Gin is a drink that has been underrated for a long time. A lot of us chose not to order it because we were too comfortable in our usual poison of choice or simply didn’t know what to expect. We are here to tell you that you are missing out on something pretty great if you haven’t tried the gin yet. However, in order to understand our point, you’ll need to know a little bit about ‘Dutch Courage’. So, here’s a guide that answers the biggest question on your mind right now: what is gin?
What Is Gin?
Gin is a popular distilled alcoholic spirit that is primarily made from grains or flavored botanicals, especially Juniper berries. If we talk about its name, the word ‘gin’ is a derivative of the words genièvre, genever, and jenever. All of these words are derivatives of the Latin word juniperus, which means juniper.
Generally, gins have an ABV between 38% and 50% with botanicals like grapefruit peel, orange peel, angelica root, licorice root, cassia bark, anise, and a few others. These wide varieties of types of gin have only existed because of its centuries-long history. Here are the parts of said history that you can use around your buddies in a pub.
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History Of Gin
The oldest origin tale of Gin can be traced back to the 11th century. As per the rumors, In Italy, Benedictine monks of Salerno used juniper berries to cure various ailments. Juniper berries are also used in distilling gin, so it’s believed that these monks were the first ones to distill the spirit. Other than the medicinal aspect, there are also heroic stories attached to it. The most interesting one is the story of how it got the name “The Dutch Courage”.
The story begins around the time of the 3-decade war when English soldiers saw their allied armies from the Netherlands drink some clear alcohol. This drink was helping them to steady their steps as they walked into battle. This clear drink was gin, and because of its usage during the war, it received the moniker of ‘The Dutch Courage’.
During the same time, Dutch Protestant Prince William and his wife became the rulers of England in 1689 and banned all French liquor. As a replacement, they promoted local drinks and local distillation, inadvertently giving rise to the overwhelming amounts of distribution of this drink.
Gin’s popularity saw another revolution in the early 1900s when fruits, teas, and spices from all over the world started showing up in London. Distillers started experimenting with these products as botanicals in their gins. Furthermore, they also started trying different methods of distilling and came up with the column stills. This process gave rise to one of the most popular types of gin ever – The London Dry. Since we’re mentioning the London Dry, this is a good time to delve into the nuances of this type of gin, along with the others that you will find on the shelves today.
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Types Of Gin
- London Dry: London Gin has a very juniper-forward taste with selective botanical components like citrus, coriander, and angelica root rounding off the flavor profile. This gin is also characterized by a very dry mouthfeel. Bartenders will use this type of gin while making shaken and stirred cocktails.
- Plymouth: This is like the mellower, younger sibling to the London Dry. The flavor profile has lesser notes of juniper, hints of earthy spices, and slight salinity. It slides down your throat rather smoothly, which makes it a great base for martinis. One thing that sets Plymouth apart is the fact that it is exclusively produced by Plymouth Gin Distillery in South England.
- Old Tom: Old Tom is an older type of gin that is sometimes aged extensively in barrels. The aging process leaves the gin with a rich and malty mouthfeel, making it the perfect base for shaken cocktails like Tom Collins.
- Genever: Genever originated in sixteenth-century Holland and spread out to Belgium, Holland, and certain parts of France. Its distinct flavor is derived from malt wine spirits that are used to distill it instead of natural grain spirits. This earthy, savory flavor palate makes it the ideal base for a Gin Old Fashioned.
- International Style: This is the newest style of gin and is free from the limitations of any group of botanicals or method of distillations. This style makes it possible for new gins with different flavors and mouthfeels crop up in various parts of the world. To put it simply, you’ll easily find one gin in every part of the world that will have geographical and cultural reflections of that place.
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Techniques Of Making Gin
All of the different types of gins are made using different techniques that were developed over a few centuries. The general process starts when ethanol is extracted from a base spirit. Then, this distillate is redistilled with a bunch of botanical components like juniper berries and other flavoring elements.
It is the process of redistillation where the producer can use more than one technique. There are three ways to go about redistilling and depending on the process chosen, the flavor profile will differ.
- Vacuum distillation: Vacuum distillation uses a low-pressure vacuum environment to reduce the ethanol’s boiling point. The people who use this process believe that the lack of high temperatures keep the flavors from the botanicals to remain intact.
- Steeping: This is one of the simpler methods of distillation. It requires a pot still that is placed over a heat source wherein the botanicals steep in the spirit and flavors get infused into the liquid. Depending on the desired flavor, a distiller might remove the botanicals after a couple of hours, or let them steep for up to 48 hours.
- Vapor infusion: This method of distillation requires a Carter-Head still which has a suspended basket inside. This basket holds all the botanicals and serves as a space for the ethanol vapors. When you heat the distillate, the vapors are fused with the flavors of the botanicals. These flavor-infused vapors then get reliquified and carry the flavors with them.
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Gin Cocktails That You Must Try
Knowing what goes into a cocktail and being able to order one off the top of your head is an impressive asset when you’re out partying. When it comes to gin cocktails, there are quite a few options available and it might be a long time before you decide on your favorites. So, here is a small list of gin cocktails that you must try.
- Gin And Tonic: One of the most popular gin cocktails, a G7T is made up of both of those ingredients poured over ice in a highball glass. It is most commonly garnished with a lime wedge.
- Gin Rickey: A Gin Rickey is just a gin and tonic with a freshly squeezed lime added to the mix.
- Ramos Gin Fizz: This is a sweet-and-sour cocktail with floral notes. It is made with egg white, lime juice, sugar, cream, soda water, and gin.
- Gin Sour: A Gin Sour is just a Gin Fizz and soda water. It is simple, tasty, and effective.
- Gin Fizz: A Gin Fizz is made with gin, sugar, lemon juice, and soda water. It is generally served with lemon peel garnishing and has a sweet and sour taste.
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Summing Up
For a spirit that is perceived to be so complex and nuanced, gin is actually a very easygoing and simple drink once you try it. Gins have different flavor profiles available which make for a very interesting experience, especially when it comes to cocktails. So, we recommend that you order yourself a G&T or a Negroni, lay back, and let the alcohol do its job!
FAQs
How Do You Pick The Best Gin?
Different gins carry different flavor profiles and mouthfeels. In order to pick the one that is the best for you, just ask your bartender. You can also experiment with miniature bottles before committing to a full-size one.
What Are The Three Ingredients Of Gin?
The three key ingredients of gin are juniper, coriander, and angelica.
What Are The Five Types Of Gin?
The five types of gins available to drinkers are London Dry, Plymouth, Genever, Old Tom, and International Style.
What Is The Most Popular Gin?
The most popular gins in the world are as follows – Ginebra San Miguel, Gordon’s, Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, and Beefeater.
What Is The Difference Between Gin And Dry Gin?
The difference between a gin and a dry gin is that the former has flavors added to manipulate the end product. On the other hand, the latter only carry flavors from all-natural botanicals.
Should You Refrigerate Gin?
Refrigerating gin makes for a very enjoyable drinking experience as the cold gin carries a crispier mouthfeel. So yes, you should absolutely refrigerate your gin.
Can You Drink Gin Straight?
You need to be aware of what gin you are ordering. If you choose the right one, gins make for amazing sipping spirits that you can drink straight!
What Is A Good Mix With Gin?
Things like Vermouth, tonic water, lime juice, soda, tonic water, and flavored seltzers are great chasers for gins.
