A Gin Primer -- LeNell It All

by LeNell Smothers, Posted Jul 14th 2010 @ 4:00PM

Photo: Demián Camacho Santa Ana

Besides being a great addition to your beef marinades, juniper berries have long been used for medicinal purposes: fighting off infections, stimulating the kidneys, and even serving as an early Viagra. References to juniper use in health tonics have been found as far back as the 1200's. Franciscus Sylvius de la Boe, a professor at a Dutch university in the 1600's, often gets credited for mixing juniper with alcohol, creating the world's first gin -- however, juniper and alcohol had already made friends at least a hundred years earlier according to old Dutch distilling records.

Genever is one of the earliest styles of gin. Since 2008, the EU has granted genever a protected status, regulating where and how it can be made. Most genever comes from Holland; however Belgium and Department 59 (Nord) Department 62 (Pas-de-Calais) of France as well as the Nordrhein-Westfalen (bordering Belgium and Holland) and Niedersachsen (north of Nordrhein) areas of Germany are also allowed production rights. Genever styles range from a light almost vodka-like flavor to sweetened, fruity, almost liqueur-like bottlings. I spent a month in Holland last year "studying" genever, so let me just say there's not space here to outline in detail all the wonderful variations of this spirit. The brands you might find in the US include Zuidam, Boomsma, Schlichte Steinhäger, and the big daddy Bols.

More after the jump...

The other geographically protected gin style is Plymouth gin. Not only was this the gin called for in early martini recipes, Plymouth was known to fill the glasses of FDR, Winston Churchill, and even Hitchcock. The Black Friar's Distillery in Plymouth, England, is the oldest operating gin distillery (1793) and is the only distillery allowed to make Plymouth gin.

Incredibly popular in 19th century England, Old Tom is making a comeback among drinks enthusiasts. Dutch influence gave England a taste for genever. In an attempt to mimic this style, many say sugar was added to cover up crude distillation and to replicate the fuller mouth feel of Dutch gins. Today we know that Old Tom wasn't always just a bad gin with sugar added. The addition of sugar often balanced out the bitter botanicals used, and some versions didn't add sugar at all. In the U.S., you can find Hayman's and Ransom but if you find yourself in Europe, keep your eyes out for Secret Treasures, Dorchester, Jensen's and Both's labels.

London Gin (often referred to as London Dry Gin) is the most popular style of gin these days, including most of the brands you recognize -- Tanqueray, Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, Gordon's. To be labeled London Gin, the spirit does not have to be made in London, but its production is regulated by the EU to ensure no addition of artificial flavorings or colorings and only a small amount of sweetening (up to .5 grams per liter) may be added. The natural flavor must come from herbs, fruits and spices added in the distillation process. Lesser quality versions of gin known as compound gins just add flavorings to neutral spirit and are allowed much more sugar.

If you want to learn more, check out Gaz Regan's Gin Compendium.

Filed Under: Drinks
Tags: alcohol, bombay sapphire, distilling, gin, gordons gin, plymouth gin, tanqueray