THIS MOTHER’S DAY WHY NOT MAKE IT GIN?

There’s a lot of history in gin. A feature that makes it both an excellent gift and a conversation topic.

Juniper flavored beverages have been around since antiquity. In Roman times, juniper berries were among the herbs and spices added to wine. The process, attributed to the Greek physician Hippocrates, was called vinum hippocratum or hipocras. It was used to treat a range of ailments from skin rashes to gastrointestinal infections to snake bites. During the Middle Ages, it was widely considered an aphrodisiac. It was the origin of a diverse range of modern beverages, including vermouth, mulled wine, Sangria and, indirectly, gin.

During the 17th century, the Dutch, having rolled up much of the Portuguese trading empire, were Europe’s leading spice merchants. They were also Europe’s leading distillers and spirits vendors. They produced a wide range of infused, flavored spirits. One of which, a concoction flavored principally with juniper berry, and including a variety of herbs and spices, was called Genever, from the Dutch word for juniper.

Its Dutch origins notwithstanding, gin would go on to become the quintessential British drink. The overthrow of James II, England’s last Catholic king in 1688, by his daughter Mary and her Dutch husband, William of Orange, brought gin to England. They promptly banned the importation of French Cognac in favor of gin.

During the 18th and 19th century, while England was locked in an existential struggle with France, a struggle that began with Louis XIV and finally ended with Napoleon at Waterloo, gin was a lucrative source of taxes to fund the war effort. It also, unfortunately, led to an epidemic of public drunkenness that historians have described as England’s “first drug craze.”

In the 19th century, gin came into is heyday as the perfect mixer for quinine. Quinine, which is used to treat malaria, is virtually insoluble in water but will dissolve readily in alcohol. A lucky combination that’s gave rise to the gin and tonic as the mainstay of British empire builders, at least in the tropics.

In recent years, gin has had a revival. Millennials, especially millennial women, discovered gin and quickly became its leading consumer. In the meantime, the explosion of craft distilleries resulted in a vast increase of gin styles and expressions. Gin offers the startup distillery a highly coveted item-cash flow. Unlike brown spirits that take years to mature, gin can go from still to checking account in less than 90 days.

With more than 2,000 craft distilleries in the U.S. alone, not to mention another 500 in Great Britain, it’s no surprise that there are now over 6,000 different expressions of gin around the world. More expressions than any other alcoholic beverage, including whisky and vodka. Below is a selection of gins. All have interesting pedigrees, make excellent conversation topics and, more importantly, killer gin and tonics. All bottles are 750 ml.

The British aristocracy, whose estates in England grew wheat, welcomed the move as it increased wheat demand for distilling alcohol. Gin became the Protestant drink; what supporters of William and Mary drank to show their support for the monarchy. It’s been closely associated with the British monarchy and the aristocratic class ever since.

Texas produces around a dozen gins that use local botanicals. Try for example the Waterloo No. 9 Gin, 47% ABV, $24 ARP, from Treaty Oak Distilling. It uses botanicals from the Texas Hill country and includes Texas pecans, as well as locally grown lavender and grapefruit. It has a pronounced citrus character of lemon and grapefruit on the palate, along with notes of juniper and ginger pepperiness.

Written by: Joseph V Micallef

Original Article from: Forbes.com