The Strange History of Gin

Gin is perhaps the most popular spirit on the face of the planet. It’s been around since the 1600s and it’s used in the most mixed drinks of all alcohols. This is an alcohol enjoyed all over the world, whether it’s neat, paired with tonic, or with a twist if you know you’re a buff of the stuff. What you may not know is gin’s taken many forms and names throughout history, and today we’re going to talk about its origins.

Where did it come from?

Many people coin London as the birthplace of this spirit, but they’re wrong. It’s a safe bet to think so, as it is the national spirit of England, however Holland was the original birthplace of this alcohol. Gin, known as genever (we’ll talk about this name as well), was discovered by the English while they fought the Dutch War of Independence in the 17th century. Needless to say, they brought the stuff back with them, thus birthing the now popular London-style gin we’ve come to know and love.

But back to the origins.. Franciscus Sylvius may be the originator of Gin. He was a Dutch physician who created this concoction which was believed to improve circulation and aid in alleviating other ailments. During this time it was called genever. It was even given to the country’s soldiers which they referred to as “Dutch Courage!”

Medicine?

To backpack on the topic of Gin as medicine, it was also said to be a cure for gout and indigestion. I’ve heard many of the same subjective healing properties of the spirit in my adulthood drinking time. Some of my friends say they only drink Gin and Tonic because they won’t get hangovers the next day. This isn’t really factual, but to each their own..

We talked about gin, or “genever,” being created to aid in circulation, but it was later used by pirates and sailors alike. The Royal Navy mixed the spirit with lime juice as a scurvy prevention with sailors getting malnourished through their long months away from land. Nowadays, we call this Gimlet!

Mother’s Ruin

Another epithet for the beloved gin, but with darker undertones. There’s many different reasons and stories as to why people have likened this name to gin, but they all share a pretty dark reason.

To put it simply, gin was immensely popular in the 1700s, especially in England. People were able to produce the spirit at home so long as they passed a 10-day public notice, and if the public did this, they didn’t have to house soldiers (also known as the Mutiny Act). Pair this with the THOUSANDS of distilleries cropping up all over Old Blighty between 1720 and 1750, they entered the ‘Gin Craze.’

To put into perspective the popularity of Gin in the 1700s, we’ll compare some stats. The average American in today’s time would consume 2.4 gallons of alcohol annually, whereas an Englishmen in 1742 would drink 14 of gin alone!

The spirit was cheap, abundant, and accessible to everyone by 1730. During this time, crime, death rates, and prostitution rose all over England. By 1736, the government intervened by introducing The Gin Act which prevented the public from selling distilled spirits unless they forked over 50 pounds for a license (or about 100,000 pounds today). Did it help? Barely. Many reputable sellers went out of business, and gin went underground to bootlegging.

It was said that more women than men got addicted to this juniper-based spirit which led to mistreatment of their own children, and a spike in prostitution across the country. This is how ‘Mother’s Ruin’ came to be.

In 1757, another Gin Act was passed which prevented the sale of gin altogether. Concurrently, poor grain harvests of the time made the drink expensive, so the craze finally came to an end.

A Dark Reintroduction

There’s a reason this drink has so many recipes today. On one end, we have the colorful history from England to draw from, but here in the US, our own adversity birthed even more mixes for gin.

Prohibition hit America in the 1920s and 30s leaving the country dry of legal alcohol. Bootleggers ran rampant and speakeasies were all over the place. Two main drinks ruled the underground, Moonshine and Bathtub Gin. When we talk about the latter, it was harsh to say the least. It was known to burn the throat going down at its safest, and blind or kill at its most dangerous (homemade concoctions of this spirit were known for this). Drinkers of the time had to mix in other ingredients with this firewater. This is why we have many classic gin cocktails!

Gin and Tonic

Just so we don’t end on blue notes, I thought I’d give an honorable mention to perhaps the most popular mixture of all, gin and tonic. Where did this come from? India! It was first created by officers in the East India Company to fight Malaria. The drink was said to do this when mixed with quinine and tonic water; it was combined with gin and a lime to combat the bitter flavor. Did it work? Nope, but we did get a classic cocktail from it if there’s any silver lining.

Conclusion:

Sometimes the best products are forged in fire. Gin has a very unique and colorful past compared to many of its spirit siblings. Through all of this, it also has the most mixes and cocktail combinations when compared to the rest! If there’s anything I could leave you with, it’s please drink responsibly.

 

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