are sold to create their own gin.
But if you plan to enjoy this wonderful drink once a year, it's better to buy a famous gin for your bar at the nearest liquor store.
The history of gin
The earliest known written mention of ginever is in the 13th-century encyclopedic work Der Naturen Bloeme (Bruges), and the earliest printed recipe for ginever dates from the 16th-century work Een Constelijck Distileerboec (Antwerp).
The physician Francis Sylvius is mistakenly credited with the invention of gin in the mid-17th century, the existence of the genever is confirmed in Philip Massinger's play The Duke of Milan (1623), when Sylvius would have been about nine years old.
It is further argued that English soldiers providing support in Antwerp against the Spanish in 1585, during the Eighty Years' War, were already drinking genever because of its calming effect before the battle, which researchers believe gave rise to the term "Dutch courage".
By the middle of the 17th century, numerous small Dutch and Flemish distillers popularized the re-distillation of malt alcohol or malt wine with juniper, anise, caraway, coriander, etc.п., that were sold in pharmacies and used to treat problems such as kidney disease, lumbago, stomach ailments, gallstones, and gout.
The canonical gin appeared in England in various forms by the early 17th century. The drink became much more popular as an alternative to brandy when William III, II and I and Mary II became kings of England, Scotland and Ireland after the Revolution.
Gin consumption in England increased significantly after the government allowed the production of unlicensed gin, while at the same time imposing a heavy duty on all imported spirits.
Such actions of the authorities led to a flourishing market for low-quality barley, which was unsuitable for brewing beer, and in 1695-1735, thousands of gin shops appeared all over England - a period known as "Gin Craze".
Due to the low price of gin compared to other drinks, alcohol was regularly consumed by the poor. Of the 15,000 drinking establishments in London, not counting coffee shops and chocolate shops, more than half sold gin.
Beer maintained a healthy reputation, as it was often safer to drink brewed ale than unclean plain water. Gin, however, was blamed for various social problems, and it may have been a factor in the higher mortality rate that stabilized London's previously growing population.
The reputation of these two drinks was illustrated by William Hogarth in his engravings Beer Street and Gin Lane (1751), which the BBC described as "possibly the most powerful anti-drug poster ever".
The Gin Act of 1736 imposed a high tax on retailers, which led to riots in the streets. Then the tax was gradually reduced, and finally abolished in 1742.
However, the 1751 Gin Act was more successful; it forced distillers to sell only to licensed retailers and placed gin shops under the jurisdiction of local magistrates.
Interestingly, gin in the 18th century was produced in pots and was somewhat sweeter than the London gin we know today.
In the early 18th century, gin was legally distilled in London's tenement houses and was often flavored with turpentine to produce resinous woody notes in addition to juniper.
In 1913, in Webster's Dictionary Webster's Dictionary without further comment, it is said that "ordinary gin" is flavored with turpentine.
Another common variant was distillation with the addition of sulfuric acid. Although the acid itself is not distilled, it gives an additional flavor to the resulting gin.
Dutch or Belgian gin, also known as jenever or genever, is derived from malt wine alcohol, and is a markedly different drink from later styles of gin.
Schiedam - a city in the province of South Holland - is famous for its history of genever production. The same with Hasselt in the Belgian province of Limburg.
The 18th century gave rise to a gin called "Old Tom", which is a milder and sweeter gin that often contains sugar. "Old Tom" disappeared at the peak of popularity by the beginning of the 20th century.
The invention of the distillation column in the 19th century raised the quality of distillation to a new level, which allowed the creation of the "London Dry Gin" style.
In the tropical British colonies, gin was used to mask the bitter taste of quinine, which was the only effective antimalarial agent. Today this mix is known as "gin and tonic".
Sloe gin Traditionally described as a liqueur made by infusing thorn berries in gin, although modern versions almost always consist of neutral spirits and flavors.
Another popular gin-based liqueur with a long history is Pimm's No.1 Cup, which is a fruity cup flavored with citrus and spices.
National museums of gin are located in Hasselt, Belgium, and in Schiedam, the Netherlands.
Since 2013, gin has become more and more popular. New brands are emerging, and a variety of cocktail recipes and other gin-based mixed spirits are being created, such as gin-based liqueurs, colored "pink gin," rhubarb gin, spiced gin, purple gin, Sicilian orange gin, etc.п.
Methods of gin production
Since its inception, several different gin production technologies have emerged, and this evolution reflects the continuous modernization of distillation and flavoring methods.
As a result of the development of technology, gins are divided into three categories:
Distilled through a still
It is the earliest type of gin. It is traditionally made by distilling fermented grain (malt wine) of barley or other grains and then redistilling it using flavoring botanicals to extract flavor compounds.
The fermentation of the grain mash results in a neutral spirit (similar to vodka) that is mostly tasteless.
Double gin can be produced by re-distilling the first gin with a large amount of herbal ingredients. This type of gin is often aged in tanks or wooden barrels and retains a heavier, malty flavor, giving it a marked resemblance to whiskey.
Distilled through a distillation column
The fermented base for this spirit can be obtained from grain, sugar beet, grapes, potatoes, sugar cane, simple sugar or any other material of agricultural origin.
The highly concentrated spirit is then distilled with juniper berries and other botanicals into a still.
Most often, the botanicals are placed in a "gin basket" located in the head of the cube, which allows hot alcohol vapors to extract flavoring components from various ingredients.
This method gives the gin a lighter flavor and allows you to make the same "London Dry Gin".
Mixed gin
It is obtained by flavoring neutral spirits with essences or other "natural flavors" without re-distillation. The value (aroma, taste, price) of such gin is much lower than distilled gin.
Other ingredients are also added to gin to give the drink a completely unique flavor, such as citrus peel, angelica root and seeds, iris root, licorice root, cinnamon, almonds, lime peel, grapefruit peel, longan, saffron, baobab, frankincense, coriander, grains of paradise, nutmeg, cassia bark, and others.
How to drink gin
Gin is usually served as an aperitif. However, a moderate amount of chilled juniper drink can also add a special flavor to a meat, fish or even vegetarian feast.
At the same time, due to the excessive rigidity of 70% dry gin, this drink is much more often used in mixes and cocktails.
Serving temperature
Chill your gin to 4-6 °C before serving.
What to pour into
Gin is served in small glasses with a capacity of 30-50 ml.
What to drink gin with besides tonic
Mix alcohol in any proportion with a variety of juices, mineral water, and even cola or black coffee.
It is best to use juices that have a sweet and sour or bitter taste: cranberry, pineapple and, of course, all kinds of citrus fruits.
The best proportion for mixing is considered to be 50 to 50.
Where are the recipes for cocktails with gin?
Here are all the recipes with photo.
What appetizers are suitable for gin
This question is appropriate in the case of pure gin, since neither mixes nor cocktails made with this drink, by definition, require any additional appetizer...
When it comes to an aperitif, the classic appetizer in this case should be considered such simple snacks as olives, lemon slices, pickled onions, or the British favorite pickled quail eggs with celery salt...
In the case of the main feast, any appetizers are suitable, except for desserts.
In general, if you decide to join the previously unknown gin culture, now you know where to start. The main thing is not to forget about moderation and remember that antibiotics and gin are categorically incompatible.
What brands of gin are worth trying
Update: 23.04.2019
Category: Gin