While gin and vodka are made as neutral liquors, gin has additional ingredients, such as juniper berries, that give it its characteristic pine flavor. In fact, gin can only be called gin if it contains juniper. Without this, the liquor is technically vodka. Vodka is a neutral grain liquor, while gin is a neutral grain liquor with botanical ingredients.
Gin should be infused mainly with juniper berries. This is according to the law, otherwise it cannot be called gin. Vodka, on the other hand, doesn't need to be infused with juniper berries or anything. There are also differences in flavor and serving.
Gin is, at the most basic level, a neutral liquor flavored with juniper berries. It turns out that vodka is a neutral liquor. Like all spirits, both must have an alcohol content by volume (ABV) greater than 37.5% (40% in the US). USA) to be considered vodka or gin.
In other words, the difference between vodka and gin is the addition of juniper berries to gin. However, there are some iconic vodka cocktails, such as the Bloody Mary, the White Russian, the Moscow Mule and the Vesper Martini, popularized by James Bond. 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. Strong opinions abound on both sides of the argument about how or whether or not innovative new products should be allowed to call themselves “gin”.
While it's likely that most of the gin companies you see on supermarket shelves don't distill their products with Smirnoff and a bathtub, but instead get their base alcohol from the same place as big vodka producers. There is a suitable temperature to store vodka, so that when you drink it you can experience its full aroma. Now that we know what to look for, let's look at exactly what these alcohols are to understand why people think gin is just flavored vodka. It was first only produced in the City of London and, therefore, this style of gin is still known today as London Dry.
Popular cocktails with gin include Negroni, the classic Martini (originally always made with gin) and Gin Tonic. Vodka has been the most consumed liquor by volume since 1970, and 32 percent of the liquor market is vodka. So what's the difference between gin and vodka? Gin is often associated with herbal and pine notes, while vodka is best described as a flavorless entity. Gin is generally made from a grain base, such as wheat or barley, which is first fermented and then distilled.
Much sweeter than the Plymouth or London Dry styles, Old Tom is the “missing link” between dry and modern gin styles and Genever, the Dutch distillate that preceded them. Both gin and vodka can be made with just about anything, but some common bases include corn, wheat, rye, potatoes, grapes, and sorghum. Differences in the production process are very likely to drive up the price of gin compared to vodka, such as the need for all botanical ingredients to be natural.
