Gin is made from the distillation of white grain spirit and juniper berries with citrus influence such as lemon, bitter orange, and other spices.

Gin was created by Dr. Franciscus Sylvus, a Dutch chemist, in the 16th century as an attempt to cleanse the blood of those suffering from kidney disorders. Sylvus named his creation genièvre, French for juniper. Mass production of gin in England soon followed as King William III used his grudge against France to ban expensive liquor imports from that country and made gin affordable for the masses.

From there Gin has become very popular world wide, it is basically produced in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and other countries such as New Zealand and Philipines.

Types of Gin

London Dry Gin: The flowery and aromatic characteristics of this type of gin are a result of botanicals added during the 2nd or 3rd distillation. The vapors from these flavoring agents reach the alcohol as they pass through a specialized still with an attachment called a gin head. Dry gins are preferred for making Martinis.

Jenever: as in Dutch word for Gin  is distilled from malted grain mash similar to whiskey. Jenever Gin is often aged in oak casks for 1-3 years and comes in two styles. Oude (old) Genever is the original style with a straw hue and is relatively sweet and aromatic, while Jonge (young) Genever has a drier palate and lighter body.

Plymouth Gin: is a clear, slightly fruity, full-bodied gin that is very aromatic. This style of gin originated in the port of Plymouth on the English Channel

Old Tom Gin: is a sweeter version of London Dry Gin, Old Tom was the original gin used for Tom Collins.

Popular Gin Brands

• Beefeater
• Bokma
• Bombay Sapphire
• Braeckman
• Gordon's
• Hartevelt
• Ketel 1