What is Gin?

What is Gin?

The popularity of Gin has really exploded in Scotland and across the UK over the last 10 years. You may be a fan of this delicious tipple, but have you ever wondered what gin really is? Never fear, all the answers to this top question will be uncovered here.

The simple answer is that it’s is a distilled grain alcohol which is flavoured with botanicals. Juniper is usually the dominant botanical used.

The truth, however, is a touch more complex than that. There are 5 different types of Gin which can taste very different from one another. Understanding the nuance is a lost art. So, it is no longer really considered a selling point which is why many bottles are simply sold as ‘Gin’.

The 5 types of Gin

 

• London Dry

  This is what most people think of as “gin.” London Dry Gins are typically very dry, heavily juniper flavoured, light in body, and aromatic. To get the flowery, botanical flavour this style is known for, it has to be infused with various aromatic ingredients (as opposed to being flavoured at the end). This infusion takes place during the 2nd or 3rd distillation process. This infusion is a requirement to be labelled as “London Dry”. Carrying out this process gives each brand its own unique taste. London dry doesn’t have to be made in London – and most aren’t. Common brands include Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire, and Beefeater. This style is great for classic martinis, G&Ts, and Aviation cocktails.

• Plymouth

  This is the less dry cousin to the London Dry, and it must be made in Plymouth, England. Infused with more roots, this style of gin has an earthier flavour with softer juniper notes than other styles. Currently, there is only one brand of Plymouth gin produced in the world and, wouldn’t you know it, it’s called Plymouth. In term of cocktails, it can be used anywhere a London Dry is used. It is also what should be used in a “Pink Gin” cocktail.

• Genever or Dutch

  A unique group of gins that are very different in colour and taste to the others is Genever/Dutch. Unlike most others which are made with a combination of cereal grains, Genever is made from a base of malt grains which gives it a darker colour and flavour. It is more comparable to a light-bodied, botanical whisky. Recently, Genever has been revived by craft mixologists who are using it creatively in cocktails. However, it is just as good for sipping straight or chilled. The most commonly available brand is Bols Genever.

• Old Tom

  Here we have the sweeter cousin to the London Dry. It is appropriately named as it is the preferred gin in a Tom Collins. It’s generally thought of as somewhere in between a London Dry and Genever. It can be difficult to find but look for the Hayman’s brand and you’re on to a winner. Old Tom is most famously used in the Tom Collins and Martinez cocktails but is also delicious in a Ramos Gin Fizz.

• New American or International Style Gin

  This is an umbrella term used to refer to all the new styles of gin that use the same base distilling process but are predominantly infused with flavours other than juniper berries. The most common one you might be familiar with is Hendrick’s, flavored with cucumber and rose.

G & T

The most iconic gin drink on the planet has to be the gin and tonic.

Drinking gin and tonic is an idea that dates back to 19th Century British Colonial India. To combat malaria the British were told to take quinine, which was administered in the form of tonic water. It was very bitter and unpleasant, so the British started mixing it with lime, sugar, water and gin to make it palatable. Soon after, Schweppes released “Indian Tonic Water” to make the quinine more palatable and it was consumed across the empire, wherever malaria was prevalent.