It’s the yin and yang of the drinks world and as cocktails go, the classic G&T is possibly the most refreshing and enduring double act of all time. And it’s proving more popular than ever. But how much do you really know about gin? Leanne Ware of Halewood Wine & Spirits reveals some gintastic facts about this punchy pour...
1. Despite being quintessentially English, 70% of the UK’s gin is produced in Scotland.
2. The word ‘gin’ comes from the Dutch word ‘Jenever’ which in turn comes from the Latin, Juniperus, meaning juniper – the key botanical in gin.
3. Gin has to be a minimum of 37.5% abv in the UK and Ireland (in the US it’s 40%). If it’s less than that, you can’t call it gin. Some ‘gin liqueurs’, which people assume are flavoured gin, are in fact not authentic gin.
4. Juniper berries aren’t actually a berry, they are a seed cone, hence the piney flavour.
5. The gin and tonic was born from British officers stationed in India mixing their quinine medicine, which treated malaria, with water, sugar and gin to make its bitter flavour more palatable.
6. Tonic water glows under UV rays!
7. It’s estimated that in 1743, the equivalent of roughly two pints of gin per person was consumed every week in London.
8. The term London Dry Gin doesn’t actually refer to gin made in London. It’s a specific style of gin that originated in London.
9. Despite some misconception, gin was never banned. It was however subject to heavy regulations in the mid 1700s, due to its effects on society.
10. Allegedly, the late Queen Mother’s favourite drink was a mix of 70% Dubonnet, a French aperitif and 30% gin, with a slice of lemon under the ice.
11. There’s an actual science behind why gin and tonic tastes so good – the molecules are similar, which means the two parts are attracted to each other and are able to mix easily.
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