Gin is a distilled spirit drink flavoured mainly with juniper berries. The spirit itself is made today mainly from corn, wheat, rye or molasses. All producers have their own ways of flavouring gin. In addition to juniper, it is not uncommon to use several other herbs such as angelica root, iris root, cinnamon, aniseed, bitter almond - but perhaps mainly coriander seeds.
So how do you make gin? What types of gin are there? And what is gin used for?
They use 96% pure spirit to make gin. It is usually distilled through a so-called Coffey distiller, a device invented by the Irishman Aeneas Coffey in the 19th century.
Distilling involves flavouring, often in different ways. It is at this stage that many gins differ, dividing them into quality and cheap gins.
When spicing the cheap gin, different flavourings and spices are mixed into a concentrate which is then stirred into the pure spirit. The drink is usually distilled once after it has absorbed the flavour of the spice mixture.
When making the quality gin, the manufacturer puts both more love and care into the production process. The drink is often spiced by placing all the spices in a basket at the top of the distiller. During the distillation process, the spirit vapours go up into the basket, collecting all the oils and aromas and thus flavouring the gin. This distillation method is used up to five times. The method is called racking. The taste is better than mass-produced gin, and it is considered to be of higher quality. It is also not uncommon for this type of gin to be aged in barrels, sometimes for up to 20 years.
Different countries make gin in different ways, using different spices, which means that the countries often have characteristics that make the gin varieties different from each other.
German gin, for example, is more complex and complete in its spicing. This type of gin is served well chilled, and it is not particularly suitable for grog.
The Spanish type of gin is similar to the British type. It is produced in a similar way and, according to statistics, is also the most widely drunk gin in the world - often by tourists.
What types of gin are there?
There are lots of different types of gin, especially as different countries use different methods and spices in their production.
But there are some varieties that are more prominent and well-known than others. You can read about them below.
Genever
Genever is the forerunner of today's modern gin. It is protected by origin and can only be produced in the Netherlands, Belgium and the northernmost part of France. This type of gin is single-berry spiced, and unlike regular gin, it is malt-distilled in old-fashioned pot-stills. It is often made entirely from malted grain and/or barley and aged in spruce barrels.
This grain brandy is said to have been invented by a Dutch apothecary in the 16th century and was successful because it was both cheap to produce and did not need to be stored.
There are two types of genever; Jonge is not stored while Oude is stored. Jonge has a light and dry taste. It may not be coloured and may have a maximum of 10 grams of sugar per litre. Oude is more powerful, oily and sweet to the taste. It may be coloured and may have a maximum of 20 grams of sugar per litre.
It is said that when the English and the Dutch were fighting the French in the late 16th century, the Dutch drank genever to allay their fears. The soldiers became intoxicated, which boosted their courage in battle. The English later came to call the drink "The Dutch Courage". This is how the English came into contact with the drink, and at home in England they began to produce the drink under the name gin.
Distilled gin
This is the most common type of modern gin today, and many other gins are made with this type as a base. Distilled gin is made by redistilling pure spirit at 96% with juniper berries and possibly other spice blends. It can be further spiced after distillation, but the predominant flavour must come from juniper berries for it to be classed as gin. This type of gin has become increasingly common and popular on the market.
London Dry Gin
This type of gin is made in the same way as regular distilled gin. The only difference is that you are not allowed to flavour or sweeten the drink after the second distillation. This type of gin is not protected by origin, and is therefore allowed to be produced all over the world.
Plymouth gin
In addition to juniper berries, the drink is flavoured with dried orange peel for a fresher taste. Plymouth gin is a protected origin and can only be produced by a distillery located in Plymouth, England. The product is classified as a distilled gin.
Old Tom Gin
This type of gin is mainly used in the drink Tom Collins. Originally, gin was flavoured mainly with juniper berries, but when the drink was sweetened, Old Tom Gin emerged - a sweet but juniper-flavoured type of gin, which sometimes includes other flavourings in its flavouring. At present, only Hayman's distillery in the UK produces this type of gin. The product is classified as a distilled gin.