Since the time of the Greeks, juniper was thought to have medicinal properties and has been used to flavor a variety of wines and spirits like borovička from Central Europe and jenever from the Netherlands. Gin, as we know it, was born in 18th century England. Distilling technology at the time made it difficult to create a neutral base spirit and to cover up the crudeness of these early gins, distillers began sweetening them and called them Old Tom Gin. It was also common at that time for gin to be stored or transported in wooden barrels which would sometimes add a light yellow hue, though once bottling became widespread gin lost its yellow color. Overtime, distilling technology improved so gin distillers began using more neutral base spirits at the same time Victorian tastes were changing to prefer dry gins without added sweetness. In the early 2000’s, U.S. distillers began playing with botanical combinations that were less focused on juniper and more focused on the other botanicals in the mix, giving birth to what we call contemporary gin. This new style has become hugely popular with those who do not like the piney juniper intensity of classic gins.
Gin can be made anywhere in the world and while the most well known brands come from England and the United States, the Philippines and Spain are the two largest consumers of gin. Ginebra San Miguel from the Philippines is the largest selling gin brand in the world.
Gin is a distilled spirit that derives its flavor from juniper and other botanicals. Juniper can add a piney or resinous character that compliments the other botanicals. Gin can be made in a variety of ways and using a variety of stills. Common methods include: compounding, where botanical essences are added to a base spirit; a single shot process, where botanicals are added to the still to make a single batch of gin; or in a multi shot process, where extra botanicals are added to the still to make a botanical concentrate which is then blended with additional base spirit to make multiple batches of gin at one time.
Gin that has been matured in or with wood using either a barrel wood chips or staves. There are two main types of aged gin: yellow gin, which is slightly influenced by wood, and sipping gin, a more modern and popular style.
Forms the blank canvas for the botanicals and flavors to overlay. Gin is produced by redistilling a neutral alcohol with botanicals to add character to the drink.
Term originates from the early days of American Prohibition in the 1920’s. It was used to describe the illicitly produced, compounded gin drank at various speakeasies in the United States.
A gin made by distilling each botanical individually in separate distillation runs and then blending the distillates together in the desired proportions to produce the final gin.