Facts about Gin
- 08
Beefeater gin, produced in London since 1863, remains one of the few major gin brands still distilled in its original location using a recipe that incorporates nine botanicals including seville orange peel.
- 07
Sloe gin, made by infusing gin with sloe berries and sugar, requires a minimum of six months steeping to develop its characteristic dark red color and tart flavor profile.
- 06
A 1997 study found that Gordon's gin, distilled in London since 1769, uses a secret recipe of ten botanicals that includes cubeb berries from Indonesia alongside the required juniper.
- 05
In 18th century England, gin consumption became so widespread that Parliament passed the Gin Act of 1751 to regulate distillation and reduce public drunkenness through taxation and licensing requirements.
- 04
Tanqueray gin, founded in 1830 by Charles Tanqueray in London, uses only four botanicals including juniper, coriander, licorice, and angelica root in its distinctive recipe.
- 03
London Dry Gin, first defined by the British government in 1860, must contain at least 37.5% alcohol by volume and can only use natural botanicals with no added sweeteners after distillation.
- 02
During the 1600s, Dutch chemist and physician Franciscus Sylvius is credited with creating the first medicinal gin spirit by infusing juniper into grain alcohol to treat kidney and stomach ailments.
- 01
The botanicals in gin must include juniper berries, which comprise at least 15 percent of the flavor profile according to EU regulations established in 2008.