1. Gin is English - not Dutch. Genever, a malted spirit that is essentially light whisky with juniper, is the juniper distillate of the Netherlands. Gin was developed in London and is a unique and much purer spirit.
2. Gin was born around 1689. The earliest known food pairing occurred in 1731: gingerbread. This became quite common and is still traditional in parts of England. While British sailors received a daily rum ration, British naval officers got a daily ration of gin. Lucky devils.
3. By 1726, London had 1,500 working stills and there were 6,287 places where you could buy gin. London's most popular drink in the winter of 1823 was the Hot Gin Twist. One man wrote a 149-line poem for the newspapers extolling its virtues.
4. Gin is flavored Vodka
The most usual production method for gin is to distill botanicals, such as juniper, coriander, citrus peel, cinnamon, almond or liquorice, with neutral grain alcohol. Making gin is like flavoring vodka, except that botanicals are always natural.
5. The Gin Rickey was the most popular gin drink of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is a simple drink: a highball glass of gin, ice, sparkling water and half a lime squeezed and dropped in. There is no sugar in a rickey.
6. There are more classic cocktails made with gin than with any other spirit:
Negroni, Ramos Gin Fizz, Martinez, Gin Rickey, Red Snapper, Tom Collins, White Lady, Hanky Panky, Clover Club, Alexander, French 75, Gimlet, Vesper, Singapore Sling, Silver Bronx, Pegu Club, Bee’s Knees, Southside. And that is just scratching the surface!
7. London dry gin is not always from London:
Gin does not have the same geographical restrictions as spirits such as cognac, scotch or tequila. Only a tiny handful of London dry gins are actually made in the city. There are, however, 13 gins that have a “geographical indication.” The most famous of these is Plymouth gin, which has been made in Plymouth, England since 1793.
8. Gin can be used for medicinal purposes:
The Royal Navy mixed gin with lime cordial to stop scurvy, and angostura settled the stomach at sea. Tonic water with quinine was anti-malarial, giving them a great excuse to drink more gin and tonics.
9. Gin & Tonics began in India
During the 19th century, Brits began to move to India after the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 and, subsequently, the popularity of Gin & Tonics spiked. In efforts to avoid malaria, the demand for “Indian Tonic Water” grew. Gin was added to the tonic water to soothe the bitter taste.
10. GIN IS NOT FOR DRINKING NEAT
You can drink tequila and mescal as shots, and vodka is served chilled with food (zakuski) in its native land. Bourbon, rye and whiskey drinkers might add some ice or a splash of water. Gin is meant to be mixed, however, as the botanicals (herbs, spices etc.) come to life in cocktails and add complexity to the drink. This is why so many classic cocktails call for gin.
Bonus Fact:
In the UK – Visit the oldest working distillery in the world in Plymouth. The building has been around since 1430 as a monastery, and every drop of Plymouth Gin has been made there since 1793.
In modern day UK, you can buy your alcohol online. Liquoronline.co.uk is one of such places, it is an Amazon trusted affiliate online liquor store. We have variety of Gin brands available at amazing prices and fastest shipping. Buy Gin Online from LiquorOnline. So, that was 10 surprising facts about Gin.
References: Sipsmith.com, Foodrepublic.com
