Gin is generally made from a grain base, such as wheat or barley, which is first fermented and then distilled. London dry gin is a very traditional, dry, high-grade gin with a focus on juniper. In accordance with EU guidelines, to be labeled as London dry, all flavorants must be made during or before the distillation process. Nothing other than water can be added after distillation.
The initial spirit distillate must also have 70% alcohol by volume, but can be bottled with a lower percentage. The resulting liquor must be transparent and all flavors must be of natural origin. Gin is an alcoholic beverage that is obtained by distillation from a grain base (wheat or barley). In an additional procedure, botanical ingredients are added along with water until the desired flavors are met.
To be called gin, the spirit drink must have a predominant juniper berry flavor. Juniper is a type of aromatic “fruit” that grows along the branches of junipers. Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists from all over Europe, particularly in southern Italy (Salerno), Flanders and the Netherlands, to provide vital water from grape and grain distillates. It then became an object of trade in the spirits industry.
Gin became popular in England after the introduction of jenever, a Dutch and Belgian liqueur that was originally a medicine. Although this development had occurred since the beginning of the 17th century, gin became widespread after the Glorious Revolution of 1688 led by William of Orange and subsequent restrictions on the import of French brandy. Gin later emerged as England's national alcoholic beverage. The name gin is a shortened form of the oldest English word genever, related to the French word genièvre and the Dutch word jenever.
Ultimately, they all derive from juniperus, which in Latin means juniper. The physician Franciscus Sylvius is falsely attributed to the invention of gin in the mid-17th century, although the existence of jenever is confirmed in Philip Massinger's work The Duke of Milan (162), when Silvio was about nine years old. It is also stated that the English soldiers who supported Antwerp against the Spanish in 1585, during the Eighty Years' War, were already drinking jenever because of its calming effects before the battle, where the term Dutch courage is believed to have originated. According to some unconfirmed accounts, gin originated in Italy.
In London, in the early 18th century, much of the gin was legally distilled in residential houses (it was estimated that there were 1,500 residential stills in 1972) and was often flavored with turpentine to generate resinous woody notes, in addition to juniper. As early as 1913, the Webster Dictionary states, without further comment, that “common gin” is usually flavored with turpentine. Dutch or Belgian gin, also known as jenever or genever, evolved from malt wine liqueurs and is a distinctly different drink from later gin styles. Schiedam, a city in the province of South Holland, is famous for its jever-producing history.
The same goes for Hasselt, in the Belgian province of Limburg. The oude (old) style of jenever continued to be very popular throughout the 19th century, where it was known as gin from Holland or Geneva in popular pre-prohibition American waiter guides. Although many different styles of gin have evolved, it legally differentiates into four categories in the European Union, namely:. In the United States of America, gin is defined as an alcoholic beverage of no less than 40% alcohol (80 degrees) that has the characteristic flavor of juniper berries.
Gin produced only by redistilling botanical products can be further distinguished and marketed as distilled gin. Add more gin for stronger mixes and play with garnishes, such as cucumber, orange, lemon, lime, or blends such as elderflower or peach bitters. To make the bitter taste tastier, British officials in India added gin, sugar syrup and lime, which is the base of a gin and tonic. And despite the name, London Dry Gin is simply a style and doesn't need to be made in England's capital.
The flavors of a gin come from its botanical ingredients (i.e., the herbs, seeds, flowers, plants or spices that are added during production) and, more importantly, all gins must contain juniper; in fact, the predominant flavor must be juniper; otherwise, the beverage cannot be defined as gin , by law. Plymouth Gin (expired IGP), Ostfriesischer Korngenever, Slovenská borovička, Kraški Brinjevec, etc. Hence, today, the term “Navy Strength” is used for any high-grade gin with an alcohol level of 57% or more. New Western dry gin is a contemporary gin that silences the flavor of juniper and chooses to highlight any other desired botanical ingredient.
Plymouth gin can only be made in a specific location in Plymouth, England, and is incredibly similar to dry London gin, with less alcohol by volume and a slightly stronger citrus note. It has a nice oily texture, which works great on things like martinis and negronis, anything that tastes slightly bitter, Plymouth gin works really, really well. The reason why many waiters and master distillers love gin is its versatility as a spirit drink, and the reason is that it doesn't have a unique flavor; each brand and edition has a completely different flavor profile. However, these flavors are very subtle and gin isn't “flavored” in the modern sense of artificial added flavors; it's more like the different notes of citrus or spices that you can detect in your wine.
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