Gin gets its English name from genever, or jenever, a distilled malt wine from Holland that was originally flavored with juniper and other botanicals for medicinal purposes and sold in pharmacies. Dutch physician and scientist Franciscus Sylvius is often credited with its creation in the 1700s, but “Geneva” is mentioned as early as the late sixteenth century, when English soldiers brought it back from expeditions in support of Dutch independence. It earned the nickname “Dutch Courage,” and gained widespread popularity in Great Britain after William of Orange invaded England in 1688 with a Dutch fleet.
Because it was possible to make without a license, gin became so popular that its overconsumption led to the so-called “Gin Craze” of the first half of the eighteenth century, requiring the government to enact multiple restrictions. England’s burgeoning sweet tooth, fueled by sugarcane from its colonies in the Caribbean, led to the production of a sweetened and lighter gin style called “Old Tom.” Old Tom was the prevalent gin style during the cocktail’s Golden Age, from roughly the 1870s to World War I.
Gin was originally distilled in a pot still, resulting in a maltier taste closer to whiskey, but the invention of the column still in the nineteenth century led to the creation of the cleaner-tasting, lighter London Dry style.
Recently, with America’s increasing interest in craft spirits, a new designation has emerged, called “American Western Dry Gin” or “American Dry Gin,” which reflects distillers’ use of regional botanicals and an attempt to codify quality standards. If you enjoy gin, an exploration into the burgeoning scene can feel like passing through C. S. Lewis’s wardrobe into Gin Narnia. You’ll find small-batch bottles made from honey, thanks to Caledonia Spirits in Vermont; ethereal gins developed to play up local botanicals, like Sage by Philadelphia’s Art in the Age; plus big, branchy evergreen gins like Oregon’s Rogue Spruce.
Truly, there is a gin for every predilection.
GIN STYLES AND TASTING NOTES
GENEVER: Malty and complex with soft herbal undertones, sometimes compared to a light Scotch. The smell brings to mind Japanese sake.
(Brands: Bols, Boomsma)
OLD TOM: Round, nuanced, heavy on botanicals, distinctly sweet. There’s a slight fruitiness, like fresh peaches.
(Brand: Hayman’s)
PLYMOUTH: Astringent, with notes of fresh juniper combined with citrus, making this a choice gin to pair with lime or lemon.
(Brand: Plymouth)
LONDON DRY: Briny, angular, with a sharp finish—a huge blast of juniper. Excellent for martinis; its briny edge loves an olive.
(Brands: Tanqueray, Beefeater, Broker’s)
AMERICAN DRY: Various botanicals pop, depending on the terroir. For notes of orange and cardamom, try Aviation from Portland. Greylock, from the Berkshires, highlights lemon, orange, black pepper, and coriander. And the list goes on.
(Brands: Blue Coat, Aviation, St. George, Small’s, Junipero, and many more)