Buying Gin

Genever, from which the name gin derives, was originally made in Holland in the 16th century as a combination of grain spirit, juniper (genever in Dutch), herbs and spices. Today, it is still the botanicals which give gin its flavour, and each distillery uses its own recipes. Gin drinking became such a problem in England in the 18th century, that the Gin Act was passed to limit its sale. The dawn of the cocktail era in the 1920s, however, re-established gin as a respectable drink. The recent revival of cocktail culture has shown a new appreciation of gin and its amazing diversity. Specialist bars have even opened in its honour and we see new brands such as Hendrick's and Miller's challenge the old favourites.