Gin in its basic form is vodka that has been redistilled with herbs and botanicals. The main categories of gin are Genever, London Dry, Plymouth, and the 2007 addition of New Western Dry. Gin has been known to be made in Holland, England, Germany, France, America, Spain, Lithuania,Belgium, Canada, and Slovakia.

Many people believe that the fifteenth-century Dutch professor and physician Dr. Sylvius invented gin for medicinal purposes. However, others believe that the sixteenth- century Dutch professor and physician Dr. Sylvius invented gin. Yes, historians discovered that two men of the same name and profession were credited with inventing gin. Historians also discovered the first major mention of juniper-based, healthrelated tonics and medicines in the Dutch publication Der Naturen Bloeme by Jacob van Maerlant te Damme in 1269.

We also know that Holland is credited with making the first commercial gin, called “Genever.” Genever’s taste is sweet and malty. The word jonge means the young and new way of distilling, oude means the old and traditional way, and korenwijn is as close as the original recipe as possible.

 

Genever

Genever is considered the first gin. Genever is made in Holland, two provinces in West Germany, and two in Northern France. The modern categories of Genever are oude, jonge, graajenever, and korenwijn. In 2008, by a European declaration “jonge” and “oude” Genever may only be labeled and sold as such in Holland and Belgium.

 

The first gin in England was sweet like Dutch gin. The first popular brand was Old Tom Gin, and it’s the last remaining sweet English gin today. Its name came from a wooden plaque shaped like a black cat (tom cat) that was mounted on the outside wall of a pub. Patrons placed a penny in the cat’s mouth, then put their lips around a small tube between the cat’s paws. The tavern keeper inside would then pour a shot of Old Tom gin through the tube and into the patron’s mouth. How about that for an ancient vending machine!

Plymouth

The Plymouth category of gin has one gin— called “Plymouth.” The gin is fruity and aromatic. It’s made in Plymouth, England, and Plymouth Coates & Co. owns all rights. And it was the first gin used in a printed recipe in a Martini.

London Dry

London Dry Gin is distilled from a mixture that contains more barley than corn. It's drier than Dutch gin and they will even say that on the label, London Dry Gin. London Dry gin has a crisp, dry taste that mixes well in cocktails. This gin is the most common and widely distributed. The most popular brands of gin are; Bombay, Beefeater, Gordon's, Boodles, and Tanqueray.

New Western Dry

New Western Dry gin is a category coined by master mixologist Ryan Magarian. These gins include Aviation, Hendrick’s, and Martin Miller’s. New Western Dry gins let juniper ride in the backseat, with a focus on the other herbs and botanicals in the front seat. They also seem to have a delicate and fresh hint of cucumber.

 

Gin became the crack cocaine of London in the 1700s and into the 1800s. It was cheaper than ale and led to Gin Madness, The Gin Act and Gin Lane. London turned into a slum full of poverty and despair. Artist William Hogarth captured the time when he engraved Gin Lane in 1750. Now fast forward to the early 1900s and you’ll find that gin makes a 180-degree turn due to Hollywood glamorizing it served chilled in a cocktail glass (Martini glass) on the silver screen. All anything needs is a little time.

 

Artist William Hogarth engraves, Gin Lane, which depicts the time in 1750 showing poverty and misery. The engraving shows slummy London streets with a gin cellar with the inscription, Drunk for a Penny, Dead Drunk for Two Pence, Clean Straw for Nothing, an exposed room shows that a man has hung himself, a carpenter is trying to sell his tools, a housewife tries to sell her pots, people are fighting, laughing, and drinking, and a woman who was breast feeding drops her baby.

 

In the 1900s, Hollywood portrayed gin as a glamorous and sophisticated spirit served in a Martini glass (cocktail glass).

The most popular drinks made with gin are, the classic Martini, Tom Collins, Pink Lady, Gibson, Ramos Gin Fizz, Gimlet, Pegu Club, and Gin & Tonic.

Gin Facts

Bombay Sapphire’s bottle is a translucent light blue with the herbs and botanicals listed down the sides

The dark green Tanqueray bottle is said to be modeled after a British fire hydrant or a cocktail shaker. Most believe that ‘s the latter because the Tanqueray 10 bottle looks like a cocktail shaker as well.

The first Seagram’s gin bottle was textured with starfish and seashells.

 

Hip Hop Gin

 

Snoop Dog came out with a song and album called Gin & Juice: got me some Seagram's gin, everybody got they cups, but they ain't chipped in...now Seagram's has come out with some flavored Gin & Juice spirits.

 

 

 

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