Gin: from Mothers ruin to cult in 400 years
For me, the smell of a freshly poured gin and tonic is pure Summer. In fact, Summer is when I started writing this blog! Yes, I’m ashamed to say that blogging has been put on the back burner in recent months and, it was quite a shock to see that my last draft of this one was back in July. I’ve given myself a mental slap on the wrist and finally finished it. Better late than never!
So, where was I? Ah, yes! Although gin didn’t originate on these shores, it has become a quintessentially British drink and our relationship with it is steeped in quite dark history. It’s a fascinating story that interweaves politics, class warfare and technological development - well worth further reading if you’re so inclined. Here’s a brief run down of the important bits.
Photo by Laure Noverraz on Unsplash
A Potted History
The core ingredient of gin is juniper and, records of the berries being combined with alcohol for medicinal purposes date as far back as 70 AD. In the 16th Century, the Dutch began producing a spirit called ‘genever’ - a harsh malt wine heavily flavoured with juniper to mask its taste. Gin really took hold in Britain when William of Orange came to the throne. I don’t remember much about the Corn Laws from school but, in a nutshell, these provided tax breaks on the production of spirits and led directly to the ‘gin craze’, a period of time when a pint of gin was cheaper than a pint of beer. Naturally, that encouraged some less than responsible drinking, especially amongst the poor. Incidentally, the first known written use of the word ‘gin’ appears in a book in 1714. The book suggests that it fell into use because the British were too drunk to pronounce ‘genever’! Gin distillation was a free-for-all and, such things as sawdust and turpentine went into the brew to maximise profits. The people of Britain (more precisely, England) were, quite literally, going mad. Gin was blamed for the death of thousands by over consumption, murder, negligence and insanity. To combat the massive social problems, a distillers licence was introduced and the industry plummeted. The Gin Act was passed by Parliament in 1751, raising taxes and fess for distillers and making licences more difficult to obtain. So successful were these measures that Sipsmith was the first distiller in England to be granted a licence since 1820.
The Gin Craze
The William Hogarth etching ‘Gin Lane’ was printed in 1751 and depicts the evils of gin consumption. It’s thought that the phrase ‘Mothers ruin’ dates from this time (note the baby falling out of its mothers arms). The companion piece to ‘Gin Lane’ was ‘Beer Street’, showing the relatively safe and sedate hobby of beer drinking.
Hello, Sailor!
By 1830 beer had become cheaper than gin for the first time in over a century but, gin quickly made a resurgence with the advent of improved stills (producing a cleaner spirit) and the help of the Royal Navy. We tend to associate the Navy with rum but, we also have to thank it for the good old gin and tonic. Sailors often travelled to parts of the world where malaria was prevalent. The quinine rations used to fight it tasted awful so Schweppes came with ‘Indian tonic water’ to disguise the taste. The Navy also carried fashionable gin with them so, it was inevitable that the two would eventually be combined. Add in a squeeze of scurvy preventing lime and, the rest is history.
Today, gin has been re-embraced as a cult. From the big brands to artisans, we’re now offered every flavour imaginable and, craft gin clubs are hugely popular. Gin has, of course, always been a staple of cocktails. The number of people drinking pink gin has more than doubled to 5.1 million in the year to July 2019.
One in five spirits bought in the UK is gin. In the twelve months to March 2019, sales reached £2.3 billion. That’s 76 million bottles! If current trends continue, gin may knock vodka off the top spot as our favourite spirit.
Mine’s A G & T, Please!
Assuming you’re a gin drinker, do you have a favourite? I’m partial to a glass of sloe gin now and then but, my drink of choice is a nice, big G and T with ice and a slice. Preferably Gordons. I know this may be controversial but, I really think Gordons has a distinctive aroma and taste. Many years ago, I ordered a gin and tonic in a pub and specifically asked for Gordons as it wasn’t the gin in the optic. The Landlord insisted there was no difference between the brands and bet me I couldn’t tell them apart in a blind tasting. Not being one to resist a challenge, I took him up on his bet. After lots of sniffing and sipping, I finally had to admit that he was right. I couldn’t tell them apart - they both tasted like Gordons to me. Guess what? They were both Gordons! He cheated but, I got a free double gin so, I let it pass. Sadly, Gordons aren’t paying me to promote their product but, it’s definitely my favourite. One whiff of that angelica root transports me to London and Summer after work drinks with friends before a play at the National Theatre or a meal in Covent Garden.
Does gin evoke any special memories for you? If so, I’d love to hear about them so, do post a comment below.
Gin and Chocolate
(Update June 2024)
Our Gin Palace Collection chocolates used to be one of our top sellers but, trends change and we appreciate that customers get bored with the same old thing. The collection has been retired for the time being but we’ve added a new gin truffle to our Truffle Menu.
Oh, if you’re interested, the name ‘Gin Palace Collection’ is a nod to the famous gin palaces of the Victorian era. These were lavishly decorated gin bars distinguished by “an inordinate love of plate-glass and a passion for gas-lights and gilding” (The Dictionary of Victorian London).
Photo courtesy of https://www.katierogersphotography.com
Post Script!
I forgot to mention that my second favourite gin is Bombay Sapphire so, I was intrigued to see this in the supermarket today. I managed to resist it this time! Has anyone tried it?